The BMW-owned Mini Cooper revival centered on the brand's inherently pocket-size proportions, but the latest Mini spinoff happens to be the biggest Mini yet. The new Countryman is Mini's first crossover, and the lengthened and heightened iteration also happens to be the first in Mini's lineup to feature four doors.
The inflated Mini grows 5.1 inches in wheelbase and an even more considerable 15.7 inches in length, elevating the four individual seats to a more SUV-like height. Two individual rear seats are designed to independently move 5.1 inches fore and aft, with flat-folding backrests enabling between 12.2 and 41 cubic feet of luggage capacity, depending on configuration.
Running from the front to the rear of the vehicle's interior is what Mini calls a "Center Rail" system. The setup replaces a center console with a storage area equipped with modular compartments. Reinforcing the crossover theme is a top-hinged tailgate, which allows access to the rear storage area. Other interior features include ambient lighting, an available "Lounge Leather" trim with old-school piping, and the new Mini Connected audio and infotainment system, the world's first implementation of a USB interface for the Apple iPhone.
Three versions will be available in the U.S. market: Cooper Countryman, Cooper S Countryman, and Cooper S Countryman with all-wheel drive. The standard Countryman will be powered by a 1.6-liter, four-cylinder gasoline engine expected to produce at least 120 hp and 118 lb-ft of torque. The S version graduates to a direct-injected twin-scroll turbocharger that leaps to at least 180 hp and 177 lb-ft of torque (and at least 192 lb-ft of torque in overboost), and should be capable of hitting 62 mph in 7.6 seconds. Base and S models will be available with a six-speed manual or an automatic gearbox that can be controlled manually.
The all-wheel-drive version adds Mini's first-ever permanent four-wheel system to the S model. Using an electro-hydraulic differential, ALL4 distributes front to rear power in infinitely variable proportions; up to 50 percent of power can be diverted to the rear wheels as needed. A damper within the longitudinal propshaft promises to reduce driveline vibration.
The Countryman's added functionality and all-weather capabilities should go a long way toward furthering the brand's relevance when the new models hit showrooms in early 2011.
source: popularmechanics
