What is it?
Mini is no longer a brand with a name that could be said to be self-descriptive - the Mini Countryman has left behind the supermini format and become a thoroughly grown-up car.
At 4.1m it is likely to be the largest car that Mini will ever make, and is looking to take on the big sellers in the hatchback class - the likes of the VW Golf and the Ford Focus. As a result the Mini is aiming to make the most of its new found practicality to boost its family-carrying credentials. The default option for the back seats is a three-seat bench approach, but for no extra cost there is the choice of two individual seats that can be slid back and forward independently of each other.
If you go for the two-seat setup, you also get a rail that houses a couple of small containers and a glasses case that you can slide up and down or remove entirely and take with you.
The interior's styling is heavily borrowed from the existing models in the Mini range, and features the now trademark huge speedometer in the middle of the dashboard. Although it does get a digital speedo on the rev counter so you don't have to keep glancing at the centre of the car.
It will come with a choice of five engines, two diesel and three petrols. This 181bhp 1.6-litre turbocharged Cooper S petrol, complete with the four-wheel drive system that is another first for Mini, will sit at the top of the range unless a rumoured John Cooper Works version appears later. The Cooper S will be joined at launch by an 122bhp 1.6 Cooper and 98bhp One petrol, and an 90bhp and 112bhp diesel.
