Mini Has Minor Updates in Store for 2022

by Tim Healey

Published: January 27th, 2021

mini has minor updates in store for 2022

Sorry folks, that headline isn’t some coded reference to the return of a Morris Minor.

No, Mini has unveiled updates from 2022 that the brand calls “significant” but in actuality fall under what we cynical scribes would categorize as a minor refresh.

To wit – the exterior changes that go into effect for the models in question (Cooper, Cooper S, Cooper SE, John Cooper Works two-doors; four-door Cooper and Cooper S; Cooper, Cooper S, and JCW convertibles) involve the integration of the air curtains into the front bumper, a new hexagonal grille, and the removal of fog lamps. A body-color panel now hides a safety bar. S and JCW cars get a pair of air intakes with gloss-black on the left and right sides of the center intake.

The rear bumper is changed, and the rear apron apes the grille’s hexagonal shape, while the exhaust surround is now body-color. JCW variants get a rear diffuser.

The side scuttles of the cars get tweaked, the wheel-arch trims are changed, and there are new wheel designs across the board for the 17- and 18-inch wheel choices.

Three new exterior colors are available, as well, and hardtops can be had with a multi-tone roof.

LED headlamps are standard, and the turn-signal indicators are LED, too. The Union Jack LED taillights remain, and the available piano black exterior trim is now extended to door handles, fuel-filler lid (S, JCW), exhaust end pipes (Cooper, Cooper S), Mini logos, and model badges (Cooper, Cooper S, Cooper SE).

Inside, the changes include a standard 8.8-inch infotainment screen, updated infotainment software with two color choices, standard satellite radio, and ambient lighting. The steering wheel is redesigned and heating is available.

Driving Assistant is now standard and it includes lane-departure warning and adaptive cruise control – with the latter being unavailable on manual-transmission models.

The SE EV gets the new bumpers, grille, tweaks to the side scuttles, multi-tone roof, and piano black trim, plus a closed-off radiator grille and unique badging. It will be available with 16- or 17-inch wheels. It will also get most of interior changes, include the new steering wheel, new infotainment screen, heated steering wheel, lane-departure warning, and standard satellite radio.

A limited-edition SE will be available, and Mini is vague on the specific differences.

Most trim levels will get a $500 price increase, though at least one (two-door JCW Classic) sees a $1,000 increase. Some trims hold the line in pricing, including the SE. Destination remains $850.

Minor or major, these changes do give Mini a fresh face. At a familiar price.

[Images: Mini]

#2022MiniCooper #Mid-cycleRefresh #MINI #MINICOOPER #MinorRefresh

Tim Healey

Tim Healey grew up around the auto-parts business and has always had a love for cars — his parents joke his first word was “‘Vette”. Despite this, he wanted to pursue a career in sports writing but he ended up falling semi-accidentally into the automotive-journalism industry, first at Consumer Guide Automotive and later at Web2Carz.com. He also worked as an industry analyst at Mintel Group and freelanced for About.com, CarFax, Vehix.com, High Gear Media, Torque News, FutureCar.com, Cars.com, among others, and of course Vertical Scope sites such as AutoGuide.com, Off-Road.com, and HybridCars.com. He’s an urbanite and as such, doesn’t need a daily driver, but if he had one, it would be compact, sporty, and have a manual transmission.

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3 of 15 comments

Slavuta on Jan 28, 2021

They should of removed run-flats and made seats more comfortable..

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- CKNSLS Sierra SLT on Jan 30, 2021
  
  slavuta- And the spare goes where...............
  
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DumblikeyouTu on Jan 29, 2021

You gotta be careful how you order one of these; you can get one in a color and style that's goofy, or you can temper your options and get one that's stealthy, but either way, these cars are fun AF to drive no matter what anybody says. I test drove several different versions of the Cooper and the Clubman (and there are a lot of versions, btw), but I ended up with something that offered a better deal at the time within the BMW fold. Even so, I still think about how fun those MINIs were to drive, and will consider one again after my lease is up. From somebody who drove an '09 CooperS with a manual trans, and back-breaking sports suspension for six years, the latest gen doesn't feel nearly as raw, but with the 7-speed DSG, the CooperS is lit. Really lit. Like, you'll be an a-hole on the everyday road lit. It's one of the reasons I hesitated getting one because I'm already intolerant of my fellow roadsters and the MINI would have made it worse. Also, I drove the GTI during it all, and the GTI doesn't really come close to how alive the MINI feels. I'm tired of VW's excuse of it being a proper gentleman's hothatch, because, proper gentlemen are who's buying the GTI???

