The next-generation Countryman compact SUV will arrive soon after and is set to grow in size to more closely match its BMW X1 sibling, with a range of petrol, plug-in hybrid and fully electric powertrains.
Making it bigger is part of a plan to literally stretch the Mini range, making room for a new small SUV and a Chinese-built city car that’s tipped to revive the Minor name.
Porsche Macan EV and Audi Q6 E-Tron: Porsche nailed electrification at its first attempt, but its second is an arguably tougher challenge, because it’s not an all-new proposition but a reinvention of the hugely popular Macan SUV.
Make no mistake, though: the Macan EV will be an entirely new car built on an entirely new EV platform. Co-developed by Porsche and Audi, the PPE allows for ultra-rapid charging and performance motors. In the Macan, we expect a four-wheel-drive dual-motor set-up to offer 700bhp and 750lb ft of torque.
Audi won’t be far behind its sibling brand in using the PPE platform, with its all-new Q6 E-tron due shortly after the Macan EV. While Audi already has a burgeoning range of SUVs, these use either an adapted ICE platform or the more mainstream MQB EV platform.
Complementing the petrol-engined Q5, the Q6 will offer 800V charging, a range of more than 300 miles and eventually a sporting RS version.
