2018 Countryman to Grow in Size, Seats & Power
The MINI Countryman has been a massive success for the brand. However MINI is determined to maximize both it’s utility and performance in its second generation. The F60 Countryman will grow in size, seats and utility with a larger chassis to be shared with the 2017 BMW X1. Click through for all the details.
The BMW X1 and the Countryman will share the same extended UKL platform. So the X1’s future is now closely tied with the largest MINI. This means we have a window into the future of the Countryman that we hadn’t before. So what does this tell us? For one we know that the next generation X1 will spawn both a two and three row extended wheelbase version originally meant of rate Chinese market. Due to the positive response both internally and in customer clinics, BMW will be bringing the three row seven seat X1 to the rest of the world. Likewise we believe that MINI will due the same with a version of the Countryman with three rows and an extended wheelbase. What it will be called is yet to be determined. But in our minds MINI would be naive not to leverage the brand they’ve built of the Countryman and simply release two versions of the next generation crossover – a five seat and seven seater.
We also know that BMW’s next generation X1 will bring more visual distinction across the range with an “Outdoor” version with thicker wheel arches, more cladding to the underbody and a slightly raised ride height. Similarly the M Sport version will be lower with a much more aggressive look. The question is will MINI follow suit and create the same distinction between trim levels? Given that development costs will be shared across all models it’s certainly doable.
On the performance side things are particularly interesting. The shared development costs should help the performance and refinement of both the Countryman and Paceman models. We know that BMW is currently testing 300hp all wheel drive versions of it’s extended UKL platform. It’s not that much of a stretch to see MINI dropping that engine in a JCW version that redefines MINI performance.
There’s even rumor of a 330hp M Performance version of the X1 in the pipeline. However we expect BMW M to retain exclusivity to that version of the 2.0L. What we can look forward to is a plugin hybrid and diesel model over the course of its lifecycle.
Look for the five seat two row Countryman to debut in the fall of 2017. If MINI produces a three row seven seater we expected it about a year later in 2018.
<p>Not a MINI getting bigger again! I would love to see a headline that says they are getting smaller! Please.</p>
<p>The only reason I am still on MotoringFile almost every day is to hear about possible development of the Rocketman. After owning my fantastic R50/R53 I have not been a MINI owner in six years. The Rocketman is the only model that would bring me back. I agree with Frank Stephenson: MINI has lost its way.</p>
<p>Does the word mini mean the same in german as it does in english???</p>
<p>It’s translated as maxi</p>
<p>Much more of this and they should really just change the brand name to “Cooper”.</p>
<p>Cooper Countryman
Cooper Paceman
Cooper Clubman
Cooper Hatch … Cooper Classic?
Cooper Hatch S … Cooper Classic S?</p>
<p>Everything is getting bigger in the US … We can’t fit in a real MINI, hence the low popularity of the Smart Car – aside that the Smart Car is crap.</p>
<p>This is fantastic news! The Countryman is MINI’s most profitable model, and the BMW board is absolutely right to capitalise on its success. The SUV is the fastest growing segment in the automotive industry. So much so that, not only Porsche, but Jaguar, Bentley and Rolls Royce have all announced that they are developing SUVs.
The sport crossover coupe is another rapidly emerging automotive trend, and the next generation Paceman will capitalise on that too. It is so reassuring to see that BMW is adapting and evolving the MINI brand, to meet the aspirational demands of today’s car buying public.</p>
<p>A seven seater MINI.. let that sink in.</p>
<p>It moves well for a big guy?</p>
<p>Ahhhh… So MINI is a brand, not an adjective. Got it.</p>
<p>All for the brand staying in business and being profitable but news of a 4 door Paceman and a possible 7 seater? MINI had the hatch and then the convertible and did them well. I was opposed to the Countryman for a long time but realized a business case for it and would prefer they keep making the MINI’s I want to drive. If I raced events like Dakar then sure I would look at a modified Countryman. I have yet to understand the Paceman and I am pretty sure. based on the low sales that many others do not see the point either. I will give credit to the interns that made the Paceman Adventure just because it did look pretty cool. I do not understand even discussing a 7 seat MINI especially when the Clubman is also growing again.
Hopefully they have time to rethink this because the brand needs to be different than BMW and keep the driving fun with a small vehicle range. I would love to see the future MINI look like:
City Car… (Rocketman)
Sport…Hatch (2 door and 4 door)
Cruising…Roadster (or Superlegga)
Off Road or Utility.. Countryman or even Paceman Adventure
Family… Clubman</p>
<p>Make a few models and make them great with a refresh more frequent than every 7 years and when they roll out, roll out in a timely fashion.</p>
<p>Awesome! I want a 3 row Countryman Gran Coupé.</p>
<p>They need to make money on the bigger. This way they can produce the smaller. It works. A bigger car for a bigger market for larger gains. A smaller car for a much smaller market for smaller gains. You need both to balance it. How is this not understood?</p>
<p>“They need to make money on the bigger. This way they can produce the smaller.”</p>
<p>If we accept the argument that MINI can only survive by selling larger cars, the reason many of us grouse at news like this is very simple. MINI has not offered “the smaller”, as you put it, since 2006.</p>
<p>Since 2006, every single MINI has been larger in one way or the other. Every forthcoming model, and every single MINI rumored for production production, are larger. Some, like the Countryman and the Clubman, continue to grow in size.</p>
<p>Now, recall what BMW told us MINI stood for at its launch and the reasons behind the blowback might come into focus.</p>
<p>There would be far less criticism from the peanut gallery if MINI actually committed to “the smaller”. IMHO, by shipping just one smaller model BMW would reinvigorate the brand in the eyes of both early MINI fans and customer$ as well as a growing number of automotive journalists.</p>
<p>MINI “Makes Everything Else Seem Too Big” ad from 2002: <a href="http://www.adforum.com/creative-work/ad/player/29486/sxi:7633864sxi:7633864sxi:7633864sxi:7633864" rel="nofollow ugc">http://www.adforum.com/creative-work/ad/player/29486/sxi:7633864sxi:7633864sxi:7633864sxi:7633864</a></p>
<p>Given what MINI charges for “the smaller” I have a hard time believing they are not making money on those units.</p>
<p>I think its time for the MINI SPACEMAN…. the 10 seat MINI for your dog, your parrot, your mother in law, your 4 children, your wife and your girlfriend…..PERFECT….
