MINI Crosses the line
Spy pics capture near-to-production test mules of upcoming MINI SUVFinally we have some images of a road-going prototype of the upcoming MINI Crossman AWD due to be introduced some time in 2010.
And indications are a little different to the last set of photos that indicated a Clubman-based body with pint-sized, rear-hinged back doors. The proto spotted here with psychedelic BMW-style panel finish sports proper back doors similar to the fake rendering of the Crossman pictured in April 2008.
Today's Carparazzi photos show the car, which will be coded R58 in the MINI lexicon, running on a longer wheelbase again than the Clubman, meaning not only the rear will be easier to get into -- it will also offer more space.
The images also show MINI is up to some tricks with the tailgate area. The disguise cladding seems to indicate a dual-door arrangement similar to the Clubman, but the reality appears to be the Crossman will get a regular tailgate arrangement, with a single door hinged at the top. The giveaway is the single wiper setup that differs from the dual-arm arrangement of the Clubman.
Somewhat ironically, the left-hand drive MINI SUVs pictured here are running on a race circuit, presumably to ensure that the slightly jacked-up suspension doesn't compromise the MINI's go-kart handling.
The engine lineup could be expected to duplicate current MINIs, with normally aspirated and turbo 1.6-litre engines driving either six-speed manual or six-speed auto transmissions. The four-wheel-drive system is also expected to replicate the current format for all-wheel drive transverse engines with the drive picked up from the front transaxle and directed to a rear differential via a multi-plate clutch that kicks in when the front wheels start to spin.
As we've said in the past, there appears to be no connection between the SUV MINI and BMW's X1 because both are based on entirely different driveline concepts.
According to Carparazzi the little SUV was known internally as Colorado but MINI has now fixed on the name Crossman as the final moniker. Word is the Crossman will be built not at the company's UK facilities, but by Magna Steyr in Austria.
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