New Mini Countryman targets families

03 September 2010

BMW AGs Mini, which is known for its retro-chic appeal, is targeting European families with the Countryman crossover. This model will feature four doors and will be

BMW AG's Mini, which is known for its retro-chic appeal, is targeting European families with the Countryman crossover. This model will feature four doors and will be the marque's biggest ever model.

"Our main aim is to unlock a wholly new target audience", said Hans-Joachim Leonhardt, product manager of Mini. "Young families with kids, sporty youngsters, folks from modern milieus -- everyone can now drive a Mini".

The new BMW Countryman is part of a revamp of the Mini brand's entire portfolio, which the company restarted nine years ago after it sold the unprofitable MG Rover Group.

BMW has sold 1.7 million Minis since 2001, helping the carmaker attract more customers who may later purchase more expensive BMW models.

"BMW has been building the Mini brand very successfully in the past 10 years, but it needs to evolve", said Stefan Bratzel, the Centre of Automotive director at the University of Applied Sciences in Germany.

"The Mini brand has always spoken to the [stylish], the post-materialist crowd. The problem with those guys is they're fairly fidgety and switch products easily and frequently", he added.

Featuring expanded leg and storage room in the back, the Countryman will be available for sale on September 18 in Europe, with prices starting at €20,200 ($25,680), said Leonhardt. The Countryman may eventually account for 20% of Mini sales, he added.

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