Love Minis, love performance, but want more space? Mini has an answer. The company just debuted its all-new Mini JCW Countryman, and it’s classified in the U.S. as an SUV–a Mini first.
What does that mean, though?
The term SUV has been muddied in this era of crossovers. Essentially, the Countryman is an LDT–light duty truck. Rather than get into …
I have to say, it's trippy. It looks like a Mini, but it's definitely bigger. 
It also has a checkered flag inspired grille.
It wouldn't be what i was looking for anyway, but i wonder whether they'd have been better served by reviving another nameplate instead of making Mini not only build cars that are only kinda sorta mini, and then an extended range that isn't mini at all. There's no longer really any association with the history that spawned it, is there? The new ones look a little like the earlier ones that looked a little bit like classic Minis.
It might be good, but the first thought with increasingly un-mini Minis is always "huh?"
Who owns the Puch name these days?
Mini is just bmws front wheel drive brand. It doesn't really have an identity beyond that anymore.
If the countryman got bigger, does that mean it is based on the X3 instead of the X1?
In an ideal world for me, the Mini brand would just be the Mini 2 Door, 4 Door, and maybe the EV. If they want more doors or more space, why not just get the BMW X1?
In reply to ojannen :
From my understanding the Countryman shares "architecture" with the X1/X2.
In reply to J.A. Ackley :
I thought that was even true of the F55/56 Minis...
Ah, they're both derived from the UKL (Untere Klasse, or "lower class") platform, but the F55/56 are UKL1, while the larger Minis and X1/2 are UKL2. Per Wikipedia, salt as needed.
In reply to RyanGreener (Forum Supporter) :
I had that same thought. Ultimately, it comes down to cost of the vehicle and user experience. Mini Countryman S will be cheaper than the X1. A Mini user experience is quite different than a BMW, despite shared architecture. It's like chocolate fudge and rocky road ice cream flavors. Both use chocolate ice cream, but they're quite different nevertheless.
My Lord, that is ugly!
I thought it was always an suv...
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