The R60 MINI Crossover Gets an Official Name & a Revised Debut

Sections: R55 (Clubman) | R56 (Coupe) | R57 (Conv.) | R60 (Crossover) Oct 23rd, 2009 45 Comments

Official photos and details will be released in a few months but we have a few bits and pieces to finally reveal. For one we’ve confirmed (for the 3rd time now) that MINI will name the R60 “Countryman”. For those who have been following MotoringFile for awhile this shouldn’t be news, but another high-level confirmation was worth a mention.

However what is news is that MINI will be branding the new all-wheel drive system that comes optional on the Countryman. Like Audi does with Quattro and BMW does with Xdrive, MINI wants to create a sub-brand that will be recognizable with consumers. Therefore the system will launch with the name “All4″ tied to it.

While marketing is getting underway on the new MINI, pre-production is lagging behind. First off the X3 is still being produced. And as BMW’s most profitable vehicle per unit, they are very sensitive to the time it will take to stop production in Austria and start production of the new X3 in the US. So the Countryman is certainly a secondary thought as compared to an already established vehicle like the X3.

But that hasn’t stopped Magna Steyr from starting the hiring process at the Austria plant. Once X3 production ceases, new candidates have been selected and trained (along with the rest of the staff) production should commence. However the specific time when that will happen remains a little foggy other than to say early 2010.

All this leads us to believe that MINI may well push back the launch of the R60 to the Geneva Motor Show in early March rather than show it in Detroit in early January. If that’s the case we’d also guess that the debut R55/R56/R57 refresh will also fall back a few months.

Written By: Gabe

45 Comments

minimalist Oct 23rd, 2009 Link

Why should delay in Countryman launch which will be built in Austria interfear with the Oxford built r55/56/57 facelift by any substantial amount. Do marketing have this much power?

JonPD Oct 23rd, 2009 Link

Well no surprise on the choice of the name, Think they could have done worse. However Countryman All4 just doesn’t work for me. Guess that really doesn’t matter though since I would rather cut of both my legs than be seen in a poser (all wheel drive) mommy wagon (crossover).

Mk1 Oct 23rd, 2009 Link

LOL Jon. Have two friends who said the same about the MINI Clubman when it was announced (though with other anatomical male body-parts removal promised). Now they both drive one. I haven’t asked if they followed through with their, ahem, gelding promise.

ftttubrgcm Oct 23rd, 2009 Link

I’m happy with the name, especially over the name “Crossman” due to Mini history. I’m sure this vehicle will sell bigtime in the snowy high country areas where Suburus and other AWD vehicles dominate. Also, for those who want better rear seat access with the 4 real doors. I don’t know about the diehard Mini purists, I’m sure the MINI crowd will be more accepting just as the Clubman was. Motor on, Countryman!

Jason Mills Oct 23rd, 2009 Link

Something strange about going into the dealer and asking for a Country Man on all 4s!

goat Oct 23rd, 2009 Link

No kidding. I guess MINI dealerships will now have two entrances: - “applicants” - “supplicants” (on all 4’s).

Matthew Oct 23rd, 2009 Link

I’m all in on the Countryman name, but not entirely enthusiastic about “All4″.

The fact that the X3 is BMW’s most profitable vehicle says everything about why MINI is launching this vehicle. (The fact that MINI is/has made very little if anything off of MINI vehicles thus far seems to me to be the elephant in the room in every conversation about new MINI iterations.)

The Countryman will go a long way toward getting a MINI dealer in my hometown, Boulder. While the all-Winter-long blanket of snow is a myth, Subaru’s are the vehicle of choice here (for those who can’t swing something with Quattro or XDrive).

I mentioned previously that I don’t like the idea of a bloated MINI SUV/SAV/Softroader/Whatever, but if it’s smaller (more MINI-like) in person than it looks in photos I’ll come around. But for now, I just look at it and think it’s too big and too common.

C4 Oct 23rd, 2009 Link

I am gonna light up a nice torpedo cigar, sit back, relax and enjoy witnessing the greatest flop to come out of the BMW trenches in decades.

poerboy Oct 23rd, 2009 Link

Living in Michigan, I’d be severly dissapointed if I didn’t have a chance to go see the Countryman at the Detroit show… pooh. At least we’ll get images to pick apart online well in advance of it’s physical debut. While I won’t be able to afford an R60 until I can nab a 2 or 3-year old used one down the line, unless she ends up being hideous, put me on the “poser-mommy-wagon-I make-REAL-mini-enthusiasts-nauseous-list” with all due speed… I can’t wait.

goat Oct 23rd, 2009 Link

The Countryman will be a flop only if your fellow countrymen can lay off the SUV/crossover purchases – in nearly two decades now they have not demonstrated the desire to do so. It is nearly (but not quite) as bad here in Canada with my fellow countrymen.

A lot of kids know only minivan / SUVs / trucks because that is what their parents have chosen to drive… it was telling when my niece climbed into my R53 JCW recently and said “is this car safe? I don’t feel very safe… we’re too low… what if a pickup truck like my dad’s crashes into us?”

I suspect this will sell quite well both sides of the border — “all4″ coupled with (relatively) small size will definitely appeal to a lot of snowbelt Canucks.