It's already known that Mini is working on a replacement for the current Countryman, which is planned to take the form of an ‘authentic’ SUV. Although the original Countryman, launched in 2010, it quickly accounted for more than a third of Mini sales. The second-generation Countryman is expected to be more rugged than the current model, taking some cues from the Mini X-Raid, which has won the Dakar Rally four times since 2012. It will be based on the same UKL architecture as the Clubman making it significantly spacious. It’s expected to be just over 150mm longer and at least 10mm wider than the current Countryman.
There is also, a new Clubman in the works which is 158mm longer, 10mm wider and 119mm lower than the existing Countryman. A Mini Traveller MPV (essentially a sister car to the BMW 2 Series) has also been developed as a possible new model line.
Facts have drawn ire from traditional fans of the marque, who argue that the growth in size is not in keeping with its brand values, but according to Mini’s senior vice president Sebastian Mackensen, “Sometimes in life you get used to something and then it moves on. Habit can be hard to challenge, but when you get used to the new thing you can often see new benefits as you adapt.”