A driver’s childhood dream

THE MINI brand, which started in the United Kingdom in 1959, has stood the test of time while watching many of its countrymates such as Miguent and Leyland drop out of the automotive race. Surprisingly, Mini has kept a loyal customer base by staying consistent with its design concepts, even though it has changed ownership multiple times since its inception.

The Countryman, which is currently owned by BMW, is the bigger brother to the Cooper. It has retained the traditional Mini silhouette despite adding larger dimensions that puts it in the bracket of a compact SUV.

The test unit was the S version of the Countryman, which comes with 192hp, produced by a double-intake turbo engine. The performance of the engine can be altered by a knob that encircles the gear lever.

Turning it to the left or right allows the driver to switch between the various driving modes such as sport, normal, and green for environment-friendly drivers. While driving from Kingston to St Mary, normal mode was sufficient. Although there was turbo lag, it didn’t noticeably impede the vehicle’s performance. TURBO OPTION

Keep in mind that when the turbo is activated, it comes on very strong. Consequently, the user will experience a little torque steer. This means that when pressing the floor-mounted accelerator, the steering must be gripped firmly and aggressive acceleration must be done preferably on smooth roads.

While driving through the various junctions, I had to activate Traction Control to assist with driving over the uneven road surface especially at high speeds. This also helped to decrease some of the body roll experienced.

For a more engaging experience, the leather-knob lever can be switched over to