Munich - Celebrating its debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March this year is the Mini Crossover, a fourth member of the family, bridging the gap between the classic design and the Sports Activity Vehicle with larger body dimensions, higher ground clearance and four doors at the side, short overhangs and a high window line. The Crossover targets a new customer group requiring more space and flexibility, according to the car maker. It is the first model in the range with four doors and a wide-opening rear lid.
Typical of the Crossover is the elevated seating position, combiningpowerful wheel stance and windows extending round the entire car with the option of an extra large panorama roof.
A wide frame around the lower part of the body and the powerfully-flared wheel arches highlight the robust character of the car and its all-wheel drive.
Interior features are the central display and air vents surrounded by coloured rings. A centre rail extends from the front to rear for storage of such everyday items such as cups, external audio devices and mobile telephones. Flexibly positioned clip-in elements enable the driver and passengers to subdivide the storage boxes individually as required, keeping travel utensils within easy reach.
The Mini Countryman comes with a choice of three petrol and two diesel engines. The power range extends from the 66 kW/90 hp in the Mini One D Countryman to the 135 kW/184 hp in the Mini Cooper S Countryman. An option in the Mini Cooper S Countryman and Mini Cooper D Countryman is an electrohydraulic differential positioned directly on the final drive varying the distribution from front to rear. Under normal driving conditions up to 50 per cent of the engine's power goes to the rear wheels, under extreme conditions up to 100 per cent.
Mini is also offering a wide range of options such as high-end audio and navigation systems, mobile telephone interfaces, adaptive headlights in combination with xenon headlight units, a heated windscreen, a towbar, light-alloy wheels ranging in size from 16 to 19 inches and a sports suspension lowering the entire car by 10 millimetres.
Available in European showrooms late in 2010 the Countryman is the first Mini that will not be produced in Oxford, England but at the Magna Steyr factory in Austria. The price is expected to be around 25,000 euros (35,400 dollars) with the Cooper S-Version adding another 4,000 euros (5,660 dollars) to the price.
