Electric is the future for this classic, but not entirely … two petrols are en route, too.

PETROL retains as a choice with the new-generation Mini Cooper, regardless the incoming car has been primarily designed for an electric powertrain.

While the battery-fed editions which were revealed late last year will undoubtedly be given more publicity priority on arrival between June and August,  national distributor BMW New Zealand has today confirmed it won’t wean the famous three-door format entirely away from fossil fuel.

The C and S badged models will accordingly respectively continue with three- and four-cylinder petrols as well, though for how long is open to conjecture.

Mini has previously said it will not develop any new internal combustion engines for its sales icon beyond 2025. 

That raises distinct possibility the types confirmed today will be the last petrol-powered Minis that will ever be launched.

Local pricing and specification will be announced prior to launch, BMW NZ says, but likelihood of these slipping below the battery-wed product would seem apparent.

The Cooper C’s 1.3-litre makes 115kW/230Nm, will achieve 0-100kmh in 7.7 seconds and has an official fuel consumption of 5.9-6.5 litres/100km, with CO2 emissions between 133- and 146g/km.

Making 150kW and 300Nm, the Cooper S’ 2.0-litre engine will knock the 0-100kmh time to 6.6 seconds and should burn through fuel at 6.1-6.7 litres/100km with CO2 between 138- and 150g/km.

Visually, the petrol Hatch models look very similar to the electric ones. Much of the bodywork and detailing is the same and there are no visible exhausts. 

The most obvious difference is at the very front, where the Cooper C and Cooper S now have proper radiator grilles with air intakes, whereas the electric MINIs have smoother panels. The petrol models also identify with black-plastic wheelarch trim.

Despite being combustion, there’s no traditional gear lever. Instead, the drive selector is part of the 'Toggle Bar' of switches, which also includes the parking brake, start-stop, the Experience Mode switch and a volume control. This, as you've probably guessed, means there will be no manual versions; only automatic gearboxes.

Instruments include a rev counter incorporated into the Mini Operating System 9, which is presented on a large, round OLED display in the middle of the dashboard. 

Another neat touch is the Experience Mode function. Owners can command two projector units to beam various illuminated graphics straight onto the dashboard, which the company says 'opens up new possibilities for personalising' the car.

Other technology includes a Safe Exit function that monitors the areas around the vehicle when it is parked and warns approaching road users, through light signals, that the car's door is about to be opened. There's also 3D Navigation with an augmented-reality view, radar cruise, the Mini Intelligent Personal Assistant with voice control triggered by the phrase 'Hey Mini' and the Spike digital avatar. A Digital Key Plus function turns a smartphone into the car key.

As presented, the models have a panoramic sunroof, while the 60:40 split-folding rear seats can be dropped to realise up to 800 litres of boot space. With all seats in use, the petrol types have a 210-litre cargo area.

As always, personalisation is heavily promoted. Among choices are contrast-colour roof finishes, including a three-hued Multitone Roof and its graded appearance, while alloy wheel sizes range from 16 to 18 inches.