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First details of the Mini Countryman have been released, the first ever four-door Mini.

A crossover edition of the Mini, all versions of the Countryman will have four seats as standard, although a bench rear seat will be optional, providing room for five.

There will be three petrol and two diesel engines available, the least powerful being the 1.6-litre diesel in the One D Countryman. The most powerful engine will be the 184bhp turbocharged 1.6-litre petrol unit in the Cooper S Countryman.

All versions of the Countryman will have a six-speed manual gearbox as standard, but a six-speed automatic will be offered at extra cost.

While the standard Countryman will feature front-wheel drive, the Cooper D and Cooper S will be available with four-wheel drive. Known as Mini ALL4, it's the first time a Mini has been offered with drive to all wheels.

To reduce fuel consumption, the Countryman will have stop/start, brake energy regeneration plus a gearshift indicator.

Interior flexibility is one of the Mini Countryman's key features, with rear seats which can slide backwards and forwards individually. As a result, up to 1,170 litres of carrying capacity is on offer.

Safety is also important, with ESP and run-flat tyres on all cars as well as front, side and curtain airbags, Isofix child seat mountings and tyre pressure monitors.

As a premium small car, the Countryman will pack a lot of standard equipment, but a wide array of extras will be offered too, such as a panoramic sunroof, adaptive xenon headlights, heated windscreen and alloy wheels up to 19 inches.

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