When you take a first look at the new 2011 Countryman, there’s no doubt it’s a Mini. Same upright windshield. Same short hood. Same shape to the headlights. Look a little closer, though, and you’ll see that it’s an all-new car that rides a little higher than a standard Mini. Moreover, it’s quite a bit larger, with a wheelbase stretched by 5.1 inches and an overall length that has increased by 15.7 inches.
What’s that get you? Well, you can now realistically carry four people in a Mini, something that really wasn’t possible before. And there’s room for a good amount of luggage behind the folding rear seats, which slide fore and aft to meet your particular needs. With the seats in the up position, there’s 12.2 cubic feet of cargo space in back, a reasonable amount. With those seats folded, this Mini becomes a handy wagon with 41.1 cubic feet of cargo capacity—enough space for a couple of mountain bikes.
Although this new Mini Countryman will go on sale this fall in Europe, U.S. sales will begin early in 2011, perhaps as early as January. What’s more, when this U.K.-built Countryman goes on sale in the U.S., it will likely have another name. Our best guess is that it will be called the Traveler, a name that used to be applied to the old Morris Minor station wagons that also came from England.
