The Countryman via CKD route is available in three variants – Mini One Countryman petrol, MINI Cooper diesel Countryman and MINI Cooper diesel Countryman High. The new diesel version is powered by 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbocharged unit developing 112bhp and 270Nm of torque. The engine is matted to six-speed automatic gearbox that powers the front wheels.

The CKD operations of the Countryman have drastically reduced the India prices – the Mini One Countryman retails at Rs 23.5 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi), Countryman D costs Rs 25.60 lakh and the top-end Countryman D High is Rs 28.90 lakh. Unfortunately the rest of the Mini lineup will continue to be imported as CBU units for the time being.

Both the models will be powered by a 1.6-litre diesel engine that produces 122PS of power and 270Nm of peak torque. Power will be transmitted to the front wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox.  

The four door hatchback will be sold in two versions; the Countryman and the Countryman High. While the former is priced at Rs 25.6 lakh, the Countryman high is priced at Rs 28.9 lakh. It is likely that the company has priced the standard car to compete with the Mercedes-Benz A-class and BMW 1 Series while the Countryman High will compete with the BMW X1 in terms of price.

This is the first time that the Countryman will be assembled outside the European continent. The Countryman SUV will now be available in three locally assembled variants – Mini One Countryman petrol, MINI Cooper diesel Countryman and MINI Cooper diesel Countryman High. The price of the One Countryman is Rs 23.5 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi), while the two diesel versions are priced at Rs 25.60 lakh and Rs 28.90 lakh respectively.

The rest of the Mini range will continue to be imported as CBUs for the time being and might move also take CKD route in near future to avail tax benefits.

The special edition has matte black exteriors with green racing stripes and ‘Mini All4 Racing’ badges. The exterior detailing also includes Dakar logos, Peterhansel’s logo and signature (eleven time Dakar winner) on the hood, winning car’s number “302” on front doors and 19-inch alloy-wheels. The black-green theme continues inside with contract stitching and green embroidered headrests.

If you are expecting some jaw dropping numbers to go with the rally car image – you will be disappointed. It is powered by the same 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder unit pumping 218bhp and 280Nm of torque.  With the ALL4 all-wheel-drive system, this Countryman reaches 100kph from standstill in seven seconds.

Only 11 examples of the John Cooper Works Countryman ALL4 Dakar Winner 2013 Special Edition will be made available in France, to also commemorate Stephane Peterhansel’s eleven Dakar wins. 

However, the hero of the race was Perterhansel’s Mini All4 Racing that has now claimed its third successive title – two have these are with the Frenchman. The Mini All4 Racing is designed by Mini’s parent company BMW. It is powered by a twin-turbo 3.0-litre diesel engine which produces 300bhp and what we assume to be a monstrous amount of torque to fling the Countryman based racer through the forests of South America.

The top speed for this machine is 178kmph which is quite sufficient given that it is going off-road all the time. Power is transmitted to all four wheels via a six-speed sequential gearbox. BMW has built most of the compact SUV using large amounts of carbon fibre to keep the weight down and make it as strong as possible. It has been stripped of all known luxuries, once again to keep the weight down as well keep the car true to its purpose of going dune bashing/mud plugging.

Source: X-raid and Minimotorsport

The  Mini KUN dealership is located opposite R.T.A Khairtabad and will have on display all the models that BMW-owned marquee currently sells in the sub-continent. The showroom will also have the MINI Lounge, MINI Lifestyle Collection and MINI Accessories on display.

Commenting on the development, Philipp von Sahr, President, BMW Group India said, “There is no other more exciting car brand in the world as MINI. With the launch of KUN Exclusive in the historic city of Hyderabad, we are happy to accelerate MINI’s momentum in India. MINI has established itself as a unique brand, associated with tradition and irresistible charm. With MINI, it is possible to build upon its heritage while at the same time, the brand is so youthful and contemporary that customers soon become part of a vivacious, unique MINI community.”  

Launched at the 2012 Auto Expo for the Indian market, Mini currently imports its cars in the CBU form and has said that it will not setup a local assembly plant as there is not enough sales to justify such a large investment.  

One of the biggest changes the company has to the 2013 MY Country man is the repositioning of power window switches.  They have long been located in the centre console for most of the manufacturer’s models and now the new Countryman has broken the trend by moving the buttons to the door armrest. 

