Last January at the Detroit Motor Show, MINI lifted the curtains on the not-so-mini Paceman concept study based on the Countryman crossover. During the presentation of the prototype, BMW board member Ian Robertson had then confirmed that the Paceman will join the MINI line-up in the very near future.
And while we’ve yet to capture a prototype version of the Paceman on the road, today we discovered these official patent images that were filed a couple of days ago.
A close examination of the computer generated pictures doesn’t reveal any differences, but that hardly comes as a surprise given that the concept’s exterior was practically production ready sans some very minor details such as the wooden trim on the front fenders and the leather wrapped door handles and rear hatch emblem.
MINI may have a chose a different name for its Range Rover Evoque fighter, but in essence, the Paceman is the three-door version of the Countryman crossover with a more dynamic profile. Styling changes over the five-door model include a rising window line that kicks up towards the roof, more muscular rear wheel arches and a flowing roof.
When the Paceman arrives in dealerships, it will most likely be offered with the same diesel and gasoline engines as the Countryman including the flagship 1.6-liter turbocharged petrol that is currently being developed for the JCW model.
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