Daily Auto News Photos of New Mini SUV Released
Daily Auto News
If you think that Minis are just too mini, your (very small) ship may have come in. Photos of the newest Mini, the Mini Countryman SUV — yes, Mini SUV — have hit the web.
Motor Trend says, “As we reported last month, the upcoming Mini crossover will indeed go by the Countryman moniker when it arrives in production form at the Geneva Motor Show. But with the recent leak of three images of the new all-wheel-drive, four-door Mini, you won’t have to wait until Geneva to catch your first glimpse of the Countryman.
Autoblog comments, “The Countryman (also sometimes called the Mini Crossover) is a bit bigger than other Minis, and sports four doors – five if you count the hatch. You’ll also note the “All4″ badge on the back, indicating that the Countryman is AWD, a first for the brand.”
World Car Fans says the Countryman “does not appear to be as tall as the MINI Beachcomber concept shown in Detroit. As expected, it does have the same headlights, with foglamps in a similar position.” The Countryman also features “an all-new grille and front bumper, as well as previously-unseen blacked-out wheels. The car maintains three windows on each side of the vehicle, like the Crossover concept. However, the taillamps and hatchback shape are more akin to the Cooper. Dual exhaust pipes are still on either side of the vehicle, but are no longer completely surrounded by the bumper.”
Few interior pictures were leaked, though Mini’s signature dashboard, with toggle-switches and oversized, center-mounted speedometer make an appearance.
Left Lane News explains the Countryman’s segment-straddling: “Mini calls the Countryman a mix between the ‘classic concept’ and a modern ‘Sports Activity Vehicle,’ reflecting parent BMW Group’s propensity for creating new acronyms.” Left Lane News also reports that front wheel drive will be standard on the Countryman, but all-wheel drive will be available, and Left Lane news thinks the majority of sales will be all-wheel drive “although Mini hasn’t announced its intended product mix.”
The Countryman will make its official debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March, and reports indicate that it could make it stateside in October of 2010. Pricing hasn’t been announced.
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