MINI Scooped Testing New Countryman Hybrid, Possibly a Plug-in Model

Besides being Mini’s first crossover and all-wheel drive model, the Countryman looks

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by John Halas

February 2, 2015 at 15:32

Besides being Mini’s first crossover and all-wheel drive model, the Countryman looks like it will also be the brand’s first hybrid car.

The latter will come into play with the upcoming, second-generation Countryman based on the same underpinnings as the BMW 2-Series Active Tourer that rides on the flexible UKL1 platform, also found under the latest Mini 3- and 5-door hatchbacks.

We mention BMW‘s MPV because we previously spied a prototype featuring the same “Hybrid Test Vehicle” stickers as this Countryman Mk2 tester, which leads us to believe that the two cars will share their hybrid powertrains.

There’s still a question of whether the BMW Group is developing a pure hybrid, a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) or both solutions for the two cars, but for what it’s worth, the 2-Series Active Tourer Concept from 2012 sported a PHEV drivetrain combining a 1.5-liter turbo’d three-cylinder gasoline unit powering the front wheels and a synchronous electric motor acting on the rear. In the study, the total system output was said to be over 190PS (188hp).

The fact that the plug-in hybrid system offers all-wheel drive matches the Countryman’s crossover philosophy.

*Note: the interior photo is from a regular second generation Countryman prototype, not the Hybrid tester

Photo Credits: CarPix for CarScoops