IIHS NAMES MINI COUNTRYMAN AS A “2011 TOP SAFETY PICK” WINNER

• First MINI vehicle to earn “Top Safety Pick” designation
• Countryman achieved “Good” rating for front, side, rollover and rear       impact protection
• Roof strength performance more than tripled federal standard

Woodcliff Lake, NJ – March 7, 2011… In recent testing, the 2011 MINI Cooper Countryman has earned the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) designation as a “Top Safety Pick” for achieving “Good” ratings for front, side, rollover, and rear impact protection.

“Safety is a top priority for MINI, and we are very pleased that the Countryman performed so well in the Institute’s safety tests,” said Jim McDowell, Vice President, MINI USA. “These results reinforce the idea that small cars are a safe choice in addition to being a practical one; and with a MINI, owners get an important premium small car feature... driving fun.”

The Countryman is the first MINI vehicle to be named an IIHS “Top Safety Pick,” and the second model from the BMW Group to achieve top results since the IIHS tightened the criteria to include “Good” performance for roof strength in rollover crashes. The roof of the Countryman withstood a force equal to nearly 5 times the car's weight. By comparison, the current federal standard is 1.5 times weight.

In addition to “Good” crash test ratings, winners must have electronic stability control (ESC), an important crash-avoidance feature, which is standard on all MINI models.

Complete range of safety equipment.

Designed for optimum safety in the event of a collision, the body MINI Countryman structure has precisely defined load paths and deformation zones, ensuring passive safety of the highest caliber.

In terms of crash behavior, both the front-wheel and all-wheel drive versions of the MINI Countryman perform the same. To ensure this equality, the ALL4 car comes with an innovative propshaft made up of two elements giving way within one another in the event of a collision to absorb impact energy. The body structure of the MINI Countryman is also designed to offer maximum occupant safety in the event of a collision. High-load-resistant bearer structures, precisely defined deformation zones and an extremely stable passenger cell serve to keep impact forces away from the passengers.

Reflecting the premium standard of the brand, MINI models come with a wide range of safety equipment, including seven standard airbags to enhance occupant safety. Three-point inertia-reel seat belts are fitted for all occupants, with belt latch tensioners and belt force limiters at the front, and LATCH child seat fastenings at the rear – all as standard.

Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) is standard on all models. Active safety is enhanced in critical driving situations by the standard anti-lock brakes (ABS), Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBFD), and Cornering Brake Control (CBC).

Brake Assist detects emergency operation of the brakes and builds up maximum brake pressure very quickly. Hill Assist start-off assistance, in conjunction with DSC, maintains brake pressure for up to three seconds after the brake pedal has been released and before the clutch has been engaged, to prevent the car from rolling back when setting off on an uphill gradient.

All Countryman models feature 205/50 R17 runflat tires as standard for supreme safety and performance in all situations. Available optionally are 18’’ alloy wheels with runflat tires, and 19” wheels can be ordered as a dealer-installed accessory.