Autocar has had exclusive access to the upcoming Mini Countryman, which goes on sale from £16,000 in September.
You can see our exclusive studio photos by following the link below:
See the exclusive Mini Countryman pictures
Alternatively, you can watch the Mini Countryman video by clicking here
More details of plans to promote the car and Mini in the World Rally Championship have also emerged, with reports in Autocar magazine suggesting a Prodrive-run team could be announced later this month.
Intercontinental Rally Champion Kris Meeke is being strongly linked to a drive with the team, alongside either former Subaru driver Chris Atkinson or double Junior World rally Champion Per-Gunnar Andersson.
Prodrive's sporting director Richard Taylor didn't comment on rumours the team was developing a Mini World Rally Car, and denied the team had signed any drivers.
"We don't have a car to put a driver in yet," he said. "We are always talking to drivers about what they might be doing and what we might be doing. Anyone who has won an international series has got to be worth looking at."
Meeke, who currently drives for the Peugeot UK team in the IRC, said: "I know of the Prodrive-mini rumours and my goal is to get to the WRC, but at the moment I have no other focus that with Peugeot UK and the IRC."
Prodrive ran Britain's only WRC champions, Colin McRae and Richard Burns, to their titles in Subaru Imprezas.
The Mini Countryman will go on sale with the choice of three petrol and two diesel engines, ranging in power from 89bhp in the One D Countryman to 181bhp in the Cooper S Countryman.
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Re: Mini Countryman exclusive
Autocar - no matter how many times you feature it, it's still an ungainly and completely pointless, ugly car. Just read the comments - I can count the positive ones on the fingers of half a hand!
Re: Mini Countryman exclusive
I agree the looks are challenging, and as a MINI owner I'm not sure that it looks quite 'right', but, maybe it'll look better in the metal. If the dealers are to be believed, though, many MINI owners want something they can trade up to when, for example they have a growing family, so I guess thats what BMW are offering them. Whatever people think, MINI do seem to have a very strong brand loyalty.
Re: Mini Countryman exclusive
As a disabled driver I certainly won't be going for this 'uncool' and 'unattractive' thing. I'll stick to my XK