BMW News
When Mini first introduced the Countryman, it came only as a four-seater, with a center rail between the two seats that could house things like cup-holders. The rail could be slid back and forth. Buyers could even opt for a full-length center rail that ran from just aft of the gear-shifter all the way back between the rear seats, as in the 2011 Cooper S Countryman All4, shown here.
Shortly after the Countryman's launch, Mini was able to offer the vehicle with a usable back seat; the company could not offer this at launch due to NHTSA guidelines that governed the minimum vehicle width for three-person seating, but those rules have changed. And now, here's official confirmation: the Countryman is losing its center rail and four-person seating arrangement altogether.
The larger-but-smaller Paceman will also be losing the center rail between its rear seats, but the car will remain a four-seater, instead having a console between the two rear seats that houses a cup holder, an iPod cozy and a 12-volt outlet, According to USA Today.
These changes affect all 2014 model year Countryman and Paceman models, which will go on sale later this summer. Both models will also have a $100 price increase (thanks to now-standard heated mirrors and washer jets), and the Cooper and Cooper S models can now be had with a John Cooper Works appearance package. ––Paul Duchene
The larger-but-smaller Paceman will also be losing the center rail between its rear seats, but the car will remain a four-seater, instead having a console between the two rear seats that houses a cup holder, an iPod cozy and a 12-volt outlet, According to USA Today.
These changes affect all 2014 model year Countryman and Paceman models, which will go on sale later this summer. Both models will also have a $100 price increase (thanks to now-standard heated mirrors and washer jets), and the Cooper and Cooper S models can now be had with a John Cooper Works appearance package. ––Paul Duchene
