Facelifted Mini will get regenerative braking

Facelifted Mini will get regenerative braking

It is reported that the brand new Mini hatchback will not only get a refreshed face, it will be a lot greener, too.

In fact, the car will match the iconic Toyota Prius in terms of CO2 emissions and certainly beating it from the point of view of driving pleasure and overall coolness.

The new environmentally friendly Mini, scheduled to debut during the upcoming Frankfurt Motor Show in September, will be equipped with stop/start and regenerative braking systems.

The former will shut down Mini’s engine while stopping at the red light and automatically re-start it when the driver pushes the gas pedal, and the latter will use some of its kinetic energy to recharge the Mini’s electric battery.

The systems will be available for both gasoline- and diesel-powered Mini.

With their help, Mini Cooper equipped with the 1.6-liter 109 hp oil-burner will produce only 104g of CO2 emissions per km, which is as good as the Toyota Prius and about 14g/km better than the ordinary diesel-powered Mini would produce.

Photos: BMW/Mini

See also: Electric-powered Mini Cooper EV to arrive next year