MINI has announced that in the coming days it will be launching bigger and more spacious Countryman with new hybrid powertrain. MINI has also officially confirmed its first ever plug-in hybrid model, the all-new 2017 MINI Countryman.
The second-generation crossover will be unleashed later this month, but that didn’t stop MINI bosses from teasing us with the new model. A near production petrol-electric prototype plugged into the mains was spread all over the net.
Although all these details have been released, but the BMW owned British company is keep lips sealed about the exact powertrain in the new Countryman. However, it is widely expected that the Countryman plug-in will use the 1.5-litre three-pot turbo petrol engine with a battery pack.
MINI says that the hybrid will be able to go up to 78moh in just EV mode and will give “long-lasting electric drivingâ€. However, the electric range or power output is still unknown.
MINI has revealed that the hybrid is capable of up to 78mph in pure EV mode and “long-lasting electric driving†– although we don’t yet know the electric range or power output of the motor.
What we know so far is that it will an all-wheel drive car as the electric motor will power the rear wheels and the petrol engine will power the front wheels. The intelligent all-wheel drive kicks in when grip is lost.
MINI claims to give it a better weight distribution due to the chassis and suspension being unchanged from the standard Countryman, with electric components balanced across both axles for better weight distribution.
The MINI Countryman’s plug-in drivetrain will have three modes: Auto eDrive which will balance petrol and electric power, Max eDrive and a Save Battery mode. The Countryman was first launched in 2010, and now is the oldest model in the MINI line-up and with SUV market on the rise, there’s lot of expectations with this new model.
Countryman’s styling wont dramatically change that’s because the existing car is still sells a lot so there is no need to change the overall design. Spy shots have shown that the front end will stay square-edged, but with a more muscular look than other MINIs.
The major change that Countryman will go through is the size which will be the result of switching to the new UKL1 modular platform used for the MINI hatch and Clubman.
The car will approach 4.2 metres in length thanks to a longer wheelbase, which means more interior space, especially at the back. MINI has trimmed its model line-up from seven cars to five which means it will be able to have greater differentiation between its models.
The new Countryman will not only have the new hybrid powertrain but also will get the same three and four-pot petrol and diesel engines as the Clubman and MINI hatch. The basic Cooper will feature the three-cylinder 1.5-litre turbo, with the more powerful four-pot 2.0-litre turbo offered on Cooper S. The range-topping John Cooper Works models will deliver as much as 228bhp.”
