New Models: No Mini SUV, but there could be a van

BMW is planning to extend the Mini range - but, despite all the spy photos of prototypes, the Colorado SUV has not been signed off for production and is unlikely to enter the production plan in the short to medium term.

At the launch of the Mini Clubman a BMW-Mini executive told 4Car: 'We have been playing around with lots of ideas, we have considered a lot of new things, but we have nowhere to produce such a model. Oxford is running at full capacity, and Spartanburg (BMW's US factory) is also out of the question. We cannot do it without a joint-venture partner for production.'

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BMW is also concerned about diluting the appeal and uniqueness of the Mini brand, a problem with any future model not made at the Oxford factory, and is also working to very strict criteria on production costs and profit margins. A Mini SUV would only have niche appeal, so the cost of developing and producing it without a partner would be prohibitive. And as yet, no partner has been lined up. The Mini representative dismissed the recent rumours that BMW had been talking to Mercedes-Benz, for a start.

However, there are a couple of further new Minis in the pipeline: the MkII Convertible comes next year, and BMW is working on John Cooper Works-tuned versions of the Clubman.

Our insider also discussed a panel-van variant of the Clubman. 'Though we wouldn't do a commercial vehicle as such - that's not BMW - we are thinking about an aftermarket conversion kit.' A kit, which might be shown on a Mini concept at an upcoming motor show, could include the deletion of rear seats as well as side panels in place of the rear windows.

Ultimately, BMW is restricted by the confines of the current Mini's engineering. 'There is not much more we can do with this platform, a legacy from Rover,' we were told. 'It is very limited... but when we replace it with an all-new one, we will develop it from the start for more versatility.'

We expect that when it arrives some time in the next decade, the Mini MkIII will share its underpinnings with a closely related mini-BMW, a front-wheel-drive model to slot in the range below the 1-Series. This would be a rival for the upcoming entry-level Audi (A1) and Volkswagen (a model previewed by the City Expert), and would also help BMW meet the forthcoming European Union legislation on average fuel economy across its line-up.