FOR COUNTRY ROADS
P R E S T I G E Long, high and wearing a performance badge, the practical five- door combines interior space with admirable pace AT A GLANCE
Mini is on a charge, with performance- oriented John Cooper Works variants at the fore. More than 10 per cent of local sales are for JCW- badged vehicles — double the global average — and the arrival of the tweaked Countryman has boss Tony Sesto predicting that number will climb.
“We’re hoping the JCW will account for 12- 13 per cent of sales this year in what is going to be record growth for the brand,” Sesto says.
“We’re pushing hard ( on JCW) because they’re the cars our buyers want: Mini style with all the performance you need.” initial launch price after Mini added wireless Apple CarPlay connectivity — but not Android Auto — and wireless smartphone charging, which only works on Android phones.
The Countryman is a hefty Mini, having grown by more than 170mm to 4.3m long. Rear passengers benefit from the stretch with good legroom adding to the decent head space.
Just as importantly, the boot is now a grocery- or- luggage accommodating 450L, up from 350L in the predecessor.
That makes the JCW version a practical SUV for small families with enough get- upand- go to satisfy drivers who still occasionally feel the pulse rate lift when they see a series of corners.
The car is differentiated from its lesser siblings with red highlights around the grille, a different front bumper with bigger air intakes — necessitating the removal of the fog lights to help cool the brakes — and a unique rear diffuser and roof- mounted spoiler to improve airflow. A core part of Mini’s marketing is the “maximum go- kart feel” mantra and the JCW epitomises that approach.
That applies to the three- door hatch but it isn’t as evident in the longer and higher Countryman, even in JCW guise.
What is obvious is the chassis balance and quality of the ride. With drive mode set to normal, the Mini is soft enough not to jolt over big hits without leaning too much through the turns.
Move up to sport mode and things harden up to make this a quick and sporty SUV, to the point you need a Mercedes- AMG GLA 45 to beat it for handling and pace.
The official 0- 100km/ h time of 6.5 seconds is good but most impressive is the mid- range acceleration from the 2.0- litre turbo. The allwheel drive software directs most power to the front wheels until it detects — or anticipates — slip, then shuffles more grunt to the rear tyres. You can feel it working through hairpin turns but it is still possible to generate a bit of frontend slip before the electronics do their thing.