MINI USA Product Manager Vinnie Kung Answers Your Questions About the Countryman
With the release of MINI’s first crossover MINI enthusiasts and perspective owners have had lots to react to. But more than anything they’ve been asking questions about the car, the business case and what this all means for the “mini” in the MINI brand. While we’ve done some work trying to clear up some of those questions we thought, what could be better than going straight to the source for all answers? So we have enlisted the help of MINI USA Product Manager Vinnie (Tennessee) Kung to help in answering your questions about the new MINI Countryman. That’s right, the man responsible for all product in the US will be answering your questions about the Countryman.
Here’s how it works:
1. Post your Countryman related question in the comment section below by Friday February 5th 11:59 pm.
2. We’ll go through and pick the very best, combine them with a few of ours and interview Vinnie.
3. Finally we’ll post the full Q&A interview right here next week.
Remember, this is about the MINI Countryman only. Your questions about non-metallic green paint will have to wait (or better yet listen to a few of our interviews where we pose that very question).
Now, have at it…
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<p>How much rear leg room is there when both the front and rear seats are pushed back all the way? I’m 6’4″ and enjoy the excellent leg room of my 2004 R53, but my daughter is on track to be over 6′ as well. I’m interested in just how comfortable the rear seats will be for tall people?</p>
<ol>
<li><ul>
<li>weight? how much pork is going into the new car?</li>
</ul></li>
<li><ul>
<li>price? how much bacon will the new car cost?</li>
</ul></li>
<li><ul>
<li>wrc? any information on a wrc entry? would it be MINI backed? or is Prodrive taking the countryman and sponsoring their own team?</li>
</ul></li>
</ol>
<p>listed in order of importance; 3, 2, 1.</p>
<p>There are some rumors that the Countryman will get the JCW package. Is this something MINI is looking in to and if so, how soon after the Countryman hits the showroom floor in the US can we expect to see the JCW version?</p>
<p>Will the countryman floorplan form the basis of a Mid sized 4 door MINI to compete within the Golf class?</p>
<p>Diesel options in the U.S.?</p>
<p>4-Wheel Drive…can you really drive this off-road? Or is it just for snow?
Low Range?
Rally version?
Thanks!</p>
<p>Many of us MINI faithful have growing families, and want this car here ASAP. Is there any possible chance that the timeline for the Countryman’s arrival on US soil could be expedited?</p>
<p>Any idea why MINI abandoned the hood scoop on the Countryman S? The hood scoop, even a non-functioning one, has been the signature of the S since the reintroduction in 2001.</p>
<p>What external cargo options will be available? examples: Roof rails and capacity? Will a hitch mount be possibble for trailers and cargo baskets?</p>
<p>Is the rail system removable (and, if so, easily replaceable)?</p>
<p>Who does MINI view as the Countryman’s closest, perhaps direct, competitor for this vehicle? Please name a specific vehicle(s).</p>
<p>Thank you in advance.</p>
<p>How much of the Countryman interior will be in the 2011 Clubman? There are several suttle differences between the current Clubman interior and the Countryman interior. Is this what we can expect to see in all MINIs going forward or will the Countryman remain unique?</p>
<p>1) Does the boot floor have a removable/foldable hard piece opening up a well for increased storage like the Clubman?</p>
<p>2) Besides the 10mm suspension drop, what else will the sport suspension have? Thicker anti-roll bars, different spring/damper settings?</p>
<p>3) Is the side indicator surround only available in the unattractive black or chrome? Can it come in body color? And if it does come in body color, will that be an option for both the Cooper and Cooper S? The photos of the Cooper appear to have the exterior chrome package, so it doesn’t seem clear as to how this will work.</p>
<p>4) More of a request, but can a Cooper S All4 with manual, leather and a sunroof please stay just under the $30k mark?</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>What are the boot dimensions with the rear seats up?
Can you switch off AWD to improve fuel economy?
What is the maximum allowable wheel size?
