Photo: SB-Medien
Audi is currently working on a small crossover called the Q2 that should debut in 2016. However, MINI is likely to have its new Countryman model ready even sooner. It looks like the baby crossover market is going to turn into an all-out showdown.
The 2017 Countryman has been in development for over one year. The disguise has thus begun to lift slowly, revealing an unconventional design language. Some people hated the original Countryman for looking nothing like a Cooper and being too big. Of course, that didn't stop it from becoming the No 1 selling model of the MINI family.
Now, a MkII model is on its way and promises to be even bigger and awkward looking. Just take a few minutes to look at this little piglet!
At the front, the clamshell hood dominates the design. It recesses around a huge grill, but there's no scoop anymore. How are we supposed to tell the Cooper from the Cooper S?
Reports suggest the 2017 Countryman will be just 10mm longer, but also 150mm wider. That would make it a full-on compact car with as much elbow room as a Nissan Qashqai.
The larger body probably came in handy when BMW gave MINI engineers the new engines they were supposed to work with. We're talking about upsizing here, as 2-liter units will form the mid- to upper-range.
Perhaps you already know that the John Cooper Works model will have a 2.0-liter turbo with 231 horsepower. You can check it out in our spyshots gallery - it's the one with the red brakes. However, you probably didn't expect the Cooper D model to adopt a 2.0-liter diesel engine rated at 150 ponies. Even a plug-in hybrid model is planned, which is not surprising at all.
The Countryman is underpinned with the same big boy platform as the BMW X1. So in theory, every feature available on the Bimmer will be offered here. Thanks to a highly competitive market, MINI can't afford not to offer things like adaptive suspension or a head-up display.
If you're one of the few fans of the Paceman and its 3-door body, we have bad news: they're not going to build another one. But hey, a BMW X2 is currently under development and it should fill some of the void left in your heart.
Now, a MkII model is on its way and promises to be even bigger and awkward looking. Just take a few minutes to look at this little piglet!
At the front, the clamshell hood dominates the design. It recesses around a huge grill, but there's no scoop anymore. How are we supposed to tell the Cooper from the Cooper S?
Reports suggest the 2017 Countryman will be just 10mm longer, but also 150mm wider. That would make it a full-on compact car with as much elbow room as a Nissan Qashqai.
The larger body probably came in handy when BMW gave MINI engineers the new engines they were supposed to work with. We're talking about upsizing here, as 2-liter units will form the mid- to upper-range.
Perhaps you already know that the John Cooper Works model will have a 2.0-liter turbo with 231 horsepower. You can check it out in our spyshots gallery - it's the one with the red brakes. However, you probably didn't expect the Cooper D model to adopt a 2.0-liter diesel engine rated at 150 ponies. Even a plug-in hybrid model is planned, which is not surprising at all.
The Countryman is underpinned with the same big boy platform as the BMW X1. So in theory, every feature available on the Bimmer will be offered here. Thanks to a highly competitive market, MINI can't afford not to offer things like adaptive suspension or a head-up display.
If you're one of the few fans of the Paceman and its 3-door body, we have bad news: they're not going to build another one. But hey, a BMW X2 is currently under development and it should fill some of the void left in your heart.
Google News