It’s been out for nearly two years now and the Mini Countryman is facing a revamp.
The revamped Mini Countryman
The car has had mixed success on these shores (led by media stories about its ‘suicide door’) but it has built up a strong following of buyers impressed with its handling and reliability. It effectively created a new vehicle segment – the small SUV.
Now the Countryman will have its first model to offer all-wheel drive alongside an improved interior and new paint finishes.
The modifications will start appearing this month. For instance, open one of the front doors and the newly designed rings encircling the centre speedo and four air vents immediately stand out. There’s also newly designed door inserts which help enhance the car’s premium ambience, comfort and practicality.
The Mini Countryman will also come as standard with a three-seat rear bench, while a pair of individual seats will be available as a no-cost alternative.
There’s also a new selection of exterior paint finishes for customers to choose from such as Brilliant Copper metallic and Blazing Red metallic.
Customers can choose from six engine variants: three petrol and three diesel units though die-hard Mini fans might be more interested in the ultra-sporty Mini John Cooper Works Countryman, powered by a turbocharged 160 kW/218 hp engine. The ALL4 all-wheel-drive system is fitted as standard on this top-class performance variant and is available as an option for the Mini Cooper S, SD and D Countryman.
This car also meets the new EU6 exhaust emissions standard – you’ll be hearing more about this in coming months since the new rules come into force in 2014.