Exclusive: A Look Inside the 2017 MINI Countryman
Last week we gave you an inside look at the 2017 MINI Countryman and it’s plugin hybrid variant. This week we’re showing you a bit more with our first look at the crossover’s silhouette, internal structure and safety features.
As you can see the Countryman will have all the standard safety structure we’ve some to expect from MINIs. But you can also see some distinct difference between the new car and the previous R60 Countryman (below) in terms of structural safety. More specifically the new Countryman will now have upper side impact beams to meant to produce a higher level of side impact safety.
Also evident are the overall styling changes that can be inferred in this schematic. As you can just make out the new Countryman will be more taut with well placed creasing and angles that add up to a bit more aggressive look. We’ve heard that the F60 Countryman was going to look a bit more “authentic” according to one source and now it’s clear to see what that comment means. While textured (and likely silver colored) plastic sills trim may not technically increase authenticity, it will give the Countryman a more rugged look over the previous car.
Looking at both the standard F60 Countryman and the new Countryman E (plugin hybrid) we can also see a dramatic difference in components and complexity. The plugin will be MINI’s most technically advanced car to date leveraging what is essentially the BMW i8’s drivetrain turned 180 degrees.
In many situations the Countryman E will basically be a electric car. The range on electric power alone as measured in the EU test cycle will be 38 kilometers or about 24 miles. With an approximate 50 mph electric mode speed limiter, the Countryman E will have the ability to run in 100% electric mode for many urban commutes. In many scenarios the Countryman E will likely feel like an electric car.
The Drivetrain
We’ve spoken at length about the new plugin hybrid drivetrain to be featured in the Countryman in previous articles but it’s always worth a brief recap.
The Countryman E plug-in hybrid fuses BMW eDrive with a model-specific form of power transmission – in this case based on the front-drive Countryman Cooper 3 cylinder. The 1.5-litre BMW TwinPower Turbo engine generates an output of 100 kW/136 hp together with a peak torque of 220 Nm (162 lb-ft), with power relayed to the front wheels via a six-speed Steptronic transmission. The additional high- voltage generator on the front axle fulfils three different tasks: it boosts the combustion engine for brief periods with extra output of up to 15 kW and some 150 Nm (111 lb-ft) from rest, generates electric power while on the move (which is fed directly to the high-voltage battery), and enables the engine to be started and turned off very smoothly thanks to its higher output compared to conventional starters. The electric motor is located above the rear axle, together with its two-speed transmission and the power electronics. It sends output of up to 65 kW/88 hp and maximum torque of 165 Nm (122 lb-ft) through the rear wheels.
When Does it Go On-Sale?
BMW is in a bit of a predicament with Countryman production. The R60 has been built on contract by Magna Steyr in Austria as part of a BMW Group contract that included several other models. However due to shifting sales and production capacity elsewhere, the plant has been left with producing only the Countryman. Because of this the BMW Group isn’t going to hit their production target outlined in the agreement to build cars at the current production pace. Long story short, they are having to increase production of the R60 Countryman to fulfill their obligation before switching to the new car (which will be build by MINI in Oxford). In turn we believe MINI may have had to shift the internet launch of
back slightly closer to the public launch this fall at the Paris Motor show October 1st
Sales of the Cooper and Cooper S launch models should begin in November with US delivering starting around the first of the year. Given the accelerated development of the Countryman E we believe it should debut at the same time and hit showrooms just after the first petrol powered Countryman are delivered.
