Bold new interior design for Mini’s EV.

New images have been captured of the forthcoming Cooper S EV, in China.

A series of exterior images and a single cabin photo show some telling details concerning the new battery-powered Mini.

For the British compact car division of BMW, electrification is vital. Its small cars are under pressure. Although correctly sized for the inner-city markets where they have traditionally been popular, the cost of electrifying a small car is high. And this risks pushing Mini beyond an acceptable pricing threshold.

The current Mini Cooper SE also has quite a limited range, which is fine for inner-city commuting, but possibly a weakness for weekend journeys. Especially in markets with poor recharging infrastructure.

Mini’s new Cooper S EV has a semi-panelled front, with the traditional mesh grille replaced by solid moulding. The traditional round headlights remain in place, but the bonnet is now a flush stamping, discarding the scoop, which features on Mini’s current Cooper SE electric.

The tailgate has been significantly redesigned, too. Gone are the two vertically orientated rectangular lights. These are replaced by triangular-shaped taillights, which mark a departure from legacy Mini design influences on the Cooper range.

Like many other hatchbacks and crossovers, the new Mini Cooper S EV has a solid detail panel, joining the taillights, to accentuate the vehicle’s width – when viewed from the rear.

Beyond the evolved exterior styling and design, there are many changes to Cooper’s cabin architecture. The most noticeable of these is the lack of an instrumentation binnacle.

Mini’s designers have opted for a clean dash from the driver’s point of view. Vehicle and road information is projected by a HUD.

The Cooper S EV will retain that Mini centre stack infotainment screen, which is expected to have enhanced touchscreen functionality. Fiddly ergonomics have been an issue with Minis and their commitment to traditional tab switches and toggles – paying homage to the brand’s original design logic, from the 1960s.

Designers have retained some of the toggles and switches on the new Cooper S EV, but the component shapes appear much larger than before, making it easier to operate them.

Images of the new Cooper S EV were captured by Instagram user: wilcoblok.