In a few weeks, the new F60 MINI Countryman will celebrate its official world premiere on American soil at the 2016 Los Angeles Auto Show. The North American car show was the chosen venue considering it’s the largest market for the Countryman SUV. Hailing from Spain today are a set of new spy photos showing the F60 Countryman with minimal camouflage.
As reported several times before, the BMW UKL architecture serves as the technical basis for the new MINI Countryman. After the small core models – the hatch, five-door, convertible and the compact class offshoot Clubman – the entire range of MINI models would be converted to the front-wheel drive platform.
Just like the Clubman, the F60 MINI Countryman uses the slightly larger architecture, internally named UKL2, which is also suitable for the integration of a four-wheel drive. With the help of a Haldex clutch, the power can be routed to the rear wheels delivering additional traction.
The transversely mounted engines are from the new family of BMW engines with the three-cylinder variants – B37 and B38, and the four-cylinder B47 and B48. Also, the British marque has decided on a plug-in hybrid MINI Countryman E, which will complement the program only a few months after the launch.
Inside, the new 2017 MINI Countryman is not only more spacious, but the materials will meet higher demands and underline the premium status of the Englishman.
[Photos: Phocarmedia & Motor.es]
