MINI Vision Urbanaut concept revealed

After the BMW iX copped plenty of criticism last week for its controversial toothy styling, the German auto giant needs a win – and it’s hoping the MINI Vision Urbanaut concept will give it to them.

Though still only a computer-generated mock-up, the MINI Urbanaut has been conceived as a new vision of interior space utilisation, from the car company that invented big interiors in small packages.

The four-seat Urbanaut electric concept car is designed for an era when driving yourself becomes optional. Its highlights include an interior that can switch from a car to a living space, including the ability to turn the front seats around to face the rear passengers.

The windows all open wide and even the windscreen can be opened up from a hinge on the upper side of its frame to create what MINI calls a “street balcony”. No, they really do.

The left rear seat can be folded flat while the right rear seat can be turned around.

The dashboard and steering wheel can even lower so much that they almost disappear entirely to create a daybed when the car is stationary.

On the opposite side to the door, the side of the interior even has an integrated table (with a plant on it) serving as the central focal point of the cabin.

“The MINI brand has always stood for ‘clever use of space’,” insisted BMW Group’s senior vice-president of design, Adrian van Hooydonk.

“In the MINI Vision Urbanaut, we extend private space far into the public realm, creating completely new and enriching experiences in the process.”

There’s a single sliding door to get in and out of the Urbanaut, which has its interior split into three zones: a bright area for the driver, a cosy corner in the back and a split-use area between them.

Conceived to be a leader in automated driving, the Urbanaut concept retains its steering wheel and pedals because the driver can take over at any point, so it has been engineered for Level 4 self-driving.

“MINI sees its future self primarily as an enabler of, and companion for, unforgettable times – what we might call ‘MINI moments’,” MINI’s head of design Oliver Heilmer waxed.

“The MINI Vision Urbanaut uses three curated MINI moments – ‘Chill’, ‘Wanderlust’ and ‘Vibe’ – to present a wide range of possible usage scenarios.

“The Chill moment invites you to catch a breath and pause in the here and now. The car becomes a kind of retreat, a haven where you can relax – or work with full concentration – during a journey.

“Wanderlust is the only MINI moment where the MINI Vision Urbanaut is being driven or driving with automated driving functions. The moment Vibe puts time with other people at centre stage – in every way.”

At 4.46 metres long, the Urbanaut is 150mm longer than the MINI Countryman but ushers in a new design language for the brand.

It retains the short overhangs, round headlights and tail-lights of the brand, but shows off with transparent wheels that are illuminated from inside to communicate with the outside world.

It retains the grille, but it becomes a closed-off hexagon and it’s mainly there to serve as the intelligence panel and data collection panel for the driver assistance systems.

MINI has delivered no details on the EV powertrain of the Urbanaut, but it’s safe to say the car will be based on the FAAR (front-drive-based) BMW architecture that plays host to every other MINI model, along with the BMW 1 and 2 Series and the X1 and X2.

Like its larger CLAR architecture, BMW conceived the FAAR platform to accept petrol, diesel, plug-in hybrid and full-electric powertrains, so the Urbanaut concept isn’t stretching the imagination much here.

As carsales has reported, MINI last month confirmed reports that it will shake up its model range with two all-new small SUVs – a full-electric compact crossover and a larger version of the current MINI Countryman – that will join a completely redesigned MINI three-door hatch.

These three models will become the core line-up of the brand from 2023 onwards, heralding the demise of slower-selling models such as the MINI Clubman wagon and MINI Convertible.