Autoblog

Beneath all that ridiculous (though pretty darn effective) yellow and black paisley camouflage sits the new MINI Crossover. First shown in concept form at the Paris Motor Show, at 162-inches long, the new MINI CUV is quite a bit larger than its other older stablemates. At what point is a MINI not so mini any more? This could be it, as the spy photographers point out that it appears larger than the BMW 1-Series that shares a number of parts with. Lost in the translation from show car to test mule are the unique doors, which appear to have been replaced with a standard, run-of-the-mill four door body style. The rear hatch also opens from the top instead of sideways like on the concept, though it's been taped-up to appear like the barn-door style portals from the Clubman. The whole shebang's been lifted a bit and all four wheels are driven. Expect both gasoline and diesel four-bangers under the pointy-snouted hood.

[Source: NextAutos.com]

Seemingly a rolling contradiction in terms, the upcoming MINI SUV model, previously (but probably not officially) known as the Crossman, has been seen out in the wild again. Like before, the little SUV wears very little clothing, leaving almost all of its altered-bits out in the open. After looking at the previous set of spy shots and the newest one here, we just can't see the not-a-Crossman doing any off-roading. Soft-roading... maybe, but we honestly think this is a vehicle that will never see anything worse than bad weather.

Naming and classification reservations aside, MINI may not have much trouble moving curb-busting Coopers off of dealers' lots, as many enthusiasts will likely be drawn to the availability of all-wheel drive on a MINI for the first time. Not only that, this vehicle could be one of the most fuel-efficient all-wheel-drive vehicles on the market in the U.S., save for hte Suzuki SX-5, and there's something to be said for that.

[Source: Autoweek]

Motoring File is reporting that the upcoming MINI CUV dubbed Crossman will share elements with the BMW X1 SUV that itself is based on the 1-Series. You heard that right: the MINI Crossman will have parts from the 1-Series, although we don't know which ones will be crossing over just yet. The cross-use of components will save time to market and production costs for both brands. Hopefully the strategy will also keep both new utility vehicles around the same price as their competitors, unlike the BMW 1-series.

Recent spy shots show the Crossman to have the appearance of a raised Clubman, but while the test vehicle only contains two doors, the production version is actually expected to sport four. It will also be larger in every dimension over a standard Clubman, so the pics we keep seeing of a raised Clubman like the one above don't really tell the whole story. Also, don't worry, as the component sharing does entail the inclusion of an AWD system adapted especially for the MINI's configuration.

[Source: Motoring File]