Will the fuel economy numbers be the same as the clubman?</p>
<p>This is my guess on 4All drive unit. Shared by the Beachcomber.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/83767992@N00/4287647281/" rel="nofollow ugc">http://www.flickr.com/photos/83767992@N00/4287647281/</a></p>
<p>Looks like ZF from a 3 series. Not really heavy.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/83767992@N00/4287647029/" rel="nofollow ugc">http://www.flickr.com/photos/83767992@N00/4287647029/</a></p>
<ol>
<li>Can you get a cooper with all4 and manual?</li>
<li>Does it have a stop start engine</li>
<li>What is the estimated mpg’s for all models?</li>
<li>What is the base price on an S model with all4</li>
<li>What is the curb weight?</li>
<li>Will there be a towing package?</li>
<li>Is there a Roof rail or Rack system?</li>
</ol>
<p>one more, what’s the bolt pattern / size?</p>
<p>Will you be offering the flat British racing green as found on the World Championship 50, if not please do</p>
<p>What is the ground clearance, overall size, interior room, cargo room, seat height, etc. in relation to other SUV models? I have two toddlers, as well as a hip problem, so I need something I can get two car seats into without any bending, baby gear + groceries, and myself without bending or kneeling. I dislike minivans, adn I absolutely love the look of the Countryman, so please tell me it’s going to have the height I need! Thanks so much!</p>
<blockquote>Remember, this is about the MINI Countryman only. Your questions about non-metallic green paint will have to wait (or better yet listen to a few of our interviews where we pose that very question).</blockquote>
<blockquote>Will you be offering the flat British racing green as found on the World Championship 50, if not please do</blockquote>
<p>hahaha.</p>
<p>The US release details indicated that “With the rear seats folded down, cargo capacity increases to a commodious 41.0 cubic feet, enough for two mountain bikes with their front wheels removed.”</p>
<p>Is this accomplished using a MINI designed interior rack or just piling the bikes on top of each other. I’d like to see a photo of this.</p>
<p>Regarding rear cargo capacity – what is the width of the space? Can you lie an “average” golf bag in the back (sideways) with a driver/wood in the bag?</p>
<p>I am interested to know what the overall width of the production Countryman will be not including door mirrors. The Crossover concept vehicle not including door mirrors was quoted to be 1830mm wide.</p>
<p>Since it looks as though MINI has dispensed with the both beautiful and useful frame-less door glass that would improve egress through the tall and slender Countryman doors, can Countryman owners expect the windows to be raised and lowered reliably without a trip to the dealer to reinitialize the software for them every few weeks, as is necessary on the Clubman?</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Did I read correctly, under certain circumstances, 100% of the power will be delivered to the rear wheels?</p></li>
<li><p>Are we going to see the cool LED lighting in the center rail & doors like we saw in the released photos? Even if it wasn’t standard in the production model, it should at least be an option.</p></li>
<li><p>Are we looking at the production model having the same boot with the big tail lights and hatch release handle/emblem?</p></li>
<li><p>Has MINI considered a solid screen for the sunroofs?</p></li>
<li><p>What about power seats?</p></li>
</ol>
<p>The only car I see in the segment for the US market would be the Suzuki SX4 (the one thats “mightier than the MINI”).
India and China are getting ready to start using large amounts of oil, yet MINI is moving forward with plans to build a car that gets worse gas mileage than the current MINI models. My fear is that MINI is too late to the SUV (or SAV) game. Can you give us some insight to that? I’m on my 3rd MINI, my R50 Cooper (I had 2 R53’s prior).
Thanks!</p>
<p>As part of a growing family and mini lover, I’d love to get my hands on an R60 but it is an absolute requirement for it to be a 5 seater.</p>
<p>If its true that the rear bench/5 seat option won’t be available in the US at launch. Are there plans to eventually make this available?</p>
<p>How does the Countryman compare to the BMW X1? Are they both on the same platform? I’ve read that the X1 is longer than Countryman and that the X1 also has more cargo room behind the back seat. Will the Countryman have the BMW 2.0 diesel; and if so, will the diesel be available once they start shipping the Countryman to the US? I expect my next vehicle to be purchased in March 2011, and want increased MPG over my current 2008 Cooper S Hatchback. I still will most likely get a 2011 Cooper S Hatchback.</p>
<p>@Mark O’Neill:
Come on! How anyone can call a car that is 4″ <strong>SHORTER</strong> than a 3 door VW Golf, a “SUV” is beyond me! Let’s call it what it is, a small 5 door <strong>CAR</strong>.</p>
<p>Back on topic:
