Geneva Motor Show: 2011 MINI Countryman

The 2011 MINI Countryman, the biggest MINI ever, has been unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show. Countryman has a number of firsts to its name: it is the first MINI to feature five doors (hatch included); and it is also the first MINI to have a four-wheel drive system as an option.

As is expected for a MINI, there is a long list of optional equipments and accessories available to customise the Countryman. Three petrol and two diesel 1.6-litre four-cylinder engines are up for selection, from the 89-bhp engine in the One D to the most powerful 181-bhp engine in the Cooper S. However, the diesel engines are not expected to make it to Malaysia. A six-speed automatic gearbox, sourced from BMW, is expected to be paired with the petrol engines for the Malaysian market.

The issue of higher prices aside, Countryman could be compromised dynamically relative to the three-door MINI due to its added weight and height. However, the main problem, for most, would be Countryman's looks—which lacks the cuteness and charisma of smaller MINIs. Looks-wise, Countryman is as un-MINI as it gets, so let's hope it performs up to expectations on the roads when it arrives in the fourth quarter of 2010. For the time being, read more on Countryman's full details and enjoy the gallery of live photos!

AboutSeow Yaohan

Seow Yao Han strives to bring you the latest and the most comprehensive information on cars available in Malaysia. But it's never easy for him to talk and write cars in this part of the world because what you lust after is often not what you drive home. When the euphoria of test-driving that branded, super-expensive sports car dies down, he just goes home in his less-than-glamorous ride.