Current MINI Convertible will be the last
British car-maker to axe drop-top from line-up when MINI Convertible production ends in 2024; iconic cabrio will probably be replaced by another SUVNew reports suggest British car-maker MINI will not replace its MINI Convertible when production of the two-door drop-top ends in February 2024.
According to respected US outlet
, a source working in the supply chain for the BMW-owned brand says the Oxford-based car-maker has already taken the decision to cull the MINI Convertible for the next generation.The reasons cited by the source are both a sharp drop-off in demand for the open-air MINI, the added expense of developing it and the extra tooling needed to produce, all of which makes the next-generation MINI Convertible unviable as a business case.
The final nail in the coffin for the niche MINI Convertible is increasing buyer preference for small SUVs.
MINI is already reportedly considering two more compact SUVs – one of which is set to share its pure-electric powertrain with the MINI Electric.
It's thought that, internally, both models are being seen as indirect replacements for the once-popular MINI Convertible.
When production ceases in 2024, it will end almost two decades of the modern MINI Convertible, which was first introduced back in 2004.
The Convertible is not the first variant of the MINI to be dropped from the range. Back in 2015 both the MINI Coupe and MINI Roadster were dropped after just three years on the market.
A year later a more rakish three-door version of the MINI Clubman SUV, the Paceman, was also axed as the brand sought to slash costs.
There's no word on when MINI plans to expand its SUV range but it's rumoured the first battery-powered MINI SUV will revive the Paceman name and be launched globally as soon as 2022.
The larger MINI 'Traveller' SUV, meanwhile, is set to be introduced in 2024 -- the same year the MINI Convertible is now expected to be withdrawn.
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