First look BMW Mini all-wheel drive

Its first all-wheel drive, which will become one of the world's smallest crossovers, looks set to go sale in Australia late in 2011.

The yet-to-be-named crossover, which is nearly production-ready, is likely to be launched at the Detroit Motor Show in January and go on sale in Europe and the United States late next year. It should arrive in Australia six to nine months after that.

It had been tipped that the wagon would be shown at the Geneva motor show in March, but Mini has reserved that spotlight to launch a JCW version of its sexy new cabrio which is coming to Australia next year.

Mini is still remaining coy about the crossover, the first Mini not to be built at its traditional home in Oxford, England. Instead it will come off the same production line as the existing BMW X3 at the Magna Steyr plant in Austria.

The X3 will soon shift to Spartanburg to make way for the crossover which will be built on an all new and larger 4.1-metre platform. It had been tipped Mini would use BMWs new X1 platform but Mini insiders say this has been discounted as not practical.

What we do know is the crossover will use a modified version of BMW's full time xDrive system which proportions drive between front and rear axles. Mini engineers have had to convert it from having a rear-wheel drive bias as in BMWs X3 and X5 to fit Mini's primarily front-wheel drive layout.

As for the name: forget Crossman, as widely reported by German media. It definitely won't be called that.

“We had issues with MAN trucks over the Clubman name so we won't go there,” says Andreas Hofmann, the head of Mini's marketing communications.

“We are still working on the name and choice of engines."

The engine range is expected to match those under the bonnet of the existing Mini line-up but Hofmann hinted a diesel was more than likely for selected markets including Australia.

Production costs will mean the crossover will come as a conventional four-door wagon which is cheaper to build, although the design of the tailgate whether a single door, two barn doors or a split lift up, drop down design still has to be signed off.

Mini has been studying several tailgates on the crossover test mule which has kept the media guessing.

"We will be making a final decision on the design within three months," Hofman says.

The crossover concept, shown at the last Paris Motor Show, had a sliding rear passenger door on one side and a conventional door on the other.

And while the third generation Mini hatch will be launched in 2012, Mini traditionalists can relax — it won’t be stretched any further to fit on the longer crossover platform.

Mini insiders say there won’t be a maxi Mini. The current hatch will not grow any more in size as it would be out of proportion on the crossover’s 4.1-metre long platform.

If you’re hanging out for a hot hatch Mini with all-wheel drive, you will be waiting for a long time.

Mini will fit a BMW-sourced xDrive system to its upcoming crossover wagon but the system won’t be fitted to any other model just yet.

A Mini all-wheel drive JCW hatch or cabriolet would be desirable as a flagship, but Mini says it would be far too expensive.