First look at new MINI Countryman
Mid-life nip and tuck includes efficiency tweaks
MINI has launched an updated version of the Countryman crossover with a range of design, efficiency and technology tweaks. It’s available to order now, with prices starting from £23,500 for the entrylevel Cooper, climbing to £36,000 for the range-topping John Cooper Works.
Cosmetic revisions include a new grille, revised front and rear bumpers, two new paint finishes, the introduction of Union Flag tail-lights and a choice of new alloy wheel designs, in 16, 17 or 19-inch sizes. All cars now get adaptive LED headlamps with auto-dimming, while ‘piano-black’ exterior trim pieces can also be specified in place of the standard car’s chrome finishings.
Inside, there’s a new five-inch digital instrument cluster, piano-black trim has been added to the dashboard and door cards, and two new leather upholstery colours – Indigo Blue and Chester Malt Brown – are now available. As with the outgoing model, there’s a 6.5-inch infotainment touchscreen, while higherspec cars use an 8.8-inch system.
The same set of engines is offered, although MINI is introducing a range of tweaks to boost efficiency. Petrol models have a new, higher-pressure direct injection system and a redesigned cylinder head, while the diesels feature an updated AdBlue system to help the meet the latest Euro 6d emissions standards.
The range opens with the Cooper, which is powered by a 134bhp 1.5-litre threecylinder turbo petrol motor. The Cooper S is priced from £26,000 and features a 176bhp 2.0-litre four-cylinder unit, which is a drop of 13bhp over the outgoing model.
The Cooper D is priced from £25,500 and uses a tweaked 2.0-litre four-cylinder diesel, but develops the same 148bhp and 330Nm of torque as before. All cars are front-wheel drive and come with a six-speed manual gearbox as standard, but a seven-speed dual-clutch auto can be added for £1,600. Four-wheel drive is only available with an eight-speed auto, and is a £3,400 option.
The Countryman Plug-in Hybrid ALL4 sits towards the top of the line-up, priced from £34,700. It has a 1.5-litre turbo threecylinder petrol engine, an electric motor and a 9.6kWh battery pack, producing a combined 217bhp. MINI claims the car can cover 38 miles on electric power alone and return fuel economy of up to 166.1mpg. The PHEV’s boot capacity drops from 450 to 405 litres because of the addition of the batteries. The £36,000 JCW is also expected to make efficiency gains while retaining its 300bhp power output.
“Piano-black exterior trim can be specced in place of the standard chrome finishings“
SUBTLE Blink and you’ll miss the visual updates, but engine range is cleaner and more efficient