Mini Countryman Electric Officially Enters Production Route At Leipzig Factory, Take A Peek At The Specifications

Mini Countryman Electric is produced at the Leipzig factory, Germany. (Doc. BMW Group)

JAKARTA - Early September last year, the latest Mini Countryman was launched with offers of pure electric variants for the first time since this model was introduced. Recently, the SUV was officially launched from BMW Group's assembly plant in Leipzig, Germany.

The Leipzig plant has grown into production centers for a number of electrification models to be mass marketed. After the i3 model, this facility now produces several vehicles including Series-1, Series-2 Active Tourer (including PHEV versions), Series-2 Gran Coupe, and Mini Countryman EV as well as ICE versions.

Not only producing models, the Leipzig plant will also play a role in the production of the Gen 5 high-voltage battery which includes three stages: cell coating, module production, and battery assembly. All operational stages are being improved, with five cell production lines, three module production lines, and two high-voltage battery production lines.

"Starting this year, the Leipzig plant will carry out every stage of our internal high-voltage battery production process. This is our next step forward," said Markus Fallbohmer, Head of BMW Group Battery Production, in a company statement on Saturday, March 2.

Higher production volume means more jobs with an addition of up to 900 employees in the vehicle production line alone. By the end of 2024, the Leipzig Factory is expected to employ about 7,000 BMW staff. Working hours will be adjusted across all technologies, with night shifts in assembly starting for the first time in September this year and cars being produced around the clock in three shifts.

The latest Mini Countryman features an expressive minimalist design with its distinctive character. This car maintains the iconic proportion of MINI, including short overhangs, short engine hoods, and contrasted long-wheeled axis distances. 20-inch rims, wider wheel arches, and chrom detail reduction provide a modern look.

The latest generation Countryman has dimensions greater than its predecessor, with a length of 4,433 millimeters, a width of 1,843 millimeters, and a height of 1,656 millimeters. This car was exhibited at IAA Munich on September 5.

There are two power variants offered: Countryman E and Countryman SE ALL4. Countryman E has a range of 462 kilometers WLTP with a power-powered motor of 204 dk and a torque of 250 Nm. Countryman E can reach 0-100 km/h in 8.6 seconds with a maximum speed of 169 km/hour.

Meanwhile, Countryman SE ALL4 is more powerful with a WLTP reach of 433 km and is equipped with a four-wheel drive configuration and a double electric motor that produces a combined power of 313 dk and a torque of 494 Nm. SE ALL4 can accelerate from 0-100 km/hour in 5.6 seconds with a maximum speed of 178 km/hour.