Mini wants to get things right with its new range, and after the reveal of the all-new, larger and more practical Clubman, the upmarket brand wants the next Countryman to be an ‘authentic’ SUV.
According to Autocar, the next Countryman, set to join the line-up by late next year, is going to draw inspiration by Mini’s Dakar Rally racers, featuring a more tough appearance than today’s model.
It is also expected to more spacious and practical as the Countryman will be based on the same platform with the new Clubman. This means that the new SUV will be around 4.25m long and at least 10mm wider than the outgoing Countryman. The four-wheel drive system will be the same with the one used by BMW’s 2-Series Active Tourer.
Mini is also planning a really hot version of the new Clubman with as much as 300hp and four-wheel drive, set to rival the VW Golf R Estate with the report also saying that BMW wants to install the same powertrain into a ‘high-performance’ version of its X1 compact crossover.
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