MINI Countryman; Paceman in 2012, WRC Edition

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Giancarlo
What are the dangers that this car will be considered by the "layperson" to just be a 2010 Cooper? Or is that what it's supposed to be? Even i'm confused, honestly.
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I can see the confusion and I don't know why they do that. This will be a Cooper Country or Cooper Countryman S, just like the Clubman is a Cooper Clubman.
 
The second motion video makes the car seem like its still a bit of fun to drive. Interesting. The car appears to corner without fuss, and I'd be willing to guess that the only limitation to the fun will be what kind of tires you're running under there. I'm convinced that this is the perfect car for Michigan. Period.

Sign me up for a standard Cooper Countryman with the All4 package, please.
 
The standard Cooper isn't coming with the All4 for some lame reason, only the S and the D will get that...and it doesn't look like we are getting the diesel version here. I guess this won't be my next car because I don't want an overpriced FWD SUV.
 
Damn, that is the proverbial suck. Assuming that the Cooper S All4 isn't too crazy, it might be an interesting option to your average Imprezza 2.5i hatch, the RAV4, or maybe a Tiguan 2.0T. The option of the diesel would be great, and would be a smart way to introduce a diesel range to the US without too much of a fuss.
 
EU pricing announced, although this doesn't really transfer into dollars so we'll have to wait on the US pricing.

Motoring File
MINI Countryman European Pricing Released
Hot of the German presses MINI has released pricing for the Countryman for the EU:

* MINI One Countryman: 20,200 Euro
* MINI Cooper Countryman: 22,500 Euro (The MC Hatch costs 19,300 Euro)
* MINI Cooper S Countryman: 26,300 Euro (The MCS Hatch costs 23,300 Euro)
* MINI Cooper S Countryman ALL4: 27,900 Euro
* MINI One D Countryman: 22,000 Euro
* MINI Cooper D Countryman: 24,200 Euro
* MINI Cooper D Countryman ALL4: 25,900 Euro

As always EU prices do not directly relate to US (or other markets) prices. We’ll have more on US pricing in our interview with MINI USA Product Manager Vinnie Kung tomorrow.
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Hmm. I make that prices starting from £17,600 in the UK. A RAV4 starts at £20k, a Kuga from £21.5k, the Tiguan from £20.5k... so I suppose those are all too big to compete.

Five-door Suzuki Grand Vitaras start from £17.8k so that's a bit more like it, and the MINI certainly has a bit more prestige. Jeep Patriot is £16.5k, the Skoda Yeti goes from £14k to £22.5k... the Nissan Qashqow from £15.3k and the Kia Sportage from just over £15k.

It's going to be up against a right motley crew. I can't think of any of the above that I'd prefer to the MINI though right up until you're spending a fair chunk more to get Tiguans and Kugas. Funnily enough, the closest car conceptually to the Countryman will be the Nissan Juke I reckon. I wonder what they'll price that at.

I'm not wild on the Countryman's styling though. I still think it would look better with moar offroad.
 
ExigeEvan
Perhaps now people will appreciate how well Porsche managed to carry-over the 911 styling onto the Cayenne.
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I don't like the Countryman, but it's basically taking a two-box design and applying it to a slightly larger, slightly taller two-box.

The Cayenne was Porsche taking the skin of a rear-engined car, with a low, flat hood, and wrapping it Hannibal Lecter-style, over a tall, two box SUV.

Not as bad as the Panamera... but I still don't like it. Especially considering its platform mates both look better.

800px-2007-Audi-Q7.jpg

Corporate Design 101: Upright fascia and goatee grille work well on the tall front-end of the Q7. A little chunky on the low-end, but the extension works with the character of the design.

800px-Porsche_Cayenne_front_20081206.jpg

Corporate Design gone horribly wrong: 911 schnoz stuck on a six-foot tall off-roader. Not enough face to even get halfway down to the skirts. Mismatch partially hidden by having the bumper terminate well above the center-line of the wheels (functional... since the Cayenne is off-roadable), but despite the high bumpers, you still have a huge amount of grille under the headlights.

Those lights... which serve to accentuate the curves of the front end of the 911, are lost in a sea of sheetmetal on the Cayenne.

