I was just at one of my local Mini dealers checking out for the 1st the time countryman. I know i've read in here that they were thinking about the rear bench seat option for the CM to allow +1 more passenger. Is there any developments on this? According to the lady (whom I thought really didn't know what she was talking about) that the CM won't be avail. with the rear bench option at all..... any truth to this rumor? I would hold out for this if this is upcoming since it definitely helps to have that capacity....

 

No it should be added MY2012, probably July/August orders.

I really don't see it as being anything to wait for though, they don't look nearly as comfy as the rear buckets, its simply too small for three adults, If your putting a baby seat/child seat in the middle, no normal sized adult will fit on either side. I just don't see the advantage for any circumstance.

 

The part is available in Europe. It looks nearly identical to the rear seat in my wife's Clubbie. There is a mini video that shows the seat:http://www.motoringfile.com/2011/03/...e-mini-family/

Start watching at about 5:12

 

It's very usefull if you have a German Shepherd or any really big dog that can't sit in a bucket seat. I won't buy a Countryman unless they have it, I bet there are a lot of dog owners in the same situation.

 

The rear buckets are a deal killer for me. Need room for the dog and IMHO the whole center rail thing is a ridiculous gimmick with no real merit in everyday life. And then there is the hole left between the seats when the seats are folded down to make more room in the trunk. So I won't even be going for a test drive until this is an option like it was supposed to be in the first place.

 

I was at the dealer the other day and they didn't know when the bench seat for the Countryman would be available in the U.S.
The SA said the bench wouldn't make a flat cargo area in the back anyway.

Dave

 

I had a large dog, a Samoyed, and he had no problems sitting in a bucket seat.

 

The boot is exactly the place my pup is going.

The reason why I could finally become a two mini family was because the CM boot is big enough for her. My skybox 16 is on the way for the luggage and she will have the boot to her self.

 

MINI confirmed the rear bench seat option will be available in the US on the 2012 models: Here's an excerpt from the USAToday article from a couple of weeks ago:

“We have just gone from astonishingly small to small. The Countryman is still shorter than a four-door (Volkswagen) Golf,” says Jim McDowell, vice president of Mini USA.
Countryman is about 15 inches longer than a Mini Cooper hardtop, 4 inches wider, 6 inches taller and weighs about 400 pounds more.
•Comfort. Extra length, width mean more room inside, especially in back. Rear bucket seats also slide fore-aft, so you can choose to maximize available legroom or the cargo space in back.
McDowell says an optional rear bench seat will be available on the 2012 model.

The MA I spoke to at the dealership near me didn't have a clue about this either, or at least played dumb. (Hard to imagine that....a dumb MA!) It could be a tactic to make a sale sooner rather than later.

I'm still dithering over a VW GTI today (with 4 doors and a rear bench) versus a MINI R60 with a rear bench in the fall. Fortunately, I don't have to make a quick choice at this very moment.

 

MA's and pretty much every car sales associate is NOT where you go for up to date information. 9 times out of 10 they are clueless. Not because they are stupid or don't like their jobs or anything like that, they're just too busy to hang out on the forums all day like the rest of us. When talking to your MA just smile and nod. Then come here or even to good old google to find the most up to date information.

 

+1. Fully agree with you !!!

This is how usually a conversation goes with my MA

Me:
MA:
Me:
MA:
Me: and
And both of us finally somehow agree to

Cheers

 

So the issue that needs clarification is when will 2012 R60 production commence. I've heard July from a number of people yet I'm not sure what that's based on. Can anyone help? Thanks in advance....

 

May the force be with you for those unfortunate souls who will be forced to sit in the cramped middle bench seat! (exclude dogs, lions, pigs and other pets!)

As for my passengers, they will travel in comfort of their own bucket seats and enjoy cool ambient lighting that glows from under!

 

with or without the bench, the car will only have seat belts for 4 people.

 

I believe that is Incorrect information. The Euro version with bench seats comes with 5th seat belt. While only reason US canned it the first place was due to the regulations, I remember reading somewhere MINI can now meet the government standard for 5 passenger vehicle.

OK... this is from MotoringFile

Earlier today we broke the news that MINI USA has decided to add a bench seat option to the Countryman. Now let’s look at how it all came about.
The development cycles of cars often stretch for many many years before they ever hit the showroom floor. And because of that, decisions are made well in advance of regulations being imposed. For instance when the width of the rear seating area of the Countryman determined, it actually was within the minimum size for three seats in the US. However shortly after development was finalized the NHTSA changed to the regulation and shrunk the minimum size in the name of safety.

MINI could have spent many tens of million of Euros to re-engineer everything inside the sheet metal for squeeze an extra inch. But doing so would potentially impact the side impact safety of the rear occupants and they didn’t want to compromise on that front.

But they also had a good idea that those regulations would be changing back to allow for three seats in less space. And sure enough very recently NHTSA backtracked and re-adjusted the minimum width making a three seat Countryman possible for the US market.

So what now? MINI USA is planning to offer the bench seat (allowing for that third uncomfortable seat) sometime during the 2011 calendar year. Why can’t they offer it now? The configuration still needs to be tested and approved for one. Then there’s the production issue. MINI needs to adjust their purchasing to account for more bench seats needing to be manufactured by its supplier and lead times for such a change can be months instead of weeks.

All that said it’s a change that MINI USA (and undoubtedly some Countryman buyers) will be happy to see. However having sat in the five seat configuration we’re not sure what all the excitement is about.

 

Source?

I thought seating for 5 was the main reason people wanted the rear bench. Hmm...

 

I guess we will have to wait and see...Since it involves safety and liability, I would be surprised if they squeeze in a marginal seat.

 

It certainly won't be luxurious, but a 5th seatbelt would be useful on occasion. It's like the back seat of the Hardtop... Probably not something you'd use every day, but I wouldn't have bought the Cooper if it was strictly a 2-seater, probably.

I just figured that there would be 5 seats like the bench seat versions in Europe.

 

This car is the biggest cooper yet. I don't see why it couldn't have a bench like all the others. Most people aren't asking for an actual third seat. I just want room for an infant car seat and whatever else needs to have one uninterrupted surface.

 

You are, of course, correct. It is, unfortunately, the nature of an open board. What is even stranger is that there seems to be a majority of CMers that are not interested in the extra space for a human, but for a canine. I neither support nor condemn the bench people or the bucket people. We and our passengers should all be able to get along. (cue song: Kumbaya)

I'll check out the Clubbie Dog post. But, we're Country People and we have our own needs.

P.S. As a participant in the off topicness, I aplogize. I was just trying to defuse the angst.

 

I hope that they will allow for retro-fitting when available. My dogs are little so they have dog seats that I would like to comfortable belt onto the back seat(s).

 

I got tired of waiting for the rear bench seat so I ripped out the two buckets and installed a bench seat from a 55 caddie. Can anyone tell me how the get the doors closed?

Thanks,

 

There should be a switch on the Caddie's front door, that will force them closed. I think it has an icon of a fat mother-in-law on it.

 

Maybe?

 

Any news regarding availability of the Rear center armrest (497)?