There’s a revamped Mini Countryman in development, and a new video captures the hotter S variant testing at the Nurburgring. It still wears a heavy layer of camouflage and cladding, but the new Mini looks like an evolution of the current model.
Mini will put the new Countryman on the
FAAR platform that underpins the new BMW X1 crossover. Powertrain information
remains a mystery, but the Countryman S will reportedly share a powertrain with
the BMW X1 M35i, which means the Mini could pack a turbocharged 2.0-liter
engine producing 302 horsepower and 332
Newton-meters of torque.
We expect Mini to offer less-powerful
powertrain options. There are rumors of an all-wheel-drive plug-in hybrid
version that pairs a turbocharged 1.5-liter with electricity to produce 322 hp. The rumor mill suggests that the plug-in would offer an estimated 88 kilometers of electric range.
The video doesn’t provide a peek at the
Mini’s interior, but previous spy shots did reveal it. They showed off a
familiar-looking interior design with an oval driver display behind the
steering wheel and a large, circular screen mounted on the dash. However, Mini
went above and beyond to hide it from curious eyes.
Mini hasn’t announced a debut date for the
refreshed model, so it’s anyone’s guess as to when the new Countryman will
arrive. There are rumors that it will be on sale early next year, which means
we could see it debut before the end of 2022, but the auto industry has not
been predictable over the last few years. We hope the Mini begins dropping some
camouflage ahead of its upcoming reveal.