Other notable features include a Carbon black ring around the central speedo and a new interior trim. The bucket seats in the back have been replaced by a bench. However, fans of central rail feature can opt for the bucket seats at no extra cost. The car is also being offered in two new colours; Brilliant Copper metallic and Blazing Red metallic.

Under the hood, the Mini Countryman will still be offered with three petrol engines and three diesel engines. Power is transmitted to the wheels via a six-speed manual or automatic. It is likely that Mini will introduce this model for the Indian market early next year as it brought into the country as a CBU.   

Built on the Countryman platform, the Paceman is 4,109 mm (4,115mm for MINI Cooper S Paceman and Cooper SD Paceman), which makes it almost identical in size to its sibling. The Paceman will come with a choice of four engines; two petrol and two diesels.  The petrol variant will have a 1.6-litre 122bhp unit.  In the spruced version, The MINI Cooper S Paceman, it is the same engine but producing an output of 184bhp.

For those who prefer diesel, the MINI Cooper D Paceman uses a 1.6-litre 112bhp turbocharged engine. The flagship diesel is the MINI Cooper SD Paceman that gets a 2.0-litre 143bhp engine. All the variants come with a six-speed manual gearbox, or an optional six-speed automatic with Steptronic function for manual control.

Inside, the car has been custom designed and is a strict four-seater, but with foldable rear-seats boot capacity can be increased from 330 litres to 1080 litres. The Paceman has been fitted with all creature comfort options found in the regular versions of the luxury sub-compact SUV.

While the Paceman is expected to cater to demanding style, comfort and performance those demanding a ‘blow my brains out’ experience can consider the John Cooper Works GP.

The MINI John Cooper Works GP is the latest incarnation of a racing heritage that dates back more than 50 years. Powered by a 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine that churns out 218bhp and 260nm of torque, the Mini will reach 100kmph in just 6.3 seconds pushing it to a top speed of 243kmph. The car has been fitted 17 inch four spoke alloy wheels, a big rear spoiler and a grey and red paint scheme to stay in tune with the heritage of the original GP.

While the Paceman will go sale from March 2013, the John Cooper Works GP will be limited to 2000 models and will go into production later this year.  

The engines will be mated to a six-speed manual and will be available with an optional extra of a six-speed automatic gearbox and a four-wheel drive system. The Mini Paceman will be available with two petrol engines and a pair of diesel variants from launch. Standard specification also includes lowered sports suspension.

While the Paceman has been designed for driving comfort over speed, its sportier cousin the John Cooper S has been fitted with a 218hp turbocharged engine, sports brake package and DSC stability control system.

The car has also been aerodynamically tweaked and gone through a weight loss regime giving it a top speed of around 242kmph. Visual cues to separate it from the rest of the series include different alloys, sports tyres and badges on the body. The company has said that the car was fine-tuned on the Nordschleife of the Nurburgring circuit in Germany.  The car will be produced in a limited run of 2000 models and will be on display along with rest of its Mini siblings during the motor show.  

It may sound like the end of the world for driving enthusiasts, but BMW has really announced that it will soon introduce 1.5-litre, three-cylinder petrol and diesel powerplants to power its new front-drive cars, beginning with the new Mini. The good news is that maximum power output will be 181bhp for the diesels and 222bhp for the petrols.

Their small size doesn't mean that they won't be packed with technology; the petrols will have variable load control, direct injection and Valvetronic variable valve control. A surprising amount of common parts will keep costs down: 60 per cent of the components and 40 per cent of the engine structure are identical between the petrol and diesel powertrains. 

The petrols will have power outputs from 121bhp to 222bhp, while the diesels will begin at 80bhp and go up to 181bhp. Torque outputs for the diesels will range from 225-330Nm, an ordinary to very good range for the kind of engine. 

BMW also says that the engines will sound good, be responsive and efficient as well. As far as the acoustic properties go, the company claims that since the frequency of a three-cylinder's engine note increases 50 per cent quicker than a four-pot, it will give the perception of a very quick-revving engine. After driving a few three-cylinders of our own (admittedly in small hatchbacks) we aren't too sure about that claim, but we're sure that BMW will deliver on its promise.

The engines will be used to power the next-gen Mini Cooper, BMW i8 and 1-series GT with more models to follow.