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Oberkanone How long do I have to stay in this job before I get a golden parachute?I'd lower the price of the V-Series models. Improve the quality of interiors across the entire line. I'd add a sedan larger then CT5. I'd require a financial review of Celestiq. If it's not a profit center it's gone. Styling updates in the vision of the XLR to existing models. 2+2 sports coupe woutd be added. Performance in the class of AMG GT and Porsche 911 at a price just under $100k. EV models would NOT be subsidized by ICE revenue.
NJRide Let Cadillac be Cadillac, but in the context of 2024. As a new XT5 owner (the Emerald Green got me to buy an old design) I would have happy preferred a Lyriq hybrid. Some who really like the Lyriq's package but don't want an EV will buy another model. Most will go elsewhere. I love the V6 and good but easy to use infotainment. But I know my next car will probably be more electrified w more tech.I don't think anyone is confusing my car for a Blazer but i agree the XT6 is too derivative. Frankly the Enclave looks more prestigious. The Escalade still has got it, though I would love to see the ESV make a comeback. I still think GM missed the boat by not making a Colorado based mini-Blazer and Escalade. I don't get the 2 sedans. I feel a slightly larger and more distinctly Cadillac sedan would sell better. They also need to advertise beyond the Lyriq. I don't feel other luxury players are exactly hitting it out of the park right now so a strengthened Cadillac could regain share.
CM Korecko Cadillacs traditionally have been opulent, brash and leaders in the field; the "Standard of the World".That said, here's how to fix the brand:[list=1][*]Forget German luxury cars ever existed.[/*][*]Get rid of the astromech droid names and bring back Seville, Deville, Eldorado, Fleetwood and Brougham.[/*][*]End the electric crap altogether and make huge, gas guzzling land yachts for the significant portion of the population that would fight for a chance to buy one.[/*][*]Stop making sports cars and make true luxury cars for those of us who don't give a damn about the environment and are willing to swim upstream to get what we really want.[/*][*]Stop messing around with technology and make well-made and luxurious interiors.[/*][*]Watch sales skyrocket as a truly different product distinguishes itself to the delight of the target market and the damnation of the Sierra Club. Hell, there is no such thing as bad publicity and the "bad guy" image would actually have a lot of appeal.[/*][/list=1]
FreedMike Not surprisingly, I have some ideas. What Cadillac needs, I think, is a statement. They don’t really have an identity. They’re trying a statement car with the Celestiq, and while that’s the right idea, it has the wrong styling and a really wrong price tag. So, here’s a first step: instead of a sedan, do a huge, fast, capable and ridiculously smooth and quiet electric touring coupe. If you want an example of what I’m thinking of, check out the magnificent Rolls-Royce Spectre. But this Cadillac coupe would be uniquely American, it’d be named “Eldorado,” and it’d be a lot cheaper than the $450,000 Spectre – call it a buck twenty-five, with a range of bespoke options for prospective buyers that would make each one somewhat unique. Make it 220 inches long, on the same platform as the Celestiq, give it retro ‘60s styling (or you could do a ‘50s or ‘70s throwback, I suppose), and at least 700 horsepower, standard. Why electric? It’s the ultimate throwback to ‘60s powertrains: effortlessly fast, smooth, and quiet, but with a ton more horsepower. It’s the perfect drivetrain for a dignified touring coupe. In fact, I’d skip any mention of environmental responsibility in this car’s marketing – sell it on how it drives, period.  How many would they sell? Not many. But the point of the exercise is to do something that will turn heads and show people what this brand can do.  Second step: give the lineup a mix of electric and gas models, and make Cadillac gas engines bespoke to the brand. If they need to use generic GM engine designs, fine – take those engines and massage them thoroughly into something special to Cadillac, with specific tuning and output. No Cadillac should leave the factory with an engine straight out of a Malibu or a four-banger Silverado. Third step: a complete line-wide interior redo. Stop the cheapness that’s all over the current sedans and crossovers. Just stop it. Use the Lyriq as a blueprint – it’s a big improvement over the current crop and a good first step. I’d also say Cadillac has a good blend of screen-controlled and switch-controlled user interfaces; don’t give into the haptic-touch and wall-to-wall screen thing. (On the subject of Caddy interiors – as much as I bag on the Celestiq, check out the interior on that thing. Wow.)Fourth step: Blackwing All The Things – some gas, others electric. And keep the electric/gas mix so buyers have a choice.Fifth step: be patient. That’s not easy, but if they’re doing a brand reset, it’ll take time. 
NJRide So if GM was serious about selling this why no updates for so long? Or make something truly unique instead of something that looked like a downmarket Altima?