2017 Mini Countryman spied in Europe

Camouflaged test mules of the 2017 Mini Countryman crossover SUV have been spied testing in Europe. While the Mini range of products was updated last year, the BMW-owned brand has already started working on another update for the Countryman.

The Countryman is a five-seater SUV that masks its bulk under the compact design lines of the Minis. The new Countryman, that has been spied, looks to venture out with a slightly boxy design. The straighter lines and angles will make the car look butch to extend its appeal to a wide range of buyers. It certainly will retain the Mini family face with a mesh smiley grille and big round-ish wrap around headlamps. The front bumper also gets an aggressive looking mesh grille with fog lamps mounted on it.

Though we are not really sure, if the new Countryman looks slightly bigger than the current car. It is based on BMW-Mini’s UKL platform like the latest BMW X1. The Countryman will get the three-cylinder 1.5-litre turbocharged diesel engine along with the 2.0-litre petrol engine. The Countryman gets a six-speed manual globally (not in India) and a six and eight-speed automatic transmission. The Countryman will also get the ALL4 four-wheel-drive option along with the standard front-wheel-drive setup.

The test mules seem to be closer to the production model which means this may be the 2017 model year update globally. In that case, we can expect this car to reach India by the end of 2017.