Mini Countryman revealed

A crossover edition of the big-selling Mini, all versions of the Countryman crossover will come with four seats as standard, although a bench rear seat will be optional, providing room for five.

View pictures of the Mini Countryman

There will be three petrol and two diesel engines available, the least powerful being the 1.6-litre diesel in the Mini One D Countryman. The most powerful engine will be the 184bhp turbocharged 1.6-litre petrol engine in the Mini Cooper S Countryman.

All versions of the Mini Countryman will be fitted with a six-speed manual gearbox as standard, but a six-speed automatic transmission will be offered at extra cost.

While the standard Mini Countryman will feature front-wheel drive, the Cooper D and Cooper S will also be available with four-wheel drive. Known as Mini ALL4, it’s the first time a Mini has been offered with drive to all wheels.

To reduce fuel consumption, the Mini Countryman will come with stop/start, brake energy regeneration plus a gearshift indicator.

Interior flexibility is one of the Mini Countryman’s key features, with rear seats which can slide backwards and forwards individually. As a result, up to 1170 litres of carrying capacity is on offer.

Safety is also important, with ESP on all cars as well as front, side and curtain airbags, Isofix child seat mountings and tyre pressure monitors. The Countryman also gets run-flat tyres as standard.

As a premium small car, the Mini Countryman will pack a lot of standard equipment, but a wide array of extras will be offered too, such as a panoramic sunroof, adaptive xenon headlights, heated windscreen and alloy wheels up to 19 inches.

The new crossover will make its debut at the Geneva motor show in six weeks’ time.

Want to buy a Mini? We have over 6,000 used Minis for sale, but make sure you read our Mini reviews first. Choose from our verdict on the Mini Convertible John Cooper Works, the Mini Clubman Cooper S or the electric Mini E.

Video: watch a review of the Mini Clubman Cooper S