If you remember Mini's concept from the Detroit auto show, the Beachcomber, you will recognize the production Mini Countryman, the jacked-up, all-wheel-drive, not-that-mini Mini. Compared to the concept, though, the production model has 400 percent more doors and zero shark/man hybrids. So that's good.
Otherwise we're a bit perplexed by the Mini Countryman, because to us, a Mini is not jacked up and it has no real use for the Countryman's all-wheel-drive system. Although, the model's existence is less perplexing than the sight of the weird Village-People-esque booth personnel all done up in crazy country-western outfits.
Anyway, the normally aspirated 1.6-liter engine is rated at 121 horsepower and 118 pound-feet of torque, while the turbocharged engine now generates 181 hp and 177 lb-ft of torque. Both will come with a six-speed manual transmission standard. A six-speed automatic is optional. And for some reason, buyers will be able to spec their Countryman with up to 19-inch wheels.
The Countryman will be the first model to get the company's new Mini Connected system that includes the world's first availability of Web-based radio reception, a sassy new interface and some other iPod/music-friendly stuff.
That might be cool, but are we wrong to want a Mini to be mini?
pat1usmc says:
04:44 AM, 03/ 2/10
The article keeps saying Clubman, but is it supposed to be Crossman?
blueprint1 says:
05:24 AM, 03/ 2/10
Countryman, not Crossman or Clubman (that is the current mini-wagon).
fst1 says:
05:36 AM, 03/ 2/10
Sorry about that. Dan Pund never liked the Countryman name, so he refuses to acknowledge its existence. Should've put someone else on that press conference.
Ed Hellwig
prefcustomer says:
06:40 AM, 03/ 2/10
I understand brand purity, and on the surface the idea of a Mini SUV is bizarre. But I have a Cooper S, and I love it; I also have 1 kid who is fast getting to the size where she does not like the Cooper S, and if I were to have another kid, I don't think she or he would fit in the Cooper S at all.
What to do?
Getting a Clubman is out--I tried one of those, and the weird third door is completely unusable in your average tight parking lot. I could get a GTI or a Jetta wagon or something, or an Odyssey or a Sienna or a Flex...
But what if I want something, you know, more mini?
Depending on how much weight they've added, how high the CG is, and how it drives, this thing might be just the ticket.
anythngbutgm says:
06:42 AM, 03/ 2/10
Did Mini run out of time or funding to get the right nameplate for this thing or did they rip one off a Cooper S intentionally?
ed124c says:
08:18 AM, 03/ 2/10
My prediction is that this Countryman will boost Mini sales by 50%
bankerdanny says:
09:13 AM, 03/ 2/10
The Countryman makes sense to me. The vehicle will still be small by SUV standards, and as Prefcustomer so eloquently explains, if you like Minis and have a family, the Countryman will give you an option.
I don't see why it confuses anyone that BMW wants to expand the Mini lineup. The original Mini lineup included more than the original tiny hatchback and the current incarnation is growing in a similar fashion.
My only concern is that the base Mini engine is not up to the extra weight and drivetrain losses associated with the larger vehicle and AWD. It seems to me that the base engine needs to bump up to 1.8 or 2.0L.
firstwagon says:
09:15 AM, 03/ 2/10
"Otherwise we're a bit perplexed by the Mini Countryman, because to us, a Mini is not jacked up and it has no real use for the Countryman's all-wheel-drive system"
The awd will be great for snow and mud. Dispite a bit of marketing spin it was never going to be an off roader, a quick look at the underpinings and that was clear.
Think of it as a Mini version of the Imprezza.
notabigdeal says:
09:47 AM, 03/ 2/10
THis thing is too low to be an SUV... it is effectively a 5 seater hatchback. probably the size of a GTI and a lot more expensive then a GTI... but i agree with ed124c... thing thing will probably be MINI's cash cow.... like the cayanne did for Porsche. All the enthusiats thought the cayanne was a POS but who knows what passes for logic in suberbia. That shit is unregulated....like Glenn Becks brain. I think his ideas are a POS too but people buy it...
cr_driver says:
09:47 AM, 03/ 2/10
Don`t worry about its size, the price going up and up and up should be more interesting.
crs1 says:
11:52 AM, 03/ 2/10
I have an 02 Mini Cooper S, one of the first delivered, and now three kids ages 10, 8 and 1.5. In our experience kids fit better as they age. 0-12 months the backward facing seat is a very tough fit but then the forward facing seat is better. When legs get so long that they can reach the floor (post booster seat age) kids report they are fine and would kill me if I even thought of selling the car (actually I think they're hoping to get it as their ride when they turn 16). I also looked at the clubman and saw no advantage. This one I do see an advantage but I don't know if we'll make the leap. We have a Highlander Hybrid for family duty.
Re: sales - look what the Cheyenne did for Porsche. I think 50% might be a stretch but I suspect we'll see a lot more of these on the road than the clubman.
matt1320 says:
03:19 PM, 03/ 2/10
Nice, but if I were shopping for a small SUV/crossover, I would choose a Subaru Forester XT over this.
jederino says:
04:33 PM, 03/ 2/10
I see that the interior is all clown shoes and squirting lapel flowers. No thanks. I thought Mini would move to an ergonomic package once the novelty wore off, but I guess this is too much of their identity.
estreka says:
12:15 AM, 03/ 3/10
But the Shark Heads are still an option, right?
Also, 4*0 != 400%.
laguna1 says:
03:03 PM, 03/ 5/10
Why is the numberplate on the show vehicle reading "Mini Cooper S"?
@notabigdeal - It's not a proper SUV, it's effectively a 5 door Mini with AWD and it's smaller than 4.1 metres.