2024 MINI Countryman to toughen up with Rally Raid-inspired version

MINI is plotting a higher-riding, more rugged take on its new 2024 MINI Countryman to pay tribute to the British small-car brand’s rich rally heritage.

According to MINI’s US vice-president Michael Peyton, the tougher MINI Countryman is currently under consideration by the BMW-owned car-maker.

“You might see an off-road Countryman soon,” he told CarBuzz, although the senior executive didn’t confirm exactly what MINI was plotting.

Thought to take inspiration from the 2020 MINI Countryman Powered by X-Raid (pictured), the more rugged Countryman could be the first in a series of harder-core models to rival the likes of Audi’s Allroad and Mercedes-Benz’s All-Terrain sub-brands.

Expect not only a higher ride height but also tweaked front and rear bumpers to improve approach and departure angles.

Other potential upgrades could include protective plastic cladding around the wheel-arches and lower body sides, and perhaps front and rear underbody protection.

It’s unlikely the tougher Countryman will bring any more power, but the flagship version is likely to share its high-output 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine with the Countryman JCW, producing healthy outputs of 233kW/400Nm.

To improve its capability away from sealed roads, the more rugged MINI SUV could also feature a new traction-enhancing off-road or Rally Raid mode.

Also aiding its off-road ability are likely to be smaller wheels with all-terrain tyres.

Despite the extra kit, the unnamed MINI Countryman off-roader should come close to matching the standard JCW’s on-road performance, including its 5.5sec 0-100km/h acceleration, although its top speed might be limited to less than 250km/h due to its more aggressive rubber.

No timeframe has been revealed for when we might see the offroad-ready MINI Countryman.

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