Flagship ‘Traveller’ will lead Mini’s new pair of SUVs

With the Countryman being the only SUV in its current line-up, a report from the United Kingdom has claimed that Mini will indeed bring the Traveller name back as part of a new two model off-roader range.

Although it was reported last year that the Clubman would become the Traveller, a name used on a number of concept models without going into actual mass production, Autocar claims that the newly envisioned model will be made in co-operation with Great Wall Motors (GWM) in China and feature dimensions on par with that of the BMW X1.

A second model, allegedly with an all-electric drivetrain, will breathe new life into the Paceman moniker and reportedly provide the foundation for the next generation BMW i3, although this is purely speculative at present.

The reveal of the Traveller, which will swap the UKL2 platform for BMW’s CLAR, will see it become Oxford’s largest model since its establishing as a marque by Munich nearly two decades ago, with boss Bernd Körber remarking last year that the newcomer won’t compete with the X3 or X5.

“We can stretch the interpretation of Mini always being the smallest but I can’t imagine being bigger in a segment. We need to fulfil a requirement on size,” Körber said.

Set to slot-in above the recently refreshed Countryman (pictured), the Traveller, according to Autocar, will appear in 2024, although this has not yet been confirmed outright.

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