MINI Traveller set to return

MINI are planning on building a modern four-door MINI Traveller, essentially a MINI Countryman without the SUV aspirations.

You’d forgotten about the MINI Traveller, hadn’t you? Or maybe, as we foolishly did, you assumed that as the Countryman and Traveller were the same thing MINI would leave the Traveller moniker in the history books. No chance.

For those of you too young to remember, the Morris Mini Traveller was the twin Mini in all but badge to the Austin Mini Countryman in the days British Leyland has two brands pushing Mini to the masses.

In fact, and just to confuse the issue, the original Mini Traveller/Countryman is probably best referenced by the modern MINI Clubman – an estate-style MINI with two doors up front and a pair of barn doors out back. The original Mini Clubman was just a regular Mini with a new nose. Confused? You will be.

It’s reported that MINI are to revive the MINI Traveller badge and attach it to something akin to the Countryman but without the SUV-style; a proper, grown-up version of the original Traveller, it would seem.

Except the new MINI Traveller will get four doors and a pair of barn doors at the back, with the rear passenger doors probably hinged the wrong way – proper little suicide doors – or even as sliders.

MINI are apparently calling the Traveller Concept ‘Spacebox’, as the plan is to make the Traveller suitable for the family who have outgrown the MINI but don’t want the rufty-tufty’ MINI on Steroids’ look of the Countryman.

Inside will see more room and lots of light thanks to all-round glass and a big panoramic roof. Outside will be very MINI with a wheel at each corner, big grill and raked headlights.

Essentially, the MINI Traveller is said to be the MINI version of the new BMW FWD platform – likely to see the light of day as the new BMW 1-Series – and we expect to see the Traveller in concept form soon before a production model arrives some time after the new MINI in 2013.

And the MINI beat goes on.

Source: BMW Blog