It is looking very likely you will see something that looks a lot like the beefed up MINI you see in these photos at a car show near you next year.
While last time we surmised the company was going to call it a Sports Activity Vehicle (SAV) – and they still might – the favored badge name at this point is rumored to The Crossman.
As you can see from these photos, the MINI SUV looks like the new extended Clubman on steroids. ( Or CGH - Chassis Growth Hormone - if you prefer.) It will necessarily feature extra body cladding for protection off-road and an elevated ride height to get you there and back again. There are two rear passenger doors, instead of the single “Clubdoor” on the Clubman, and a van-style rear hatch to maximize rear access.
The dashboard and all other interior detailing will most likely be carried over from the Clubman. But the question on the lips of all MINI fans is: will the latest MINI be a proper off-roader, like the Land Rover Freelander? The answer is: of course not. The engineers and designers at BMW are clearly not going to mess with the MINI’s agile, driver-pleasing handling for which MINI has become famous. Nor should they. If you really want to go off-road, go ahead and get the Land Rover. But, since the real off-road crowd represents only a fraction of 4x4 drivers, the raised ride height, beefier suspension and full-time four-wheel drive should translate to reasonable capability in reasonably forgiving terrain, whether on rutty dirt roads or worse, New York City’s legendary potholes.
BMW apparently is not letting the new MINI SUV go it alone, either, as talk is buzzing about the BMW X1, a MINI-style 4x4 that will likely share body-and-sole parts with the MINI.
Still, all this at a time when going Green seems to be topping every car buyer’s list? What SUV could be “greener” than a fuel-sipping MINI? And it may even be the way BMW will introduce some of its new fuel-efficiency technology. Who knows? But it will be fun to find out!
