BMW takes the Mini to the max

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Sir Alec Issigonis - who designed the original, iconic Mini - once said, "A camel is a horse designed by a committee." Sir Alec was a purist.

And the purity of Sir Alec's original 1959 mini design was defined by its dimensions: 10 feet long, four feet wide and four feet high. It was a work of packaging and practicality and became a symbol of British ingenuity and modernity.

The Beatles, swinging London in the 1960s - the Mini was at the core of a transformation from post-war rationing, reconstruction and an empire in decline, to a Britain opening up like a flower to the sunshine of renewed enthusiasm for life and the promise of something better, more fun.

Ironically enough, the Mini was an answer to fuel worries stemming from the Suez Crisis of 1956 and in that sense it was very much a child of Britain in the 1950s. Yet the purity of the design turned it into a pop culture icon.

Given this idea of purity, what shall we make of the Mini Cooper Countryman, the biggest Mini ever (4,097 mm/161.3 inches long and a wheelbase of 2,595 mm/102.2 inches)?

What can be said about the first Mini with four real doors, real seating for four (in Canada, but there is a version seating five sold elsewhere) and optional all-wheel-drive?

What is behind this huge effort by BMW AG's Mini to broaden its range with an offering designed to appeal to Mini owners who have grown up and now have children?

It's fair to conclude that the Countryman, however successful, will not enter the automotive hall of fame with iconic status. This Mini is a business decision and a sensible one. Mini is expanding to a lineup of four models (standard, convertible, Clubman and Countryman). It's following a very sensible pattern - the kind that drove BMW AG to report its biggest profit in 2 1/2 years on Aug. 3. (Second-quarter net income jumped to $1.1-billion U.S. and revenue rose 18 per cent to $19.5-billion)

BMW has long been creative at spinning off multiple models from the same basic mechanical platform and sharing parts all across lines. Generally, you can expect to see up to 18 variants of the 3-Series over the course of its lifetime. Similarly, the Countryman essentially is a beefed-up, all-wheel-drive version of the Mini Cooper with rugged, outdoorsy looks and real utility.

Ian Robertson, BMW AG board member for sales and marketing, says it makes complete sense to add a big Mini that will bring to the brand "a lot of different customers because this car has a lot more flexibility. The Mini Countryman is our answer to the needs of customers who were looking for a bit more Mini and a Mini which goes far beyond urban boundaries."

So how much to buy one? When it goes on sale next February as a 2012 model, look for the range to go from the low-$30,000s to the mid-$40,000s. Mini Canada will offer just three variants: Cooper Countryman, Cooper S Countryman and Cooper S Countryman ALL4 (all-wheel-drive).

Mini Canada will not offer the stripped-down Mini One version, nor will Canadians be able to buy the diesel variant, either. Instead, the base car will have a 120-horsepower, 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine, while the S gets a twin-scroll, turbocharged version of that motor that makes 180 hp. Both engines are new and have direct fuel injection and very fancy valve management technology (BMW calls it Valvetronic) to enhance engine breathing.

Let's be honest here: for a Mini, the Countryman is huge.

Mini doesn't mean small anymore Click here for a gallery of Mini Coopers

It's 130 mm longer than the three-door version on which it is based. The all-wheel-drive Cooper S version available at the global press launch in Hamburg - one of the less-desirable German tourist destinations, I would add - sits 154 mm higher and weighs the equivalent of an extra two adult passengers. The big, shovel-nosed front end also gives the Countryman a bulldog look about it. A big bulldog is surely the antithesis of what the Mini brand has stood for all these years since its revival in 2002 and before that, too.

The very good news about this Maxi - er, Mini - is that sliding in behind the higher-set steering wheel is much easier than for the low-riding hatch. You don't drop into the driver's seat, but rather you ease in comfortably. This surely will add some Mini appeal for the geriatric set, or parents with sore backs from lugging around and installing child seats. Or geriatric parents, for that matter. For the record, the extra ride height enhances outward visibility, too.

The cabin is all standard Mini fare, just a little nicer than what we've seen to date. There is the over-large speedometer in the centre of the dash and the bulbous air vent outlets spread across it. This Mini is wide enough so that the two people up front won't clash elbows when clipping into seatbelts. Alas, Mini continues to ignore the need for small-item storage in the cabin.

To which Mini types reply: don't overlook our nifty centre aluminum rail that runs from the gearshift housing to the back seats. Buyers can choose to buy clip-on storage devices - cup holders, sunglass holders, storage box, armrest, iPod holder - for managing odds and ends. Frankly, this seems more gimmicky than useful. I managed to kick and snap off the snap-in cup holders in my tester. Numerous times.

At the back, Canadians will find two rear buckets that move fore and aft up to 130 mm. The more practical three-seater bench will not be offered in Canada. In the four-seater, rear legroom is exceptional and it's aided by the scalloped backs of the front seats. That design feature enhances knee room. The rear seats adjust for rake and fold almost flat, too. A child seat tether is recessed into the base of them.

As for cargo room, the boot has 350 litres of space and, with the rear seats folded down, this expands to 1,170 litres - "enough for two mountain bikes with their front wheels removed," says Mini. A hidden recess in the boot space has a flip-up lid that covers valuables while also preventing loose items from flying around the cabin. Access to the cargo area is via a clever door latch hidden away by the Mini logo on the rear door. Love that. Finally, a roof rail system is an option for carrying more stuff. We'll know pricing for all that next year.

The Mini people did not have the base Countrymen on hand, only the turbocharged S versions - all in white. They were riding on 19-inch rims wrapped in low-profile run-flat Pirelli PZero rubber. These are hard tires, but that's not a problem in Germany where the public works budget generously pays for table-smooth roads. As a general rule, the ride quality is wonderful. Long trips are a pleasure because the suspension guys have used the extra 154 mm of height to refine ride comfort.

For the driver, however, this is no Mini go-kart, but a beefy Mini and it shows in the handling. That is, the Countryman drives like a big Mini. The transverse engine keeps the weight well behind the front wheels and that helps to keep the handling responses lively. However, nothing happens as quickly here as in a regular, old Cooper S.

The all-wheel-drive system is similar to that used by Saab and Volvo - an on-demand arrangement housed in the Mini's rear differential. ALL4 can push 100 per cent of the power to the rear wheels when needed, but the default mode is a 50-50 split between the front and rear wheels. The all-wheel-drive system also gets a stability control setting, which eliminates under-steer - the tendency for the front wheels to push or plow as you dial into a sharp corner.

The turbocharged Countryman Cooper S has almost double the power and a third more torque than the naturally aspirated Cooper version and that's plenty. It happily overtakes on the autobahn, despite the four-seater's 1,455-kg mass heft. Note: the five-seater version sheds 75 kg and should, of course, be quicker. We don't get why Mini Canada won't sell it.

In the end, this Mini of swollen measurements is for the family, and let's be real: iconic family vehicles are a rare breed. Sure, it makes business sense for Mini to stretch its lineup, and this Countryman is nicely executed, though pricey.

However, I just can't help wondering what Sir Alec would think. A Mini SUV? Isn't that an oxymoron?

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