After yesterday's leak, Mini decided to just go ahead and let the rest of the information out on the upcoming Countryman four-door. None of the info will surprise anybody that has been following the Countryman's development.
Yes, it offers optional all-wheel drive called ALL4. There's no two-speed transfer case or anything serious like that, just a electrohydraulic differential that splits power between the front and rear wheels.
The U.S. engine lineup hasn't been announced yet, but judging from the European lineup our Countryman will probably offer the same 1.6-liter four-cylinder options as the current Mini lineup. One notable change is the addition of full variable valve timing which bumps the horsepower numbers up a bit.
The normally aspirated engine is rated at 121-horsepower and 118 pound-feet of torque while the turbocharged engine now generates 181-horsepower and 177 pound-feet of torque. Both will come with a six-speed manual transmission standard. A six-speed automatic is optional.
All Countryman's will come standard with bucket seats in back that both recline and slide forward and backward. A bench seat will be optional along with a panorama roof and a full-length center console. A sport suspension, wheels up to 19-inches in diameter and various John Cooper Works pieces will also be on the options list.
firstwagon says:
10:49 AM, 01/20/10
So they have built an AWD 4 door wagon Mini.
Clever but I can't see them selling many. Creeping weight and price will limit the market.
cruiserhead1 says:
11:05 AM, 01/20/10
I think this will sell well, depending on price.
The current Cooper is so tiny, even in Clubman form, that it excludes a lot of buyers.
This will bring in a lot more people. However, the 2-only rear buckets are a big mis-step.
It's bigger than a Clubman but won't hold any more people?
Seems a bench would be more practical and fitting.
The only reason for a "big" Mini is practicality, right?
bankerdanny says:
11:07 AM, 01/20/10
I like it, but the small, weak base engine becomes a major liability when you increase the weight and add AWD. Imagine the SX4 with even less HP than it has now and you have the base Countryman.
lvgti says:
11:34 AM, 01/20/10
The ass-end of the vehicle is fugly!
The inane/asinine & functionally inept instrument panel is a really stupid design!
bankerdanny says:
11:52 AM, 01/20/10
Cruiserhead, it does say a bench will be optional. But how many Mini owners would put 3 people in the back? Making the double buckets standard just acknowledges the reality that more than two rear passengers is extremely rare for Mini owners, and are not likely to be more common on the Countryman despite the extra doors and leg room that the rear seats get.
For a couple or small family the 4 seater setup should work very well.
cruiserhead1 says:
11:58 AM, 01/20/10
Thanks bankerdanny,
I think the bench will be far more practical. Fold flat, split 60/40, etc
Makes life easy for a hatchback.
Also, definitely tough to get 3 in back but it needs the capability to do it.
When you just gotta get 5 people in on that rare occaision (maybe 3 kids?) it would be invaluable to have.
There is no reason not to have a bench.
To me, rear buckets make far more sense in the Clubman or Cooper.
My thinking is the reason to get a Countryman is for practicality. It should, at least, be more proficient than the Clubman in this regard.
firstwagon says:
12:29 PM, 01/20/10
The only reason I could see getting a bench is so you could put a baby seat in the centre.
I can't see how you could 3 people in the back though. Any kids small enough to fit 3 across would require booster seats and there is no way you could put 3 kids in with one or more booster seats.
bankerdanny says:
12:33 PM, 01/20/10
I get what you're saying. I am a dedicated fan of the hatchback and small wagon class (I'm a Forester owner myself). In college, I (I'm 6-4) and 3 friends went from central Illinois to Ft. Meyers Florida for an impromptu extended weekend in my 1978 Ford Fiesta, which included some backseat time for me (fortunately all of my friends were short).
The Countryman's seats fold down, so you don't really lose any hauling capacity. And I would argue (ok, I am arguing) that the bench seat actually makes more sense in the regular Mini, and to a lesser extent the Clubman, where limited knee room (very limited in the case of the standard Mini) and limited access to the back seat means rear seat passengers are even less likely in a Mini or Clubman than they will be in the Countryman.
Fortunately Mini seems to see your point and at least gives you the option of getting a bench seat.
cruiserhead1 says:
01:51 PM, 01/20/10
bankerdanny,
yes I agree about the Cooper and Clubman, just that I don't think rear buckets belong in any of them but especially a Mini that is big.
I agree with what you are saying. After all, it is also a style, fashion statement. And what's more fashionable than exclusion? ;)
I think it will be a big hit for them. I actually like the Mini products- very nice looking.
mquale says:
11:36 PM, 03/ 9/11
I had a mini til we had to give it up when we had our third child. One of the happiest moments of our lives and one of my saddest. LOL. I would love to get a five seater. Two carseats fit in my old one. I can find a way to fit boosters, I'm sure! I also had a Forester and now a Honda pilot. Would love to go back to a mini.