2025 Mini Cooper EV Spy Shots and Video

Mini's signature hatchback, now known as the hardtop, is about to be redesigned.

Mini offered an early look Tuesday at the new hatch, which will return to be called the Cooper (now Cooper is just a grade), and we now have fresh spy shots and video of the prototype.

The prototype is an electric version, but a prototype with an internal combustion engine is also being tested, confirming that Mini will once again offer a choice of electric or gas powertrains.

The electric version will be based on a dedicated electric vehicle platform developed by Spotlight, a Chinese joint venture between BMW Group and Great Wall Motor. Production of the electric car version will take place in China, while production of the gas car version will take place at BMW Group's plant in the UK, where the current hardtop is produced.

The gas version will be a heavy update of the current hardtop rather than a true redesign, and as a result the styling will be slightly different from the electric version. This move makes sense, as Mini plans to switch to EVs this decade, with 2025 confirmed as the date for the final gas car to go on sale.

As for the electric Cooper, its appearance is a clear evolution of the modern Mini's appearance from earlier this century, but there are significant differences in the tailgate design, which features sharp cutouts framing the taillights.

It is not clear what Mini plans for the electric version's powertrain. Currently, Mini is believed to offer a base Cooper E with a 40 kwh battery and 181 hp and a sportier Cooper SE with a 54 kwh battery and 215 hp; a 300+ hp electric grade "John Cooper Works" is also a possibility; and a gasoline Cooper E with a 40 kwh battery and 181 hp is a possibility. Gasoline Coopers will likely continue to offer the same 1.5-liter Turbo 3 and 2.0-liter Turbo 4 engines that power the current hardtop.

The new Cooper is expected to hit showrooms in 2024 as a 2025 model. Arriving at about the same time will be the redesigned Countryman, which, like the Cooper, will be available in electric and gas versions. The new Countryman will be slightly larger in size to make room in the Mini lineup for a smaller, fully electric crossover called the Aceman.