REVEALED Three new MINIs

OFFICIAL New Cooper, Countryman and Aceman all set to arrive within two years

- Steve Fowler

MINI has revealed a total reinvention of its range over the next couple of years and given Auto Express access to all three new models, under disguise, with boss Stefanie Wurst to talk us through them.

First to arrive will be the new Countryman SUV a car that Wurst tells us has a big job to do. "This will definitely help us out in the US," she says. "It's also for people we were losing from the brand."

The new model grows by more than 100mm to just over 4,400mm long, giving much more usable space in the back row and a bigger boot than the outgoing car.

It'll also mark a couple of firsts: it'll be the first all-electric Countryman - the plug-in hybrid will be consigned to history - while it'll also be the first German-built MINI, produced at BMW's Leipzig factory.

That means it will share underpinnings with BMW's 1 and 2 Series models, including the X1 and X2 SUVs, and the electric iX1 gives plenty of clues as to the Countryman EV's vital statistics. So expect a 64.7kWh battery, confirmed by Wurst, with an expected range of around 280 miles.

Internal combustion-engined versions will use BMW's 1.5-litre or 2.0-litre engines with SE and four-wheel-drive ALL4 trim levels available. Wurst also confirmed that hot John Cooper Works versions of every new MINI are on the cards.