<p>This slow tease is a bit excruciating. My wife drives an R60 but now needs something a little bigger, family and all. An X1 would be nice, but I still like the unique Mini design more. Can’t wait to see it for reals.</p>
<p>Also, we can learn a few things from this schematic.</p>
<p>Assuming that the wheelbase is 105.1″, matching its UKL2 platform mates, the Clubman, 2 Active Tourer, and X1, we can figure out that the length of this car is approximately 169″, which is about an inch longer than the Clubman. I was hoping for a bit more length, particularly in the cargo area (the X1 clocks in at 174.8″ long), but then it wouldn’t really be very mini. The height is approximately 62″, which is a hair taller than the current model.</p>
<p>In summary, this schematic confirms that the new model will be an inch or so longer than the Clubman and taller than the current model.</p>
<p>Will it have the interior front / rear passanger room of the X1?</p>
<p>At six inches shorter than the F48 X1, the F60 Countryman is in line with BMW’s policy to make F-series MINIs smaller than their sister BMWs sharing the same UKL2 platform.</p>
<p>I have to say that the F60 Countryman is the only MINI that really excites us. We thought that the F54 Clubman might replace our long term R60 Countryman – bought in January 2011 – and it’s a worthy enough car, but somehow we just can’t get excited about it.</p>
<p>I know what you mean. I am in the thick of NYC daily and have seen ONE new Clubman on the road since its launch. Can’t believe I am saying this but I am looking forward to the Countryman as well</p>
<p>I sat in a new Clubman a few months ago while my Countryman was in for service and the backseat of the Clubman felt more cramped. This took me a bit by surprise given what I had read here. I too am really looking forward to the F60 though I am also eyeing the new X1 which is domestically produced and has an extended wheelbase here, albeit a bit more generic looking.</p>
<p>I sat in a new Clubman a few months ago while my Countryman was in for service and the backseat of the Clubman felt more cramped. This took me a bit by surprise given what I had read here. I too am really looking forward to the F60 though I am also eyeing the new X1 which is domestically produced and has an extended wheelbase here in China, albeit a bit more generic looking.</p>
<p>Interesting. I have a GTI but need something with 4 doors and at least similar size. I looked at the Clubman and found it to be totally equal to the Golf in rear room and a good bit roomier in the back than my wife’s Countryman. Further, the cargo area of the Clubman is definitely bigger than the Countryman. We’re considering a two-Mini driveway, though I’m waiting to see what the JCW Clubman looks like before making a move.</p>
<p>Hmm, it looks like my first impression was wrong and that I should take another at the Clubman…</p>
<p>I had another look at the Clubman while my Countryman was in for service. The Countryman still feels roomier in the backseat to me (and I made sure to adjust the position of the driver’s seat in the Clubman to match what I have in the Countryman). I think what made the biggest difference for me was the greater interior height in the Countryman – my head was touching the roofliner in the Clubman whereas in my Countryman I have 1/2″-3/4″ of additional headroom. In addition, the rear seat seems to be mounted lower in the Clubman, meaning that your legs are bent more when sitting and this may be another reason that I find the backseat in the Countryman more comfortable.</p>
<p>As for cargo capacity, this is hard to judge without actually packing stuff in. But behind the rear seat the specs are similar – 17.5 cf for the Clubman vs 16.5 cf for the Countryman. Here I also observed that the trunk area of the Countryman seems to be taller – I can fit a small child bicycle upright in the back of ours. I’m not sure I’d be able to do the same in the Clubman. On the otherhand, there is a bigger difference when the rear seats are folded down – 47.9 cf vs 42.2 cf (in favor of the Clubman).</p>
<p>I ended up ordering a Clubman. It should be delivered around the end of November.</p>
<p>Anyway, where the Clubman (and new Countryman) have the advantage in the cargo area is in depth. The first Countryman is very shallow in depth. I have a full-size stroller that did not fit lengthwise in the Countryman. I had to lie it across the cargo area, which meant that it took up almost the entire space. In the Clubman, the stroller can (when the rear seats are in their more upright “cargo” position) fit lengthwise in the space. It may not have the height, but that wasn’t as important to me.</p>
<p>Saw one lightly camo’d just emblems, really. The stance appears wider and lower. Much better looking than the current generation. The rear looks more finished this time around. I am not so sure how much different this will be from the rest of the line up on the inside…</p>
<p>This delayed release…or even info…may result in a “you snooze, you lose”. VW is buying back my Passat diesel in November, and the 2017 Countryman COULD be om my short list. Mini is already prospecting me with special deal to VW owners but the Clubman, while the right size is too low. Leader right now is the Fiat 500x with second choice the BMW X1. The Clubman could slide right in there. Don’t care about the plugin, but the Clubman S gas would be great. Fiat also has the delay on 2017 shipment which I you prefer but there is no change from 2016, unlike the Countryman, and there are on closeout deals dropping price significantly. Mini needs to let me know if I should hold off pulling the trigger, as technically I have 2 years for the buyout price…but the risk is if totaling the VW would be SOL and insurance would fall significantly short of the buyout price.</p>