-Mini showcases a lounge-on-wheels all-electric concept vehicle
-The Urbanaut is a four-seater vehicle convertible to a living room space
Mini has showcased the first look of a not-so-mini Vision Urbanaut which is the British car maker’s all-new interpretation of a ‘vision of space’. The concept minivan-like model is Mini’s imagination and perspective for space and versatility on four wheels.
The Urbanaut does not bear any resemblance to any Mini except the round headlights and grille. The headlights are visible only when illuminated and can display multi-colored graphic patterns depending upon the selected driving mode. The tail lamps on the rear feature matrix LED lights under the meshed aluminium sheets. Moving to the side of the unusually tall Mini, the pod-like concept measures 4.4 metres in length with snazzy looking blue lighting on the wheels.
Hop in through the only sliding door on the vehicle and you are welcomed by a four-seat living room space. Yes, there are four seats but the ambience looks nothing like a typical car cabin. There are two seats in the front and the remaining two lounge-type seats at the rear which can be folded manually. The centre free space between the seats is occupied by a table, plant and a lamp which also doubles up as the instrument cluster! Another fascinating feature are the three seat configurations. The ‘Daybed’ and ‘Street Balcony’ setup gives access to more space with an option to lower the entire dashboard and pop-up the windscreen; probably for the most home-like atmosphere on the wheels. The third ‘Cosy Corner’ is for the rear passengers to recline the seats to form a flat cozy bed.
Another facet of the Urbanaut, are three ‘curated MINI moments – Chill, Wanderlust and Vibe.’ These modes can be activated using ‘Mini Token’ placed on the centre table. It would be foolish to assume these as driving modes. Instead, these are personalised experience modes that provide leisure elements like ambient lighting, interior fragrance, music and other convenience features apart from any real driving assistance.
Talking about the car part of this visual fantasy, MINI has said that the concept will be an electrically powered vehicle with autonomous driving functions. And that’s about it. No other details as to the mechanicals are given out by the company. It goes without saying that this mini-van EV is a long way from production and would see the daylight only in the years to come. However, we could expect Mini to utilise the developed technology in its upcoming future models.
