Next-gen Mini Cooper's skin is smoother than ever

Familiar look, but smoother lines

Everyone is on their skincare routine these days, and it looks like things are trickling down even to automobiles.

Mini has released official teaser images of the next-generation Cooper hatchback, showing that it won't stray far from its retro-modern styling. But with its panel lines all smoothened out, the next-generation Cooper is looking fresh out of a Belo clinic.

It's still instantly recognizable as a Mini, but what the iconic brand did was introduce some notable changes in the front. The oval headlights appear larger, and the LED elements inside them feature new horizontal bars. The corner vents on the front bumper have been flattened out, and the grille surrounds have their corners squared out.

The Mini Cooper shown was an all-electric model, so the grille vents have been covered up. But expect the gas-powered and hybrid models of the new Cooper to still have grille openings.

At the back, the rectangular taillights have been ditched in favor of new triangle-shaped units. The Union Jack pattern has been retained but has been redesigned to resemble pixels. A strip of black trim connects the two taillights, and vertical reflectors round out the new rear bumper design.

For now, there are no exact dates yet as to when Mini will fully reveal the next-generation Cooper to the public. However, we'll keep our eyes peeled for more information regarding this one.