Photo: SB Medien
The upcoming MINI Countryman is expected somewhere around 2017, and we’ve already seen it out testing before. The thing is, whether we caught it playing in the snow or out on public roads, the prototypes have been carefully wrapped in psychedelic camouflage.
This last set of photographs sent in by our carparazzi tell exactly how BMW/MINI plan to test the biggest model that wears the winged badge. Yes, despite its size, the Countryman is subjected to Nurburgring tests as well, not just M cars, because everything coming out of Munich has to be exciting to drive.
Unfortunately, we can’t tell a lot about what the new model will look like just by these photos. That's not only because of the camo but also because it’s quite an early prototype that’s still wearing a lot of pre-production parts.
Even so, we do know a couple of interesting stuff about the future Countryman. It will be based on the same platform as the current hardtop and other cars in the MINI and BMW range. Yes, we’re talking about the UKL platform that will be accounting for more than just a few models in the future.
The engines will be part of the same B-family, all of them turbocharged and ranging from 1.5-liter 3-cylinder configurations to 2-liter 4-cylinder ones. The best bit is that we already spied a Countryman out testing a plug-in hybrid powertrain. That confirms the statements from BMW officials that most of their models will have plug-in hybrid alternatives in the future.
This particular car seems to be a Cooper S model judging by its twin tailpipes at the back, hinting at the 2-liter 4-cylinder 192 HP engine. It's a decent mill that will turn even the Countryman in a lively car.
As for the interior, a set of spyshots sent in back in February by our photographers seemed to show the same layout as in the Mk3 Hardtop. That can be interpreted in a couple of ways, both good and bad. The good part is that the Countryman gets a fresh look inside the cabin while the bad news is that it looks exactly the same as in the rest of the range.
Depending on how you look at it, that could be either a deal breaker or a winning bet. Either way, MINI still has time to change its mind and offer the Countryman with its own identity both inside and out.
Unfortunately, we can’t tell a lot about what the new model will look like just by these photos. That's not only because of the camo but also because it’s quite an early prototype that’s still wearing a lot of pre-production parts.
Even so, we do know a couple of interesting stuff about the future Countryman. It will be based on the same platform as the current hardtop and other cars in the MINI and BMW range. Yes, we’re talking about the UKL platform that will be accounting for more than just a few models in the future.
The engines will be part of the same B-family, all of them turbocharged and ranging from 1.5-liter 3-cylinder configurations to 2-liter 4-cylinder ones. The best bit is that we already spied a Countryman out testing a plug-in hybrid powertrain. That confirms the statements from BMW officials that most of their models will have plug-in hybrid alternatives in the future.
This particular car seems to be a Cooper S model judging by its twin tailpipes at the back, hinting at the 2-liter 4-cylinder 192 HP engine. It's a decent mill that will turn even the Countryman in a lively car.
As for the interior, a set of spyshots sent in back in February by our photographers seemed to show the same layout as in the Mk3 Hardtop. That can be interpreted in a couple of ways, both good and bad. The good part is that the Countryman gets a fresh look inside the cabin while the bad news is that it looks exactly the same as in the rest of the range.
Depending on how you look at it, that could be either a deal breaker or a winning bet. Either way, MINI still has time to change its mind and offer the Countryman with its own identity both inside and out.
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