Mini News: MINI Decides To Cut Back On Their Lineup

[William Maley]

For awhile, we've been reporting on MINI's plans to expand their lineup to possibly ten models. But now, the company is reversing that decision. Bloomberg reports that MINI's parent company, BMW has decided that MINI has too many models and is cutting it down from eight to five models.

Peter Schwarzenbauer, MINI's brand chief says the automaker will focus on “superhero” vehicles such as the three-door hardtop.

“Like a superhero, each of these cars has its own personality and unique capabilities. It is important to find the right balance between growth on the one hand and profitability on the other,” said Schwarzenbauer.

Schwarzenbauer goes onto say that this new focus means that three to four of the current models will remain in the lineup, though he doesn't say which models will be cut. Likely models to be cut include the MINI Coupe and Roadster.

Even with these cuts, MINI isn't giving up on introducing new models. Schwarzenbauer says that the automaker is planning to introduce an electric vehicle “soon” once it appears that zero-emission driving becomes a must in urban areas.

Source: Bloomberg

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[Drew Dowdell]

What is it with German brands and their desire to call each and every body-style or engine-option variation a model?

 

Back in the day, you bought an Oldsmobile Cutlass, but that wasn't the end of the story. You could have bought a 2-door coupe, 2-door hard top, 4-door sedan, 4-door hard top, convertible, wagon, or a 442... or you bought an Eighty-Eight, again with just about all of those available variations.   Up to 14 different options, but in the end, just two models. 

 

Mini has 8 "models" but they are all just variations on two cars... at it's base, Mini has the Mini Cooper which is the basis for 6 "models" and the Countryman which is the basis for 2 "models" 

 

BMW is just as bad.  Audi is worse.

 

*might turn this rant into a longer Op Ed later.

[regfootball]

please do, i think its crap myself

[Robert Hall]

8 to 5...  I assume they will cut the 2 seater models--roadster and coupe--and maybe the Paceman (I've only seen one of these).

[ocnblu]

We have a FWD Paceman in the shop right now with $10k worth of crash damage.

[daves87rs]

Is less mini good? They don't seem different to me....

[ocnblu]

So they're miniaturizing the lineup, while making the cars bigger.  Makes so much sense.

[G. David Felt]

Terrible product line, poor quality and just a plain coffin on wheels.

[smk4565]

They should make cuts. They need the original, the Clubman, convertible and the Countryman because it is more like a crossover. That is about it. They should worry more about reliability or offering a high mpg diesel rather than body styles.

[A Horse With No Name]

We have a FWD Paceman in the shop right now with $10k worth of crash damage.

 

 

...are you sure it's just not that way from the factory?

They should make cuts. They need the original, the Clubman, convertible and the Countryman because it is more like a crossover. That is about it. They should worry more about reliability or offering a high mpg diesel rather than body styles.

 

 

Once actually...I agree with you.

[ocnblu]

Since when has BMW been worried at all about reliability on any of their products?

[ZL-1]

Paceman and the new 5 door shouldn't be there in their current form. Period. The Roadster is something I like, and really doesn't take away frm tyhe MINI brand IMHO... Coupe is butt ugly.

 

I think instead of the 5-door they should have planned for Clubman (similar to current model) and Clubman L (5-door as poer the concept) versions of the estate. And they should have brought back a MINI Moke but based on the Clubman 4x4 instead of spending money on the Paceman development.

[mikka254]

This might also be because more and more people are favoring SUV's and so they have to compete with the market.

[ZL-1]

I have always said that there is two types of people on this world: those who like Mini and those who don't. 

In my opinion, Mini should never disappear, but I think BMW regrets buying it, because it probably doesn't sell as they thought and  personally think that the BMW ruined the history of this car buy buying it. I hope that this decison of cutting back on their models will be a step forward even though it might not seem that way. 

MINI has been incredibly successful and a cash machine in BMW's world. What other brand could sell EUR 40K cars that small? Cutting the MINI model range has to do with not whoring out the brand; they have the FWD BMWs with that 2-Series naming confusion for that purpose

[Drew Dowdell]

I have always said that there is two types of people on this world: those who like Mini and those who don't. 

In my opinion, Mini should never disappear, but I think BMW regrets buying it, because it probably doesn't sell as they thought and  personally think that the BMW ruined the history of this car buy buying it. I hope that this decison of cutting back on their models will be a step forward even though it might not seem that way. 

 

I think that the only thing BMW regrets is that it is difficult, if not impossible, to expand the Mini brand into the mainstream family car market. I'm sure BMW would love to be able to compete with the Fusion, Mondeo, and Focus.