Big price hike for MINI Countryman

MINI will say goodbye to the $34,150 entry price of its Countryman when the new model arrives this March (2017). It’s a move that could see the small SUV range top-out at more than $60,000 for the first time.

BMW Group Australia says the second generation Countryman will closely vie with the upcoming Audi Q2 (from $41,100). It will do so with the impasse of a price hike of almost 20 per cent more than the current iteration.

“We are aiming at around or just shy of the $40k mark [starting price],” said BMW Group Australia Lifestyle and Internal Communications Specialist, Siobhan Kircher.

Larger in size, and boasting more technology and safety equipment, the new Countryman promises greater comfort and connectivity levels.

Australian variants are expected to a significant boost in specification as standard, a move BMW’s local representative says rationalises the model’s $6000 price hike.

“[It is] a marginal increase in price for a substantial increase in the value to our customers,” Kircher stressed.

The largest model in MINI’s 57-year history grows 200mm in length to extract as much as 220 litres more cargo space, 75mm more legroom and 30mm more shoulder-room.

Local models are expected to receive an electrically-operated tailgate, choice of 6.5 or 8.8-inch central touchscreen displays, and driver assistance technologies that includes low-speed autonomous emergency braking (AEB) as standard.

The Countryman is offered with camera-based active cruise control, pedestrian warning, high-beam assistant for the now-LED headlights, lane-keeping assist and head-up display. However, blind-spot monitoring and cross-traffic alert do not make the list.

While BMW Group Australia is yet to confirm final pricing and range details of its X1-based Countryman, it has indicated a four-model range is likely, comprising turbocharged petrol and diesel models in both front and all-wheel drive format.

motoring.com.au understands the rationalised Countryman line-up will begin with the front-wheel drive Cooper Countryman (1.5-litre turbo-petrol), and include front-drive Cooper D (2.0-litre turbo-diesel) and Cooper S (2.0-litre turbo-petrol) variants, and topping-out with the all-wheel drive Cooper SD Countryman ALL4 (2.0-litre turbo-diesel). All will be fitted as standard with automatic transmission. A six-speed manual will be offered as a no-cost option.

BMW Group Australia is also understood to be assessing its first-ever plug-in hybrid MINI model for the local Countryman portfolio, and is set to receive the 170kW John Cooper Works variant before the middle of the year (2017).

MINI recorded one of its strongest Australian sales results ever in 2016, up 2.7 per cent on 2015. MINI hatch variants sold particularly well, the Countryman accounting for 14 per cent of total brand sales.

Globally, the MINI Countryman has sold more than 550,000 examples since its debut in 2010 with overall international brand sales of 360,000 units last year alone.