I don't hate it as much as I used to... but I still think the design is the failed effort of an absolute lack of imagination.

Much like MINI and all these MINI variants...
 
homeforsummer
Hmm. I make that prices starting from £17,600 in the UK. A RAV4 starts at £20k, a Kuga from £21.5k, the Tiguan from £20.5k... so I suppose those are all too big to compete.

Five-door Suzuki Grand Vitaras start from £17.8k so that's a bit more like it, and the MINI certainly has a bit more prestige. Jeep Patriot is £16.5k, the Skoda Yeti goes from £14k to £22.5k... the Nissan Qashqow from £15.3k and the Kia Sportage from just over £15k.

It's going to be up against a right motley crew. I can't think of any of the above that I'd prefer to the MINI though right up until you're spending a fair chunk more to get Tiguans and Kugas. Funnily enough, the closest car conceptually to the Countryman will be the Nissan Juke I reckon. I wonder what they'll price that at.

I'm not wild on the Countryman's styling though. I still think it would look better with moar offroad.
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I would crawl hand over foot to have a Grand Vitara over one of these; prestige or not. And I'd bet you can have a Vitara for a grand under the list price pretty easily too - Suzuki dealers are bored and desperate by definition.
 
Jondot
I would crawl hand over foot to have a Grand Vitara over one of these; prestige or not. And I'd bet you can have a Vitara for a grand under the list price pretty easily too - Suzuki dealers are bored and desperate by definition.
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True. I'm certainly not knocking the GV by saying I'd have the MINI in preference. It's one of the best (if not the best) actual off-roaders in the class by a long shot. No doubt it has more space too. And as you say, it'll likely be much cheaper when you get to the forecourt. They even look okay, in a chunky, chiselled sort of way. I suspect though that the MINI will be both significantly quicker, more economical and nicer to drive on the road (which is where it will spend almost all it's time anyway) whilst still providing occasional grassy-lane/muddy field/snow ability.

And as I said, in that class, I'd be waiting for the upcoming Nissan Juke. Doesn't exactly have many fans at GTP but at least it's an original design rather than an uncomfortable styling conversion from a small hatchback.
 
Motoring File
MINI UK Officially Prices the Countryman

MINI Countryman One

* hp@ rpm: 98 @4,750
* Nm@rpm: 153@3,000
* 0-62 mph: 12.7
* Top speed mph: 109
* Mpg**: 47.9 -CO² g/km: 137
* OTR Price: £16,000

MINI Countryman Cooper

* hp@ rpm: 122@6,000
* Nm@rpm:160@4,250
* 0-62 mph: 10.5
* Top speed mph: 118
* Mpg**: 46.3
* CO² g/km:142
* OTR Price: £17,510

MINI Countryman Cooper S

* hp@ rpm:184@5,500
* Nm@rpm: 240@1,600*
* 0-62 mph: 7.4
* Top speed mph: 133
* Mpg**: 44.8
* CO² g/km:146
* OTR Price: £20,810

MINI Countryman One D

* hp@ rpm: 90@4,000
* Nm@rpm: 215@1,750
* 0-62 mph: 13.2
* Top speed mph: Top speed mph 105
* Mpg**: 65.7
* CO² g/km:116
* OTR Price: £17,000

MINI Countryman Cooper D

* hp@ rpm: 112@4,000
* Nm@rpm: 270@1,750
* 0-62mph:10.9
* Top speed mph: 112
* Mpg**: 64.2
* CO² g/km:116
* OTR Price: £18,810
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If you really want to read the whole release it can be found here. I figured the pricing was the most important thing though.

And how about a size comparison?

Motoring File
4359446676_929ce39e5f_o.jpg


There they are. The smallest MINI next to the largest. We snagged this image (hot off the UK presses) to once again give you another perspective of the size differences between the R56 and the R60. The previous comparison we showed you gave us a view from the side. This one demonstrates the relative height differences.

