BMW, owners of the iconic British car brand the Mini, are taking a size matters approach to the launch of the latest addition to the family, the Mini Countryman.

Scheduled to hit our roads this month the new range remains clearly identifiable as the classic Mini style but for one notable difference, the car has put on a few pounds.

At almost double the size you get a lot more Mini for your money, producing a bulky heft that dwarfs its cart like ancestor but retains sufficient genetic traits to be clearly identifiable.

Targetted at families the vehicle has been criticised for endangering the brands funky image. Certainly, it would have made the Italian Job an entirely different film