Photo: Newspress USA
The all-new for 2017 Countryman crossover is big, the biggest MINI ever, in fact. Most won't agree with us in saying that this is a glorious thing, but those "purists" just want to buy 60s rust buckets and ride unicycles to whatever coffee shop they call work.
Nobody says that Porsche is destroying its heritage by not using air-cooled engines in the 911. It too used to be a one-trick pony, but because of the Cayenne and the Panamera, other types of customers have learned to love the brand.
The same thing could happen to MINI, but only if the Countryman is its version of the Cayenne, a brilliant segment leader. While we're not sure that it's great, it is at least much better than its predecessor.
The best way to look at this is as a standard compact car, capable of carrying three people in the back and an average amount of luggage. If you remember, the old County man had a rail in the back to store your cups instead of carrying a person.
The engines are much better as well. Although we're not blown away by the base Cooper, everything else is top notch. There's the Cooper S with the familiar 2-liter, plus a couple of 2-liter diesels for the European market that deliver 150 or 190 hp. In addition to those, there's also a new plug-in hybrid version which we talked about at length.
As for the styling, it's a modern departure from what a classic Mini used to look like, which is also a good thing. There are standard cues for crossovers, like having headlights at the top, and the Countryman followed most of them. But the interior is a little less successful, as it's unsure if it wants to be funky or a serious BMW with another badge.
If you like either of these LA Auto Show display models, expect to see the Countryman in US showrooms in March 2017.
The same thing could happen to MINI, but only if the Countryman is its version of the Cayenne, a brilliant segment leader. While we're not sure that it's great, it is at least much better than its predecessor.
The best way to look at this is as a standard compact car, capable of carrying three people in the back and an average amount of luggage. If you remember, the old County man had a rail in the back to store your cups instead of carrying a person.
The engines are much better as well. Although we're not blown away by the base Cooper, everything else is top notch. There's the Cooper S with the familiar 2-liter, plus a couple of 2-liter diesels for the European market that deliver 150 or 190 hp. In addition to those, there's also a new plug-in hybrid version which we talked about at length.
Speaking of length...
Using the same UKL1 platform as the BMW X1 as a blueprint, the Countryman has gown by 20 centimeters or around 8 inches. That shows MINI is willing to give the customers what they really need instead of listening to the Internet's keyboard warriors.As for the styling, it's a modern departure from what a classic Mini used to look like, which is also a good thing. There are standard cues for crossovers, like having headlights at the top, and the Countryman followed most of them. But the interior is a little less successful, as it's unsure if it wants to be funky or a serious BMW with another badge.
If you like either of these LA Auto Show display models, expect to see the Countryman in US showrooms in March 2017.
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