The Mini Countryman is a subcompact crossover SUV, the first vehicle of this type to be launched by Mini. It was launched in 2010 and received a facelift in 2014. The second generation vehicle came out in 2017.
There is the 2008 Mini Crossover Concept which has four doors (2 right swing open, 1 left swing open, 1 left lift/sliding) and four single seats. It was unveiled at the 2008 Paris Motor Show.
The 2010 Mini Beachcomber Concept was based on the Crossover Concept and the Mini Countryman, with no doors and no conventional roof. It included ALL4 all-wheel drive and offroad wheels. It was unveiled at the 2010 North American International Auto Show.
The design of Mini's first five-door crossover echoed that of the Mini Crossover Concept. The production model was first unveiled at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show. UK models went on sale on 18 September 2010. The availability of models varies between markets, with the United States and Russia not taking the One versions or any diesel-powered models. The All4 all-wheel-drive option is available on variable models, again depending on the country.
The ALL4 all-wheel-drive powertrain includes electro-hydraulic differential, positioned directly on the transmission's final drive, to vary the power distribution from front to rear. Under normal driving conditions, up to 50 percent of the engine's power goes to the rear wheels. Under “extreme” conditions ("extreme" being undefined) up to 100 percent heads to the back wheels.
Early models included Cooper S, Cooper S ALL4, Cooper, One, Cooper D, Cooper D ALL4, and One D. Cooper SD, Cooper SD ALL4, Cooper D Automatic, Cooper D ALL4 Automatic were added from spring 2011.
In 2012 the Countryman received some minor amendments, including an EU6 exhaust emissions standard compliance for the One and Cooper models, and using a different clutch material and improved software to reduce stalling problems. They went on sale from November 2012.
A Cooper ALL4 model was added in July 2013.
Changes to US 2014 model year range included the omission of the interior "Centre Rail" feature from the back seats. The rail is still present in the front.
This is a race car version of Mini Cooper S ALL4 developed with Prodrive beginning in early 2009, with a 1.6-litre, four-cylinder turbo-charged engine from BMW Motorsport. The first test drive for the Mini Countryman WRC, which would also be available to customer teams, was planned for autumn 2010. It was unveiled at the Paris Show in 2010.
The John Cooper Works is a derivative of the Cooper S ALL4 version of the Countryman, with increased engine power to 218 PS (160 kW; 215 hp) and 280 N⋅m (207 lb⋅ft) with over boost: 300 N⋅m (221 lb⋅ft). Steering, suspension, wheels and appearance have also been modified. It was unveiled at the 2012 International Geneva Motor Show, and went on sale in autumn 2012.
US models receive reduced engine power to 211 PS (155 kW; 208 hp) and 260 N⋅m (192 lb⋅ft) (overboost:280 N⋅m (207 lb⋅ft)), and went on sale in July 2012 as a 2013 model year vehicle.
In June 2011, Mini USA collaborated with rock band Kiss to create a quartet of one-off Countryman crossovers themed after the band. The cars were placed on auction on eBay, with proceeds going to UNICEF to help children affected by the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. The auction was able to raise US$129,000. Mini USA also sold replica vehicle wraps for Countryman owners through their website and dealerships.
In November 2010, Euro NCAP awarded the Countryman a 5-star crash rating.
Pulitzer Prize winning automotive journalist Dan Neil suggested the Countryman had jumped the shark – that is to say the car pushed the Mini ethos beyond relevance, marking the zenith of popularity and the start of decline. Neil suggested that by making a vehicle that is longer, wider and taller, the company had forsaken the inner logic of the brand: excellent handling in a tiny size. In a March 2011 review titled What Part of 'Mini' Did You Not Grasp, BMW? , Neil wrote "with the Countryman, tiny sharks have been jumped."
The Countryman became Mini's second most popular model after the iconic Hardtop. The very first year of production it sold almost 50% more units than the Clubman, Convertible, and Coupe added together. Almost 1 out of every 3 vehicles Mini sold in 2011 was a Countryman (U.S. market).
This trend continued through 2012 also with almost 1 in 3 MINIs sold again being a Countryman - both in the US and globally.
By the end of 2013 the Countryman was 31% of total U.S. sales for the Mini brand.
A minor facelift to the Countryman was unveiled at the 2014 New York International Auto Show. Changes include a new structure of the hexagonal radiator grill, underride guard elements for the Cooper S Countryman ALL4 and additional body colour options. It went on sale in July 2014. All variants carried over. US variants include Cooper, Cooper S, Cooper S ALL4, John Cooper Works (with ALL4), with 6-speed manual transmission or optional 6-speed automatic transmission.
The second generation Countryman was introduced at the LA Auto Show in November 2016 and went on sale in February 2017 in Europe, and March elsewhere. It was launched with three variants: Cooper (FWD or ALL4), Cooper S (FWD or ALL4), and in June 2017, the new Cooper S E ALL4 plug-in hybrid. The new Countryman is 8 inches (200 mm) longer than the first generation, and 1-inch (25 mm) wider. The Cooper Countryman will be powered by a turbocharged 3-cylinder engine, while the Cooper S will use a new 2.0 liter turbo I4.
The Cooper S E plug-in hybrid combines a 134 hp (100 kW) 3-cylinder gasoline engine and a 65 kW (88 PS; 87 hp) synchronous electric motor, producing a combined system output of 221 hp (165 kW) with system torque of 385 N·m (284 lb-ft). Average fuel consumption on the NEDC test cycle is 112 mpg‑US (2.10 L/100 km; 135 mpg‑imp), with CO2 emissions of 49 grams per kilometer. The 7.6 kWh lithium-ion battery is positioned directly in front of the electric motor underneath the rear seat, delivering an all-electric range of up to 40 km (25 mi) and a top speed of 126 km/h (78 mph). Charging at a 240-volt socket takes 3 hours and 15 minutes.
Mini makes the John Cooper Works edition available again in this generation with the tuned version based on the Cooper S. The 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine has been upgraded with a new heat-resistant turbocharger and additional inter-cooler, resulting in 228 bhp (170 kW; 231 PS), 258 lb⋅ft (350 N⋅m) of torque and a 0-62 mph (100 km/h) time of 6.5 seconds. Similar to the Countryman S, JCW Countryman can be mated to either a 6-speed manual or 8-speed automatic transmission (which comes with the option to choose between Normal, Sport, and Eco mode). Government tested fuel economy for the JCW under manual transmission is 20MPG for city and 29MPG for highway which the automatic does slightly better with 22MPG for city and 30MPG for highway
Complete article available at this page.