I think the brand is NOT MINI anymore for the BMW CEO. Is MAXI…..</p>
<p>So we own an R56 and an R60 and are considering having kids. The idea of getting a larger F60 is fantastic. I guess we fall into MINI’s target market…</p>
<p>Also, I want to throw something out there – I hear a lot of people talking about MINI not being “small” anymore and realistically, MINIs are small – relatively speaking. In 2002 the MINI was smaller, but other cars were smaller as well. For example, the new Audi A3 is now the same size as the B5 A4, if not bigger. The GTI was smaller in 2002 as well…most cars were. MINI has grown, yes, but still offers a relatively smaller option.</p>
<p>/input</p>
<p>I think it’s time for a rethink on the branding of MINI. Both BMW and MINI are now spawning new models quicker than Alien 1 (no offence to Ridley Scott).
The term BMW Mini is used by more people than the MINI. Why we just can’t call the car a BMW is the question as it is becoming more and more like the BMW variant range every month.
I always understood that to make money out of a model there were minimum production figures that needed to be achieved – remember the excuses why the R55 Clubman could not have a third door on the left hand side?
Having said all that, brand MINI is becoming a major player in the motor industry in it’s own right. My only issue is I don’t have a enough of a lifetime left to see what will happen in the next 55 years.</p>
<p>To those that think MINI is getting too big: Cry me a river. Get a Honda Fit, a Fiat 500 or even a SMART. There are other alternatives. It’s not like MINI is the only “small” car in the world. So stop complaining.</p>
<p>Consider if Swiss Army knives were slowly transformed into kitchen knives over a number of years, until they eventually no longer even make a small pocketable knife anymore. You could go and buy another small pocket knife instead, but it wouldn’t be the same.</p>
<p>We all love/loved MINI at one point, which is why we are all so sad to see the brand flushed down the toilet. We have a right to be angry, as we are/were MINI’s biggest fans.</p>
<p>I will stop complaining when the Rocketman becomes available. Then we will have a choice again that is truly MINI not just merely small.</p>
<p>Apparently you haven’t seen the Mini. The Mini that was before the R50. So, if anyone should be complaining, it should be the ones before BMW took it over.</p>
<p>@misteryan, you have a valid point. BMW is doing quiet well with the R60, and there are reasonable alternatives to MINI.</p>
<p>However, I think it’s important to point out the obvious: the current disapproval is based on something meaningful. Mini/MINI stood for values that are important to a contingent of MINI enthusiasts.</p>
<p>Introducing a premium, quirky/sassy, sporty, 4-seat MINI city car (read: revised Rocketman) would go a very long way toward quieting calls for a smaller MINI, and it would give MINI the opportunity to once again put its stamp on a category it should own.</p>
<p>Why don’t they call it the MINIvan & just get it over with?</p>
<p>Yeah, everyone who wants MINI to be smaller. Why didn’t you buy the MINI Cooper Coupe in 2012? Sales for smaller vehicle have never made a big splash in the world of MINI… Just compare sale of the CTM to the Coupe year over year. The MINI Countryman was the biggest hit in the showroom since the introduction of the R50/53 in 2001. Numbers don’t lie, they tell MINI Bigger is what the masses want!</p>
<p>I thought that the R56 Cooper and the Coupe were the same length. They were both 3,729 mm long weren’t they?</p>
<p>For some reason I thought (without looking) that the Coupe was a tad smaller. I actually put a deposit down on one 10 months prior the build date based on specs alone.</p>
<p>True</p>
<p>Yes, you are correct the size of the R56 (146.6″) and R58(146.8″) are identical. I am 6’+ so getting into a R58 make it feel much smaller.</p>
<p>Yeah, I guess it would. Being short has its advantages!</p>
<p>You’re correct about the Countryman’s success. However, 2013 R60 sales numbers have dropped since their high in 2012. It will be interesting to see how the final sales figures shape up for 2014.</p>
<p>“Why didn’t you buy the MINI Cooper Coupe”</p>
<p>The Coupé doesn’t fully reflect Mini/MINI values. It lacks utility, and that’s critical to the Mini/MINI formula. That’s likely why those of us who want “smaller” MINIs won’t seriously consider a Coupe as our primary car.</p>
<p>So hard to tell what’s going on with this prototype, but it looks like MINI is following the lead of so many auto industry designers and going for boxy, larger cars. The new hardtop is beautiful inside and drives remarkably smooth, but I can’t bring myself to buy one because of the design changes of the car. It’s a little too long. It’s bulldog underbite looks silly and well, I just haven’t warmed up to changes I thought I would by now. My exact feelings now grow through the line with absurd 4-door Hardtop and now this possible Countryman form. Time to take care of my “classic” 2008 MINI.</p>
<p>It’s very heavily camouflaged with plastic panels in the front. It won’t be boxy.</p>
<p>The very vertical front end makes it look like a smaller Ford Flex. I have a Countryman S now, but only because it was the only 4 door MINI available. My next one will likely be the new Clubman, unless MINI prices me out of the market or the Clubman S gets the same snow plow front bumper as the F56.</p>