Mini seems to be going ahead with its citycar model which could turn up at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show as a concept car. It could be a two-seater model and is likely to compete with models such as the Toyota iQ and the Smart ForTwo. If they wanted to go luxury, they could even target the Aston Martin Cygnet, but the citycar is destined to be an entry-level model for Mini at this stage.

Mini has not revealed whether the car will enter production or not, as that will depend on reactions after the presentation of the concept model. An unnamed source said to Autoweek: ” The idea to create a highly compact Mini model is one that has been on the agenda for quite a while. On the outside it would appear a natural fit for the brand, but profitability is a major concern at this end of the market.”

While the source says that making a good-looking car is not a guarantee to making sales, we think Mini’s city car will have to be a hot little model anyway. The Mini brand is so strong at the moment - famous for its quirky style and funky marketing campaigns - that its new citycar would have to build on that and add to it.

That might not be easy to do in this segment with its focus on practicality in urban motoring when style often comes in second. Names are likely to be something like the MINI Minor or MINI Mini. The picture above shows the Mini Spiritual Concept which debuted way back in 1997 so we can expect something more modern with Mini’s famous retro touch.

Source | WCF

(no votes)

0 comments