Do you remember the exact moment that every manufacturer scrambled to add a high-riding SUV to their line-up? It was around the time the Nissan Qashqai started to become a runaway sales success and as a result, all sorts of bizarre shapes started to appear on forecourts.

Not content with simply creating a fun, quirky and stylish hatchback, Mini started to expand its model line-up in 2007, first with with the launch of the Clubman and then the larger Countryman in 2010.

The idea was to entice those families wanting a trendy small car but who also demanded the chunky body addenda, additional space and raised driving position afforded by rival SUVs.