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MINI has unveiled the second generation Countryman compact crossover ahead of its world debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show next month.
The MINI Cooper Countryman is the brand’s biggest model and the second iteration has further grown by 200mm in length and 30mm in width. Its wheelbase has also stretched by 75mm. The new dimensions mean the Countryman is now as big as the Audi Q3 and BMW X1.
The grown in size has resulted in “significantly increased space on five fully-fledged seats”, the press release states. Cargo space has also improved, with the boot now offering 450 litres of capacity, 220 litres more than before. With the rear seats folded, the space expands to 1,309 litres.
Riding on parent company BMW’s UKL2 platform, the new Countryman is available with a plug-in hybrid powertrain for the first time. Called the MINI Cooper S E Countryman ALL4, it combines a 100kW turbocharged 1.5-litre 3-cylinder petrol engine with a 65kW synchronous electric motor for a total system output of 165kW and 385Nm.
The hybrid model will join a pair of turbo petrol and a pair of turbo diesel engine offerings:
MINI Cooper Countryman: 3-cylinder petrol engine, capacity: 1 499 cc, output: 100 kW/136 PS, max. torque: 220 Nm.
MINI Cooper S Countryman: 4-cylinder petrol engine, capacity: 1 998 cc, output: 141 kW/192 PS, max. torque: 280 Nm.
MINI Cooper D Countryman: 4-cylinder diesel engine, capacity: 1 995 cc, output: 110 kW/150 PS, max. torque: 330 Nm.
MINI Cooper SD Countryman: 4-cylinder diesel engine, capacity: 1 995 cc, output: 140 kW/190 PS, max. torque: 400 Nm.
As an alternative to the standard 6-speed manual transmission, a 6-speed Steptronic transmission is also offered for the new Cooper Countryman. An 8-speed Steptronic transmission is available for the new Cooper S Countryman and the new Cooper D Countryman. This comes as standard in the Cooper SD Countryman.
The new MINI Cooper Countryman will go on sale in Australia in the early 2017 with full pricing and specification announced closer to local launch.
