2nd-gen Mini Countryman local production starts

Production of the second generation Mini Countryman has commenced at BMW's Chennai plant. The Countryman was launched earlier this month and the first deliveries have been scheduled for June 2018.

In India, the second generation Countryman is offered in 3 variants - Cooper S, Cooper SD and Cooper S JCW Inspired. The new model gets slightly tweaked exterior design featuring an inverted U-shaped grille and revised headlamps with LED rings. The front bumper has also been updated and features a wide air dam flanked by circular fog lamps on either side. The rear features redesigned LED tail lamp clusters.

On the inside, the new Countryman gets a redesigned dashboard with a circular centre console that houses a 6.5/8.8-inch touchscreen infotainment system. It comes with features like automatic climate control, automatic tailgate, parking sensors, rain sensing wipers and cruise control among others.

Powering the Cooper S and Cooper S JCW Inspired variants is a 2.0-litre, 4-cylinder petrol engine that develops 189 BHP and 280 Nm of torque @ 1,350 rpm. The Cooper SD variant is powered by a 2.0-litre, 4-cylinder diesel engine that puts out 188 BHP and 400 Nm @ 1,750 rpm. All variants come equipped with an 8-speed automatic gearbox.