Following yesterday’s leaked images and teaser video, Mini has today officially opened the floodgates of pictures and information on its new Countryman crossover. According to parent company BMW, the Countryman is “a new dimension” and “genuine crossover [that] bridges the gap between the classic concept of the Mini and a modern Sports Activity Vehicle.” Judging from the images, it’s hard to argue with that assessment.
As you can see, the Countryman gets four regularly hinged doors plus one conventional tailgate. We can also see that the CUV sits a bit higher off the ground than other Mini models and the company says it’s raised the seating position a smidge. The other big alteration from Mini’s previous models is the addition of all-wheel drive that can send up to 100 percent of the torque to the rear wheels.
Speaking of torque, the Countryman seems likely to get the full suite of available Mini engines both here in the United States and abroad. That means we’ll see both a normally aspirated 1.6-liter as well as a turbocharged 1.6 that will come with fully variable valve timing for the first time, bumping power to 184 horsepower. Unfortunately we can’t say for sure if the U.S. model will get that power increase, or the Brake Energy Regeneration and Auto Start Stop features that Europeans enjoy.
Inside, the Countryman gets a typically Mini-esque dash, door panels and seat designs and is available with the brand’s first-ever three-across rear bench. That back seat is a split-folding design, and cargo capacity jumps from 350 to 1,170 liters (12.2-41.0 cu ft) when it’s down. There’s plenty more to glean from the official press release – so typical of Mini (read it all the way through for a good morning laugh) – after the break, and be sure to check out our high-res image gallery below. We’ll know more details, like pricing and availability, when the Countryman makes its official debut at the Geneva Motor Show in early March.
Gallery: Mini Countryman
[Source: Mini]
Continue reading Officially Official: Mini unleashes the floodgates on Countryman crossover
Officially Official: Mini unleashes the floodgates on Countryman crossover originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 20 Jan 2010 11:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.