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Top 3 Features of the 2017 Mini Electric Concept
Mini is looking at finally introducing its first electric car as it just unveiled the Mini Electric Concept ahead of the Frankfurt Motor Show this September. The modern Mini arrived in 2001 and was redesigned in 2006 and 2013. Since then, it has become more of a fashion statement rather than an affordable car for any individual.
1. Exterior
When you first look at the Mini electric concept, it would look like a reworked Cooper to you. Seeing as the Cooper is the brand’s most iconic car, it’s easy to see why the same design and body style were used for the concept. If Mini wants to survive in this particular segment, it better make use of what made it famous in the first place.
There are new features, of course, such as the closed hexagonal grille and the striking yellow accent stripe and round “E” badge. The grille was designed to improve aerodynamics. The headlamps are the same but it now features new LED cluster. The same can be said on the sides and the rear of the concept—it’s looking more and more like a redesigned next-generation Cooper.
2. Interior
Mini did not reveal anything about what we’re going to find inside the concept car, so it looks like the concept is more aesthetics than comfort. If anything, we can assume that the concept will look like the standard Mini Cooper. This means big round center stack, a large speedo behind the steering wheel, and an overall clean dashboard design.
3. Drivetrain
The concept will be 100-percent electric. There’s an option under BMW’s current lineup. Called the i3, it uses a synchronous electric motor that can produce 170 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque. It can reach 62mph from a complete standpoint in just 7.3 seconds. Top speed is 93mph.
The concept’s battery can reach a range of 186 miles on the European NEDC cycle and up to 158 miles based on the Worldwide harmonized Light vehicles Test Procedure (WLTP).
2017 Kia Sportage Debuts in Frankfurt
Kia Motors dropped the new fourth generation Sportage compact crossover in Frankfurt, Germany. It was launched with a redesigned exterior, an updated interior, and cutting edge technology and driving options.
What the new Kia Sportage offers is efficiency, practicality and performance in a single package. As you know, compact crossovers tend to be a jack-of-all-trade kind of vehicles, and the Sportage is no different. For the 2017 edition, Kia promised to upgrade every factor imaginable from its third generation Sportage.
The Sportage was first introduced in the early 1990s and since then, it has become quite a legend in Kia as it defined its range of compact crossovers.
For the fourth generation, the Kia Sportage will resemble a “fighter jet,” thanks to Kia’s chief designer, Peter Schreyer, the same guy who helped create the Audi TT. Kia’s design studios in Germany, Korea and California all contributed to the overall external look of the new Sportage.
Inside, the Sportage has a more refined and sleek look. The dashboard interface, which also featured a seven-inch touchscreen, is more driver-friendly now with all the buttons and switches angled towards the seat. There are two color schemes available—dark and light gray two-tone, and black and canyon beige two-tone.
The Sportage’s top-of-the-line will most likely include a turbocharged 1.6-liter T-GDI direct injection gas unit, which can produce 130 horsepower and 119 pound-feet of torque. Then, there’s also the option of a 1.7-liter CRDi diesel that can produce 113 horsepower and 192 pound-feet of torque.
The newest feature for the 2017 Sportage is the seven-speed double-clutch transmission, as well as a revamped suspension that promises a better drive and ride.
Kia has just announced the new prices for the 2017 Kia Sportage, which will go on sale later this spring. You can get your hands on this new compact crossover for a range of $22,990 to $34,000, depending on the trim version, according to TopSpeed, which is also the source of the images below.
