Over the past few years, Mini car models have been getting bigger, to the point where most are not particularly mini anymore.The German automaker promotes the 2017 Mini Countryman, the second-generation crossover from its British ward, as the biggest Mini yet.
The new Mini Countryman is 200mm longer and 30mm wider than before, as it moves up a class into the C-segment. That places it between the Audi Q2 and Q3 in terms of size. Prices will start from £22,465 at launch, going up to £28,430. Gas-powered versions of the Mini Countryman will go on sale in the U.S. in March 2017, with the plug-in hybrid model set to follow that June.
"What we really wanted to emphasise with the new design was the ruggedness and toughness. It's a car to have an adventure in," MINI UK's head of product, Nicolas Griebner.
Mini Countryman Specs
According to Car Magazine, here are the highlights of the new Mini Countryman car model.
- More interior space - a 75mm-longer wheelbase gives it 50mm more rear legroom and 100 litres of extra boot space
- A bigger boot - 450 litres seats up, 1309 seats down, a 220-litre improvement over the previous Countryman
- Larger rear door openings
- Split rear seats, with 13cm of forwards/backwards adjustability and variable-tilt backrests
- The massive centre dial, a New Mini hallmark, returns - but this time houses a touchscreen for the first time, as part of the 'Navigation System XL' option.
- New range of 3-cyl and 4-cyl engines from BMW's latest 'TwinPower Turbo' family, and a plug-in hybrid.
According to NY Daily News, the Countryman offers either a 3- or 4-cylinder twin-turbocharged engine with a peak power output of 189 horsepower and 207 lb.-ft. of torque in the Cooper S ALL4 under the hood. The Cooper S E ALL4, the plug-in hybrid version of the Countryman, features a 3-cylinder gas engine that works with a lithium ion battery-powered electric motor to make a combined output of 221 horsepower.
Mini estimates the electric motor will be good for 24 miles of all-electric driving range, but that has not been verified by EPA yet. In terms of technology, the Countryman will come standard with automatic headlights, rain-sensing windshield wipers, a rearview camera with guidelines and the aforementioned 6.5-inch infotainment display.
Indeed, with all the specifications and the hybrid model itself, 2017 Mini Countryman is worth waiting for.