1. I saw somewhere that the xenon headlamps are “adaptive.” Do these headlamps turn to follow corners like on the BMWs?
2. Will a heated steering wheel be available?
3. Will heated rear seats be available?
4. Will there be a rear seat entertainment system available as either factory or dealer option?</p>
<blockquote>At Paris , we will show a Performance Concept of the Countryman. The so-called “Cayenne Turbo†model for the MINI Brand with a unique Performance body kit (The JCW kit is very true to this concept) Lowered suspension, Big wheels and a Performance interior.</blockquote>
<p>I would like to hear more details about this and probably timing for a production version.</p>
<p>1) Diesel S All4 availability in US?</p>
<p>2) Back seat bench option?</p>
<p>3) Can we uninstall the rail? At least in the rear portion of the vehicle?</p>
<p>4) Seat heating option for rear seats?</p>
<p>5) weight of the vehicle and possible upgrade to the engine (default to S turbo for the base countryman, JCW engine for the S version of the countryman?) to compensate for the added heft?</p>
<p>6) cosmetics: can we please have the option for a base version look (in terms of the front grill) on the S version? Please??? Pretty please???</p>
<p>7) R53-like Chrono-pack type option on the interior?</p>
<p>8) Can we have better options for cloth upholstery? Space Gray cloth in the 2006 models was/is AWESOME. Would love to see similar options available in the future.</p>
<p>9) Can you bring back the anthracite dash? Or some other matte black or charcoal-like finish for the dash (piano black is too glossy for my taste)? On that note, can we have a matte-black interior option along the lines of the chrome-line interior?</p>
<p>10) Possibility of a driver’s side parcel shelf, similar to the part available for install on the R50/53’s?</p>
<p>forgot two:</p>
<p>Is there room for a spare tire (preferably a full tire) on both versions of the vehicle (base and S)?</p>
<p>Badge on the vehicle in the US: Cooper? or Countryman? If Cooper…why?</p>
<p>I’d like to know what their plans are for JCW on this model. Will they offer JCW aero kit, tuning kit, suspension as accessories? Is it highly likely that we will see a factory JCW Countryman, and if so can we expect the same engine as the 2011 JCW hardtop? If they do JCW, will they offer this model with All4 AWD as well?</p>
<p>What is the impact of the Countryman on the Clubman? Will the Clubman be phased out? It appears that both are similar in size and function and the Countryman appears a bit more versatile with the extra door up front so unless there is a dramatic price difference I don’t see many takers on the Clubman anymore.</p>
<p>Simple question, Price?</p>
<p>Here is a question for MINI. Is it too late to get rid of this horrible car, or are you (Mini) already too far down the rabbit hole that you’ll never find you’re way out?</p>
<p>Is that black center stack what we’ll see in the facelifted R56? Also, it appears that the nav system may have gone to a hard drive-based setup.. true? If so is that a nav-only thing, or will hard drive music storage be coming to the Countryman and R56 facelift, perhaps as part of the H/K upgrade?</p>
<p>Would love to know if MINI sees this as a step toward a WRC entry… But I doubt they’d answer that!</p>
<p>When are you ripping the doors off and making the beachcomber edition?</p>
<p>Ditto to the post by “b.”</p>
<p>I’d also like to know if a rear bench / 5 seat option isn’t available at launch, will it be available some time after? I am really interested in getting the Countryman but with a family, having a 4 seater isn’t really practical.</p>
<p>is the countryman going to have the new stereo we keep seeing pictures of. and can you elaborate on what it has in functions.</p>
<p>Will the Countryman eventually replace the Clubman?</p>
<p>Will the usa see a diesel countryman within a year of the product launch? If not, when?</p>
<p>What size wheels will come standard with
the S and non-S versions. Will there be
enough clearance for snow chains.</p>
<p>Can you elaborate on the technology/system
going into the AWD system.</p>
<p>Will a limited-slip differential be available
on the AWD and front drive variants.</p>
<p>What is the ground clearance, and approach, departure and breakover angles for a U.S. spec S with All4? Will the lowered sport suspension be standard or optional on this version? I hope it is optional – buyers who want AWD are also likely to want the maximum possible ground clearance. I know this is not intended to be an off-road vehicle, but I hope it will be suitable for rutted and/or muddy dirt roads.</p>
<p>@Josh Hway: Thanks for yet another inane comment.</p>
<p>will the Wheel & Tire combo shown on the beachcomber concept be available? I assume that the higher stance is caused by the larger profile of the tire and not a lift kit.</p>
<p>A lot of thought seems to be going into the rail system. Are you planing on bringing this to the rest of the Mini line?</p>
<p>Will the front passenger seat back fold flat to allow long cargo items?</p>
<p>Room for a spare tire? If there is a true off-road worthy version of the countryman, maybe you’ll have the spare tire in a cargo cage on the roof, a la Land Rover?</p>
<p>What is the towing capacity?
Will there be a pick up variant based on this platform?
