IT seems the MINI family is constantly growing – and enthusiasts now have a wider choice than ever.
But it’s no longer just a variation on a theme. Now you have a choice of what size MINI you opt for.
The launching of the new larger Countryman version changed for ever the way people think about MINI. This one is like a MINI on steroids.
The supersized MINI Countryman is longer, wider, taller and – for the first time ever in the MINI family – has four doors.
Not only that but you can also have it with four-wheel-drive. In effect an off-roading MINI.
Unlike the original Countryman the new one doesn’t have van-like double doors at the rear, preferring to remain a hatchback like the best selling traditional MINI. It’s aimed at people who like the look of a MINI, but just need more space.
Prices range from £15,835 to £25,700.
For drivers who prefer to stick with the “normal” sized MINI there is a choice of Hatchback, Convertible and Clubman.
In all three variations you can opt for the MINI One, the Cooper, the Cooper S or the flagship John Cooper Works. Petrol engine sizes range from 1.4-litre to 1.6-litre, the latter coming in varying states of tune, with the S boasting 175bhp.
If you prefer diesel to petrol there is the Cooper D available in all three models.
The hatchback range starts from £11,105 for a 1.4-litre hatch while the Clubman range starts from £13,620.
Later this year a coupe version will be on sale followed by a roadster sometime in 2012.
Last year more than 230,000 MINIs were sold across the globe, an increase of some eight per cent. All but the Countryman – which is built in Austria – were made at the MINI factory in Oxfordshire.