BMW has a pair of new plug-in hybrids arriving at dealers. If you want to electrify your Mini experience, the Mini Cooper S E Countryman All4 has arrived and it will start at $43,490. Want something bigger and more luxurious? The BMW 530e might be more to your tastes.
The plug-in Mini comes in one version, the Cooper S E Countryman All4. That means the large four-door Countryman body with all-wheel drive. It uses a 134 hp turbocharged 1.5L three-cylinder and has an 87 hp electric motor that drives the rear axle. That's right, in EV mode, this is a rear-drive Mini.
Electric power comes at a premium. The S Eco is $11,200 more than a gas-only S. And while the electric motor makes the S Eco quicker, things aren't as friendly at the pump. The S Eco is rated for 8.8 L/100 km city and 8.4 highway. That beats the gas-only S in the city but is actually one full L/100km worse on the highway.
With a fully charged battery, the S Eco is rated for 3.6 Le/100 km combined, but the 7.6 kWh battery is only rated to provide up to 19 km of range by the EPA. The battery is positioned so that it doesn't affect the Countryman's 450L of cargo space with the rear seats up, but it does cut the fuel tank nearly in half, so down to 36 litres from 61 in the gas-only car. The battery size and five-seat capacity mean that while it isn't yet on the MTO website, the Mini should qualify for a rebate of up to $7,330 in Ontario. It qualifies for a $4,000 rebate in Quebec and $2,500 in BC.
Step up, in size and price, and BMW offers the 530e xDrive. The 530e offers 252 hp and a 9.2 kWh battery. And it starts at $66,900, $4,500 more than a gas-only 530i in Canada.
The 530e sports a 2.0L turbo-four that makes 181 hp, and adds a 111 hp electric motor with 184 lb-ft of torque. The total is rated at 252 hp and 310 lb-ft. It has all-wheel drive and an eight-speed automatic.
The bigger battery means that the heavier 5er still has a longer electric range than the Mini. It's still short, but it can do 26 km instead of 19. The larger battery also means that it qualifies for rebates of up to $8,460 in Ontario, which make it the least expensive new 5 Series BMW available in that province. It gets the same $4,000 in Quebec and $2,500 in BC as the Mini. It gets an EPA-rated 8.7 L/100 km city, 7.6 L/100 km highway or 3.6 Le/100 km.
Both are available now.
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