Article Summary
- The Countryman was by far the best-selling MINI last year.
- The hatchback still came out on top if we include both the three- and five-door variants.
- Every model series in production enjoyed year-over-year-growth, including the convertible.
Having published its Annual Group Report this week, BMW and its subsidiaries now have the final sales figures for 2025. We’ve already looked at what worked and what didn’t for the core brand, so it only makes sense to do the same for MINI. The numbers have slightly changed since the provisional results were published at the beginning of the year, but these are the ones that will go in the books.
As previously reported, the MINI Countryman was the best-selling product in 2025, with every third vehicle being the compact crossover. With a year-over-year increase of 15.2%, the “U25” racked up 93,304 units, giving it a 32.4% share of total shipments. It’s particularly good news for the BMW Group because production of the model has been brought entirely in-house. While its predecessor’s assembly was outsourced to VDL Nedcar in Born, the third generation is built at BMW’s own plant in Leipzig.
The Countryman may have been the most popular individual model, but the Cooper Hatch still came out on top if we combine the three- and five-door versions. The F66 and F65 ended the year with cumulative sales of 140,301 vehicles, or 9.1% more than the year before. MINI’s duo accounted for nearly half of deliveries last year with an 48.7% share. It’s actually a trio since sales of the electric “J01” three-door hatch were grouped with those of the ICE models.
The Aceman took the last place on the podium with 31,625 units, a 461.5% year-over-year increase. However, the explosive rise doesn’t tell the real story. Production didn’t start until later in 2024, making 2025 the models’ first full year on sale. Consequently, it’s not really an apples-to-apples comparison. As a reminder, the “J05” is the only model sold without a combustion engine. We wonder how sales would look if an ICE version were available.
The subcompact crossover is made in China by Spotlight Automotive, a 50:50 joint venture between the BMW Group and Great Wall Motor. There had been plans to build the Aceman at home in Oxford from 2026, but that’s no longer happening. The decision has also affected the electric hatchback, as the J01 won’t be made in the UK either. Unfortunately, reversing these plans means there’s very little chance for the two EVs to be sold in the United States.
The sales chart holds a nice surprise. We honestly weren’t expecting the Convertible to have such a solid year. Demand jumped by 18.4% to 22,491 vehicles, which goes to show that cabriolets aren’t completely dead. MINI allegedly had wanted to build an electric “J03” droptop in Oxford from 2027, but that plan has also been scrapped.
We are a bit surprised to see the Clubman on the list. The six-door wagon’s production ended in early 2024, yet there was still enough leftover stock for 557 people to buy one last year. This only goes to show the quirky “F54” was a tough sell. Nevertheless, we’re sad to see it gone from the lineup. Then again, the people have spoken, and they want crossovers.
In 2025, it’s safe to say that MINI reaped the benefits of renewing its entire portfolio. Overall demand was up 17.7% YoY to 288,274 cars. We still think not having a gas-powered Aceman is a missed opportunity in today’s SUV-hungry market. Whether it will happen is unclear, but with the Countryman getting so big, there’s space in the lineup for a smaller crossover with combustion engines.
