Mini’s security for its photo shoots of new vehicles is, in a word, poor. One of our spy shooters just caught the all-new Mini Countryman SE completely undisguised on what looks to be a shoot somewhere in Los Angeles. It was only a short time ago that the new Mini Cooper SE was caught in a similar manner, no camouflage to be seen whatsoever.
It’s almost too coincidental to be true, frankly. Is Mini trying to drum up hype by “leaking” the designs before we’re supposed to see them? Or is this just a factor of poor security as we originally surmised? Regardless, these photos mean that we get to see the bigger, new electric Countryman SE in all its glory ahead of the official reveal.
The Countryman was never a small Mini, but it sure does appear to be getting bigger with this generation. Its windshield and rear window are more raked than before, but it’s still retaining the boxy look we’re accustomed to. Its front end features some bold, new headlights, and its grille wears the green “S” logo that the Mini SE also wears. The wheels, while not as wild-looking as the current Cooper SE, still feature some rather distinctive blade-like spokes that match much of the car’s decorative trim. A silver blade with “ALL4” written on it sits in the window between the C and D pillars, and it cuts into the roof, accentuating the step down in the roof as it arcs rearward. A long spoiler hangs off the rear, and the hatch has a slab-sided appearance to it. The rear taillights are unique and stand vertically on the wraparound rear fenders. “Countryman” is spelled out in large letters, and since this is an EV, there’s no exhaust poking out the rear end.
Other small touches we’ll point out include the patterned fender cladding that adds some styling in a place that usually doesn’t have much. It’s also sporting new door handles that sit flush with the doors as opposed to handles that poke out, similar to new BMW models and the Cooper SE spied a couple of weeks ago.
Mini has already released a few powertrain specs, and since we know this car pictured is an ALL4 model, we already know it’s sporting a dual-motor setup rated for 313 combined horsepower. Range is said to be about 280 miles on the WLTP cycle, but that will be less in EPA testing. A lower-power, single-motor FWD model called the Countryman E will also be available with 191 horsepower. There will be gasoline-powered versions of the Countryman, too, but that model’s design will likely have a lot of differences versus this Countryman SE.
We’ll need to wait for an official reveal to see interior photos, but who knows? At this rate, undisguised interior spy photos could be finding their way into our inboxes by tomorrow.
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Source: www.autoblog.com