Diesel? [repeat]</p>
<p>I’d like to find out about the future of the Clubman as well once this hits the market.</p>
<p>And the bench / 3 rear seat option. Why does the US always get the shaft? Surely the design team knows about the regulations before going for the initial build, especially on a new platform such as this.</p>
<p>Will LATCH be present for the rear seats? I have a growing family.</p>
<p>What is the towing capacity and will it come with a tow package?</p>
<p>Can I get the bold concept front grill as an option?</p>
<p>I think LATCH is a requirement in all new cars.</p>
<p>Matt</p>
<p>High on the list would be a 3 rear seat option. At the very least, a rail mounted rear child seat would solve part of that issue.</p>
<p>I am really hoping for a rear hitch for light towing or accessory mounting. I was hoping for a small flip down rear ledge like ala Volvo XC90 which provides a handy seat to put on snow gear without getting dirty from the bumper.</p>
<p>I’d like to see roof rails capable of 200+ lbs. Make this railing system easy to configure.</p>
<p>Improved navigation and in-car web browsing. Sprint, Verizon, and Clear offer a usb stick receiver. Why not offer a USB port that interfaces with this to provide internet connectivity?</p>
<p>Will someone at MINI please add a solid sunroof screen as an option? Also, bring BMW’s heated steering wheel over to the Mini.</p>
<p>A performance diesel would seem to be a natural for the Countryman with AWD. Is this a possibility?</p>
<p>As the Countryman is supposed to be an Activity Vehicle, how about a bit more Towing Capacity?</p>
<p>The Countryman could easily be turned into a Panel Delivery vehicle (like the classic Minis) by using solid panels for the rear side glass and making the body shell a 2-door. Any consideration to this?</p>
<p>Do you expect that more Countryman buyers will come from current MINI ranks or are you looking to customers currently outside of the MINI family?</p>
<p>I know that BMW was searching for a way to enter the premium small car market when it bought Rover, but it seems that the entire MINI lineup (and now with the Countryman) has allowed BMW to do some unusual, daring and creative things that maybe they couldn’t do within the traditional BMW lineup. For example, I don’t think we would see the interior rail from the Countryman or the asymmetrical half-door of the Clubman in a Series BMW. Was this also part of the thinking behind the MINI brand?</p>
<p>I would like a diesel(USA) version of this vehicle. I can’t seem to get beyond what I see as a serious design flaw. This vehicle looks top heavy/ out of balance. The wheel/tire to body ratio is anemic. It needs more rubber in the wheel well. Will there be options to solve this?</p>
<p>Will the Countryman be available with bonnet stripes?</p>
<p>Have not seen any pics that show stripes.</p>
<p>Thanks.</p>
<p>Ditto to Bentyyc</p>
<p>Can you fit a golf bagin the back full of clubs without folding the back seats down? Very interested in rear storage, and finding out about the bench seat option</p>
<p>1)What percentage of market segment do they plan on slaying with this MINI?</p>
<p>2)How big of an impact does MINI predict this SAV will create in the Cute-Ute world? Do they think it will revolutionize the segment(ie. the Hatch) or do they think it will create a whole new beast altogether?</p>
<p>3)In a previous article, the name “Countryman” isn’t going to be available in ALL markets. For the markets where “Countryman” is not available, what are you going to call it? And what markets are those?</p>
<p>4)What is the level of customization going to be from factory? MINI has always been good at offering Youification – a term they coined! Will I be able to order a Countryman with different packages for different vehicle usage settings? (ie. towing pkg / long distance cruising pkg / commuter pkg / prodrive pkg / etc.)</p>
<p>5)Why March?</p>
<p>Thats it for now…</p>
<p>Motoring File has discussed a future 4 dr car based on the R60 platform, but not a cross-over – a car. I realize you can not reveal any detail about this, but a basic question: Will this be all new sheetmetal, or simple a lower, road going version of the 4dr hatch vehicle we see here?</p>
<ol>
<li>Is there a difference between the ALL4 setup on the Cooper versus the S?</li>
<li>Are there any differences in the ALL4 system mated to a manual or autobox? </li>
<li>There is a cargo separator behind the rear seats…Is that removable or is there a passthrough for long items such as snowboards between the rear seats without having to make it a 3 seater.</li>
<li>Can the rear seats have their seatback angle adjusted or slid forward to make the trunk bigger?</li>
<li>Will the US R60 be getting start / stop, regen braking, or any of the MINIMALISM stuff from the EU cars?</li>
</ol>
<p>Things I forgot…
6. Will you offer body color (non-chrome) lower grille and license plate surrounds for the Cooper.
7. Can we get a simple naming scheme, and ‘Countryman’ lettering on the R60 boot. This isn’t a Cooper, and a naming system like the “BMW Z4 S-Drive 35is M Sport” is too much of a mouthful. No MINI Cooper S Countryman ALL4 please, just “Countryman S.”
8. Anthracite ceilings option?
9. Black option for vent and speedo? It looks like mickey mouse ears, sorry!</p>
<p>Last question…
10. How will the standard suspension and lowered Sport Suspension compare to the versions on the Cooper and Clubman? Will it be softer since the Countryman is a SUV? Hopefully not too soft.</p>
<p>Thanks everyone. We’ve turned off questions and will begin the process of choosing which ones we present to Vinnie in our interview. Look for the answers next week!</p>