MINI versus Land Rover?

That's the latest rumor zipping around the autosphere. An article published in the British magazine Autocar  speculates that Mini may be planning a four-wheel-drive, two-door sub-SUV coupe to compete against the Land Rover Range Rover Evoque. Even as Mini branches out into new niches, this one might not be as plausible.

Autocar  reports that the Countryman derivative, if produced, will be designed to compete with sporty, front-wheel-drive SUVs like the Evoque. Admittedly, the vehicle would be a stretch of both the Countryman's architecture as well as the imagination. Referring to the vehicle as an "off-road coupe," Autocar  speculates that it could have either two- or four-door variants, and could feature blacked-out B-pillars for a floating-roof look.

According to Mini spokesperson Nathalie Bauters, although Mini is looking to capture a wider range of buyers by expanding into new niches, this one is not currently on the table.

"We are only starting to sell the Countryman SUV now," Bauters said. "[We have confirmed before] that the Mini Coupe and Roadster are on their way for 2011 [and early 2012]."

She noted that the Countryman was previewed by the trendy Beachcomber concept, as a sign of products to come.

"We have three new concepts that we will show at Paris, Detroit, and Geneva," Bauters confirmed. "Stay tuned."



Source: Autocar courtesy of Motor Trend Staff