When I first heard about this new crossover vehicle from Mini, I had mixed feelings. I love what BMW has done with Mini. In fact, there’s not much I would’ve done different had I been caretaker of the brand. Right from the get-go, the company dished out a truly worthy interpretation of the iconic British automobile. The cars handled even better than the old school models, they looked as cool, if not cooler, and, perhaps best of all, the performance figures have been greater than one would have thought possible out of such a small vehicle. Yes, when the Mini returned, it came back with its arm out the window waving a checkered flag.

BMW also stayed true to the brand’s heritage and kept the famous Cooper and Cooper S nameplates. Although a convertible was never offered in its original form, unless you count the odd aftermarket specialist shop which catered to 60’s fresh air fans, I viewed this as something Mini may have eventually done if they hadn’t fallen into that never-ending pit along with the British car industry.

But a crossover? On paper it sounds like a good idea and, with today’s interest in these types of vehicle, perhaps British Leyland would have arrived at the same conclusion, if they’d survived. After all, the wagon versions of the original were quite popular in their day, and even the Mini-van sold well. Yes, Mini made a commercial panel van back then, and a pickup version...hint, hint to BMW. So adding the availability of all-wheel-drive to a vehicle so versatile makes a lot of sense.

With this in mind, and the fact that I leap at any and every chance to drive a Mini, I set off to collect my tester for the week, the all-new 2011 Mini Cooper Countryman. I’d obviously seen this model before. After all, I mooch around at most auto shows and pictures have been flying around the internet for months, but I’d purposely steered clear of getting up close and personal until I could have one for a week. With a model as important as this, it’s wise to keep an open mind until I actually get my hands on it.

Finally being able to get up close to one, the vehicle actually made me stand back and ponder. Where did the cute little face of the Mini go, and why does this vehicle look so much larger than the other models? Fair enough, if you’re going to offer AWD (my tester was unfortunately the base 2wd version), then you’re going to need a tad more room underneath, but that bulbous, squared-off hood, where did which come from? The motor sits considerably lower than the hood, so I don’t really see the point!

Never mind, I recently purchased a pair of shoes that I didn’t particularly like the look of, but bought them purely because they were lightweight and supposedly great for walking. Geeky-looking or not, they are now my favourite shoes and I wear them all the time. Could this be the same story with the Countryman?

But hold on a minute! What happened to the cool looking double doors at the rear? Yes, perhaps the Clubman has a slightly squarer backside and they aren’t the most practical of doors, but I liked them, and this rather bland looking hatch just doesn’t do a thing for me.

I wonder who looks after the naming of these vehicles at BMW. Has he/she ever read the history of Mini’s former owners? The original Clubman was not a wagon/hatchback! It was actually the name of a squared-off front end design offered to try and make their vehicles appear more modern, a dumb idea which eventually flopped. The first wagons came in two 2-door models, the Austin Mini Countryman and the Morris Mini Traveler, some with what we in North America might call “the woody look.” They were cool. However, somewhere, somehow, the folks at BMW have muddled up this history slightly and it’s become a little confusing even for me!

As I climbed inside the vehicle it felt like we’re back to a true Mini. The Countryman boasts those familiar surroundings which I have come to love. The seats hug and hold you in place, the steering wheel size/thickness is perfection, and the speedometer is exactly where it ought to be, slap bang in the middle of the dashboard! Of course it’s a tad harder to read now with the visual display unit taking up most of the screen, but that’s a necessary evil with all the modern technology available in the Mini today. I’ll even admit that rear vision has slightly improved with the hatchback, so maybe I’ll forgive them on that item after all!