But let’s break this down further. The Countryman is 15″ longer than an R56 and 5.5″ longer than a Clubman. But it gets more interesting when we look at how it compares with other MINI and BMW models we may have some familiarity with:

* R56 Hatch: 145.6″
* R55 Clubman: 156″
* R60 Countryman: 161″
* BMW X1: 175″
* BMW X3: 180″
* BMW X5: 191″

Now let’s look at a few MINI competitors:

* VW Golf (three door hatch) 165″
* VW Golf (five door hatch)
* VW Tiguan: 174″
* Suburu Outback: 188″

Conclusions? For starters the Countryman is easily one of the most “mini” crossovers on the market. The relatively low weight (suspected to be around 3,000 lbs but not confirmed yet) will also make this one of the lighter four door crossovers out there. What does all this mean? It’s clear that MINI was focused on translating the core brand values into this largest MINI vehicle to date. While we’ll refrain from final conclusions until we drive the car, the numbers (and the car) continue to look good.
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It's smaller then it looks...and no that's not what she said.
 
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The price is smaller than I thought it'd be too. It seems we're getting a better deal even than mainland Europe. £16k isn't actually a bad starting price for that thing.

And yeah, I'm glad it's as small as it is. Definitely sub-Qashqai sized, so it looks pretty certain that the Juke will be it's first main rival.
 
I'm just holding out hope it's not absurdly expensive when it comes state side. I really like the Countyman and it's what I'm looking for with my next vehicle. Although the lack of AWD on the non-S is kind of a lame move.
 
I was a bit dissappointed that even the concept didn't show up in Chicago. It's a nice compact car, looks like it could be a winner.
 
homeforsummer
And yeah, I'm glad it's as small as it is. Definitely sub-Qashqai sized, so it looks pretty certain that the Juke will be it's first main rival.
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Thing is though, the Juke is so incredibly small. Its only an inch taller than the Honda Fit, and the wheelbase is a few inches shorter as well. I'd certainly hope the Countryman is a bit bigger than that.

Still, this is the start of a segment that hasn't had a lot of attention outside of the Suzuki SX4 here in the US. A good thing, too, especially for those of us in snowy places like Michigan. Now that Jeep-branded Fiat Panda 4X4 needs to get here...
 
YSSMAN
Thing is though, the Juke is so incredibly small.
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And it's also one of the ugliest cars I've ever seen. The Countrymen doesn't look that bad, it's just dopey.

The Countrymen should be just about right in terms of space for the European markets, I don't know about the North American markets though. We tend to like larger vehicles and I think a lot of people will wonder what the point of this is.
 
While the Juke is ugly, after reading into what they plan on including in that little bugger... Color me interested. A 180 BHP turbo 1.6L matched with a torque-vectoring AWD system and a multi-link rear suspension should make for some interesting sporting abilities. Problem is, they only will be offering the top engine with a CVT. Pooooop.


I'd venture a guess and say this segment is about right in terms of size and performance. A lot of people who have CUVs are probably looking to step down in size one more time, especially as their size continues to grow. Hell, I'd like to see that new Chevy Aveo concept car with a little bit of a lift and powertrain out of the Regal GS concept. That'd be one helluva itty-bitty crossover.
 
Goes from:
"Dear Zeus, What in Hades were they thinking?!? That's horrible! That's no Mini, that's a Maxi!"

to:
"My, that's a strange amalgamation of classic Land-Cruiser (top), modern SUV and Mini. Perhaps we will call it the Midi."
 
Motoringfile.com
MINI Countryman’s Weight Revealed

Here are the numbers many of us have been waiting for. Lets start with the most important number to the MINI community; weight. Using the DIN standard the Countryman S weighs in at 2,882 pounds. Using the slightly more conservative EU standard (with average vehicle specification and fuel load – similar the US DOT standard) the number goes up to 3,047. For reference with that same EU standard the stock Cooper S hatchback is 2,651 pounds. The Countryman Cooper squeaks in under the 1.5 ton mark at 2,937 lbs.

