The 2017 Countryman has been pushed back. As much as MINI are desperate to get it on dealer lots (reportedly it’s a dramatic improvement...The post When Will the 2017 Countryman Be Released? appeared first on MotoringFile. (visit MotoringFile for the full article) More...
I do. The cynic in me says "dramatic improvement over the existing car" is typical marketing overstatement but I'm still curious to see what they've done with it.
Well, it's more like BMW than MINI so I guess BM'er got what they wanted out of it.... For the life of me I'll never understand what BMW is doing to the brand. For YEARS the Cooper, Countryman and Clubman remained basically unchanged in their overall design, a 60's classic Mini looks very similar to a 98 "classic" Mini. BMW gets ahold of the brand and remodels it every few years or so and they're getting further and further away from what a MINI/Mini is. An affordable/economical fun car that not everyone likes, but those that do like them LOVE them, so why change it?! Instead of hooking a buyer for life they're hooking a buyer a for a year maybe 2. I'd be totally content if they kept the 1st or even 2nd gen bodies and just updated the drive-train within reason and made smaller alterations to the cosmetics to ensure longevity/reliability because really, that's all MINI's or Mini's have had an issue with. I think a Gen1 Clubby would be sweet, as well as a countryman, but more in the sense of classic Mini design aesthetics, not the big bigger biggest idea that BMW's rolling with. If MINI goes under we all know why, and I'm quite sure that NOBODY will be surprised. The new countryman looks decent..... For a BMW crossover SUV..... Not as a MINI.
http://jalopnik.com/mini-has-built-the-most-pissed-off-looking-car-in-motor-1788232964?rev=1477493979424&utm_campaign=socialflow_jalopnik_facebook&utm_source=jalopnik_facebook&utm_medium=socialflow
Well, hate to burst your bubble, but BMW has been designing the new MINIs since the R50/53. Frank Stephenson was actually the guy who was responsible for the design, all the way back in 1998. He's got a decent CV, too: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Stephenson And the average buyer isn't your average MA user. Your average sheep likes change, likes features, and likes fluff. MINI will carry on, with or without the enthusiasts that initially shaped the 2nd coming of the brand, as long as it continues to look ahead and innovate. The new Countryman has an impressive list of standard features, and it will help carry the brand forward in a big way.
I had to take some time off from the anti-new-MINI doom and gloom of MA. :lol: Actually, I went and sold Audis for 3 months and hated it.
No bubbles have burst, I'm aware of how long BMW has owned the brand, they started out strong, then fizzled pretty quick with the Fish series. They won't carry on, at least in the states if they keep burping up these pigs. This new design is an obvious attempt to get into the soccer mom segment with it's boxy "aggressive" styling, it's just like every other mid level small suv out there. BMW will bring the brand to vanilla, the only thing MINI about it will be the name.