Mini Countryman
Encyclopedia
The Mini Countryman is a crossover SUV
car, and is the first such car to be launched under the Mini marque by BMW
. The car was announced in January 2010, and formally launched at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show as the first Mini crossover SUV
, and the first 5-door model. It is offered with a choice of two or four wheel drive (known as ALL4), and with 1.6 L petrol or diesel and 2.0 L diesel four-cylinder engines in various states of tune. Sales started in September 2010 as a 2011 model-year vehicle.
The Countryman has a longer wheelbase, more interior room, and higher ground clearance than the Clubman. It uses the same engines as the Mini Hatch/Clubman range, but with an optional all-wheel-drive powertrain (dubbed "ALL4") to allow minimal off-road and rugged terrain driving. A 6-speed manual transmission
is standard on all models, with automatic transmission
available on all petrol and diesel models except the 90 bhp One D.
awarded the Countryman a 5-star crash rating.
, England
, but in Austria by Magna Steyr
, making it the first of the BMW era Minis to be manufactured entirely outside the UK.
. The Countryman is the chosen donor model and Prodrive
have been selected to prepare the Mini Countryman WRC. The factory team had its first test outing of the 2011 WRC season at the 2011 Rally d'Italia Sardegna
, before taking on the full calendar in 2012.
and urban pop producer Timbaland
to collaborate on a new advertisement effort. Their new song, "Getaway", focuses on the idea of "urban meets country", and the music video premiered on June 8, 2010.
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."
Crossover SUV
A crossover SUV is a vehicle built on a car platform and combining, in highly variable degrees, features of a sport utility vehicle with features from a passenger vehicle, especially those of a station wagon or hatchback.Using the unibody construction typical of passenger vehicles, the crossover...
car, and is the first such car to be launched under the Mini marque by BMW
BMW
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1916. It also owns and produces the Mini marque, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. BMW produces motorcycles under BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna brands...
. The car was announced in January 2010, and formally launched at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show as the first Mini crossover SUV
Crossover SUV
A crossover SUV is a vehicle built on a car platform and combining, in highly variable degrees, features of a sport utility vehicle with features from a passenger vehicle, especially those of a station wagon or hatchback.Using the unibody construction typical of passenger vehicles, the crossover...
, and the first 5-door model. It is offered with a choice of two or four wheel drive (known as ALL4), and with 1.6 L petrol or diesel and 2.0 L diesel four-cylinder engines in various states of tune. Sales started in September 2010 as a 2011 model-year vehicle.
The Countryman has a longer wheelbase, more interior room, and higher ground clearance than the Clubman. It uses the same engines as the Mini Hatch/Clubman range, but with an optional all-wheel-drive powertrain (dubbed "ALL4") to allow minimal off-road and rugged terrain driving. A 6-speed manual transmission
Manual transmission
A manual transmission, also known as a manual gearbox or standard transmission is a type of transmission used in motor vehicle applications...
is standard on all models, with automatic transmission
Automatic transmission
An automatic transmission is one type of motor vehicle transmission that can automatically change gear ratios as the vehicle moves, freeing the driver from having to shift gears manually...
available on all petrol and diesel models except the 90 bhp One D.
Models
The model derivatives follow a similar pattern to the Mini Hatch, with a choice of One/One D, Cooper/Cooper D and Cooper S/Cooper SD derivatives. Countryman One is available with the 1.6 L petrol 98 bhp engine or as the One D with a 1.6 L 90 bhp diesel engine. The Cooper petrol 121 bhp and the Cooper D 112 bhp, the Cooper S petrol 184 bhp and the Cooper SD diesel producing 143 bhp. The availability of models varies between markets, with the USA 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.Safety
In November 2010 Euro NCAPEuroNCAP
The European New Car Assessment Programme is a European car safety performance assessment programme based in Brussels and founded in 1997 by the Transport Research Laboratory for the UK Department for Transport and backed by several European governments.-History and activities:Euro NCAP is a...
awarded the Countryman a 5-star crash rating.
Production
Unlike the normal Mini range, the Countryman is not manufactured in OxfordOxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, but in Austria by Magna Steyr
Magna Steyr
Magna Steyr Fahrzeugtechnik AG & Co KG is an automobile manufacturer based in Oberwaltersdorf, Austria, with its primary manufacturing location in Graz...
, making it the first of the BMW era Minis to be manufactured entirely outside the UK.
Motorsport
On 27 July 2010 Mini announced plans to enter the World Rally ChampionshipWorld Rally Championship
The World Rally Championship is a rallying series organised by the FIA, culminating with a champion driver and manufacturer. The driver's world championship and manufacturer's world championship are separate championships, but based on the same point system. The series currently consists of 13...
. The Countryman is the chosen donor model and Prodrive
Prodrive
Prodrive is a British motorsport and automotive engineering group based in Banbury, Oxfordshire, England. It designs, constructs and races cars for companies and teams such as Subaru, Aston Martin and Ford...
have been selected to prepare the Mini Countryman WRC. The factory team had its first test outing of the 2011 WRC season at the 2011 Rally d'Italia Sardegna
2011 Rally d'Italia Sardegna
The 2011 Rally d'Italia Sardegna was the fifth round of the 2011 World Rally Championship season. The rally took place over 6–8 May, and was based in Olbia, the fourth-largest town on the island of Sardinia. The rally was also the third round of the Super 2000 World Rally Championship and the...
, before taking on the full calendar in 2012.
Marketing and reception
In June, with preparation for the launch of the Countryman, Mini invited grammy award winner and country/pop singer Michelle BranchMichelle Branch
Michelle Jacquet DeSevren Branch is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist and actress. During the early 2000s, she released two top-selling albums, The Spirit Room and Hotel Paper, and was subsequently nominated for the Grammy Award for Best New Artist in 2003...
and urban pop producer Timbaland
Timbaland
Timothy Zachery Mosley , better known by his stage name Timbaland, is an American record producer, songwriter and rapper....
to collaborate on a new advertisement effort. Their new song, "Getaway", focuses on the idea of "urban meets country", and the music video premiered on June 8, 2010.
Pulitzer Prize
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
winning automotive journalist Dan Neil
Dan Neil
Dan Neil is an automotive columnist for The Wall Street Journal and a former contributor to the Los Angeles Times, AutoWeek and Car and Driver. He is a panelist on The Car Show with Adam Carolla on Speed Channel, which debuted July 13, 2011.In 1999, Neil received the International Motor Press...
suggested the Countryman had jumped the shark
Jump the Shark
"Jump the Shark" is the 197th episode and the ninth season's fifteenth episode of the science fiction television series The X-Files. The episode first aired in the United States and Canada on April 21, 2002 on Fox, and subsequently aired in the United Kingdom. It was written by executive producers...
– that is to say the car pushed the Mini ethos
Ethos
Ethos is a Greek word meaning "character" that is used to describe the guiding beliefs or ideals that characterize a community, nation, or ideology. The Greeks also used this word to refer to the power of music to influence its hearer's emotions, behaviors, and even morals. Early Greek stories of...
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."