Mini is preparing an adventure version of the Countryman crossover, with the premiere in October.

The British marque Mini, owned by the BMW Group, is looking to find new customers among outdoor enthusiasts beyond the reach of good road infrastructure. A new version of the Mini Countryman with increased ground clearance, additional protection and more energy-absorbing suspension is undergoing testing in the American Rocky Mountains.

The current third-generation Mini Countryman made its debut in 2023, and today it is available with three petrol, one diesel and two electric versions. The electric versions received a minor technical update earlier this year.

How well the 'third-generation' Countryman is selling, we do not know, as the BMW Group does not disclose model-by-model sales figures in its reports, but overall the Mini brand is currently on the up: in the first half of 2026, its global sales, according to the company itself, rose by 11.7% to 149,538 vehicles. Europe is Mini's main sales market: here, according to ACEA, 96,047 new cars of this marque were registered in the first half of the year (+20.4% compared with the same period last year). The positive momentum was driven by an expanded model line-up and a surge in demand for electric vehicles amid sharply rising petrol and diesel prices.

At the same time, Mini's head Jean-Philippe Parain believes that the British marque could do even better and attract buyers in niches where Mini is currently absent. In recent years, demand for adventure vehicles has objectively been growing, particularly in the US, and Mini has previously ignored this segment, leaving the field open to tuners offering their own 'off-road' versions of the Countryman crossover. Now this shortcoming has been addressed — the premiere of a new, adventure-focused version of the Mini Countryman will take place as early as October, and it is currently undergoing final testing in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado.

The adventure version of the Mini Countryman does not yet have its own name, and the pre-production cars in testing are wrapped in camouflage. Notable features of the new version include increased ground clearance, all-terrain General Grabber AT tyres with an aggressive tread pattern, and a huge fold-out roof tent. The suspension is expected to feature more energy-absorbing dampers, and the underbody has likely received stone protection. The exhaust silencer at the rear clearly indicates that the pre-production adventure Countryman is powered by an internal combustion engine, but it is possible that this same version will also be offered with a dual-motor electric powertrain.