Mini, the world famous manufacturer of tiny cars, has revealed to the world its first ever hybrid vehicle.
The Mini Countryman SE was unveiled at the LA Auto Show and immediately made a big impression. This is a 4 wheel drive model but there is something unusual about how it works.
The interesting thing is that the front wheels are driven by a traditional petrol engine, while the back wheels work thanks to the electric motor that is hooked up to them.
The total amount of horsepower that is obtained in this way is 221. The tradition, twin turbo engine gives 134 horsepower, with the rest coming from the electric motor.
Different Driving Modes
As is common with hybrid vehicles, the Countryman SE gives the driver a choice of different modes, based upon their journey and driving style. These have been labelled as eDrive modes by Mini and include the likes of electric only, electric with petrol being added at high speeds or petrol only.
The electric system that has been fitted here uses as its basis the eDrive System that BMW uses in its range of i3 and i8 vehicles.
It has also been reported that Mini will be bringing out a completely electric car for use in urban driving conditions. It is likely that we will see this car at some point in 2019.
It is worth pointing out the Countryman SE also has some extra space in it too, when compared to previous models. In additional, standard features include a 6.5 inch display and sunroof.
Do you think that this Mini should have included more interesting features, or do you think that it is just right?
