Countryman exposed

Pictures of the Countryman have been released - but its dimensions are still a secret. Photo / NZ Herald

The new Mini Countryman will go on sale in New Zealand early next year, bigger in size and price than the Clubman.

That much Mini owner BMW has confirmed. What it isn't saying yet is exactly how much bigger and more expensive the Countryman will be.

"It will sit above the Clubman but we have yet to settle on price," says BMW New Zealand marketing executive Piers Scott.

The Countryman is expected to be aimed at models such as the Land Rover Freelander and the premium Peugeot 4007, both just under $60,000. "At price and size I expect it to be close," says Scott. "After that there's the Japanese.

"Our main focus with Countryman is to attract new buyers into the brand, those who perhaps wouldn't necessarily be happy with the bigger SUVs."

Mini itself says the Countryman "bridges the gap between the classic concept of Mini and a modern sports activity vehicle".

It will be the fourth model in the Mini lineup - after the hatchback, convertible and Clubman station wagon - when it goes on sale in Europe in September.

BMW revealed the first photos of the SUV Countryman this week, but withheld body dimensions until the car's first public appearance at the Geneva motor show in March.

It is expected to be similar in size to the Mini Crossover Concept shown at the 2008 Paris motor show, the longest, widest and highest vehicle to wear the Mini badge.

There are other firsts: Countryman will be the first Mini to feature four side doors and the first to be built outside the factory in Oxford. It will be built by Magna Steyr, in Austria.

The car will go on sale in Europe with three petrol and two diesel engines (ranging from 66kW in the Mini One D Countryman to 135kW in the Mini Cooper S Countryman) mated to six-speed manual or automatic gearboxes.

To reduce fuel consumption, Mini will equip the Countryman with technologies such as brake regeneration, engine stop-start at idle and on-demand use of accessories.

All-wheel drive, called All 4, will be optional. The system uses an electrohydraulic differential to split drive force between the front and rear wheels.

Under normal driving conditions, drive force is split 50-50 between the front and rear wheels. But up to 100 per cent can be sent to the rear wheels by the centre differential.

The standard equipment list includes stability control and a limited-slip differential for the front wheels. Traction control is an option on some models and standard on others.

The Countryman rides on Mini's familiar McPherson spring-strut front and multi-arm rear suspension units, while the Servotronic power steering system is all electric.

The options list also includes run-flat tyres, a panoramic sunroof, active headlights and a sport suspension that lowers ride height. The Countryman's luggage compartment can be expanded from 350 to 1170 litres.

Mini says the Countryman's optional All 4 system, extra ground clearance, elevated driving position and conventional wagon body style offers "enhanced opportunities in urban mobility and beyond" for "new target groups requiring extra space and flexibility".

From the outside, the Countryman is largely all Mini, despite its larger dimensions and SUV cues, such as upright tail-lights and large wheel-arches with matt-black plastic attachments. Inside is the same, with the circular-themed cabin. A centre console extends to the rear, comprising cup-holders and storage compartments that can be variably divided by clip-in components.