So MINI’s first four door crossover isn’t quite as heavy as some had feared. In fact on paper it’s one of the lightest four door crossovers in the world. But will it still handle like a MINI? Only time (and some extended drives) will tell. Stay tuned for that. In the meantime you can see the full rundown on stats below. (After the jump)

MINI Cooper S, Countryman (auto in brackets)
  • Length / width / height (unladen) mm: 4,108 / 1,789 / 1,561 
- Wheelbase in mm: 2595
  • Turning circle in m: 11.6
  • Fuel tank capacity in liters: about 47
  • EU Curb weight in pounds: 3,047 (3,091)
  • DIN load in pounds: 1034
  • Allowable Towing capacity: braked (12%) / unbraked 1650 / 1100 (pounds) 
- Trunk capacity l: 350 / 442 / 1,170
  • Coefficient of drag: 0.36

MINI One & MINI Cooper Countryman (auto in brackets) 

  • Length / width / height (unladen) mm: 4,097 / 1,789 / 1,561 
- Wheelbase in mm: 2595 

  • Turning circle in m: 11.6 

  • Fuel tank capacity in liters: about 47 

  • Curb weight according to EU in pounds: 2,937 (3,003) 

  • DIN load in kg: 1034 
 
- Allowable Towing capacity: braked (12%) / unbraked 1650 / 1100 (pounds) 

  • Trunk capacity l: 350 / 442 / 1,170 
- Coefficient of drag: 0.37
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At least it's not uber fat like a lot of people thought it would be.
 
I had to translate that into metric so that I'd understand it (works out in the region of 1300kg) but it's not too bad, I guess.

I'm sure it won't be too much heft to stop it from handling well though, which is good. And for a car that should take four passengers and five at a push without too much difficulty, it's not a bad weight at all. I wonder what it's rival the Juke will weigh in at.
 
That's actually pretty light with all that kit inside there, no heavier than my Celica. With the extra power on board, yeah, I imagine it would get up and go fairly well.
 
It's no bigger than a Golf? Wow. That was a complete waste of time and effort. What a terrible idea for a car.

How are they going to market this thing? People that want a Mini want a Mini. So now they've got to choose from either the Mini, or this one. It's very slightly bigger than the Mini, about the size of a Golf. Oh, you'll think about it? Okay, here's my card. *customer drives away in a Golf*

I showed this to Blake. I asked him how big he thought it was and he says "Tribeca size?" I said "Get ready to **** your pants."

I've come up with a slogan that'll get these things racing out the door faster than they can make 'em. "The new Mini SUV. Smaller than a Golf."
 
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It's supposed to be small, it's a MINI after all not a LARGEY. As for the people it's going after? Well I think probably current MINI owners who've moved onto a family and still want something fun to drive but can haul the kids and their crap around. I see this sort of going after the market segment that buys things like Subaru Impreza wagons, Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV-4, you know the outdoorsey type that needs a soft roader to carry their kayak or bike down a groomed dirt path.

The Countryman will probably also be attractive to people who need something big-ish to carry their crap around but they also want good fuel economy. There are a lot of anti-SUV people out there but a lot of those people actually require something like an SUV for the activities they participate in.

I know I'm interested in one for sure. I haven't seen one in person, but the Beachcomber concept was close enough. Honestly for what I do it would be perfect. It's not giant, it'll get good fuel economy, it'll be fun to drive, and I'll be able to load up all my camping/hiking gear in it and be fine. The only thing I have an issue with it how it looks, but pictures rarely do cars justice so I'll wait till one shows up at Motor City MINI.

If VW was smart they'd market the Cross Golf here to compete with the Countryman and the Nissan Puke.
 
Keef
It's no bigger than a Golf? Wow. That was a complete waste of time and effort. What a terrible idea for a car.
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Right, so everything smaller than a Golf is a waste of time? :odd:

How about people like Joey who actually like the idea of a MINI that's a bit bigger? Doesn't it make more sense when you put it like that, rather than assuming it's a MINI-shaped sub-Golf...

And like Joe says, if they made it any bigger, then you'd get even more people moaning and bitching about a MINI being too big than you do already.
 
wait a minute. only a 47 liter tank? 10 UK gallon, 12.4 US gallon. that better be a SCROOGY engine
 
Sniffs
wait a minute. only a 47 liter tank? 10 UK gallon, 12.4 US gallon. that better be a SCROOGY engine
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It's a 1.6L engine that gets upwards of 40mpg, it doesn't need a big tank. Plus the vehicle is small, you probably couldn't fit a bigger tank in it.
 

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