Larger and heavier but still has the fun factor
• There’s no such thing as an ugly baby; it’s what happens after, when they start to grow, that becomes the issue. The tiny three-door Mini Cooper is cute and cuddly and, in S and John Cooper Works versions, extremely responsive and deceptively quick. At the other end of Mini’s product lineup is the Countryman, which, when it first arrived in the spring of 2011, was immediately pegged the Maxi Mini, it being the first model in the marque’s lineup to exceed four metres in length.
More steroid-induced bulk than cute, despite its obvious resemblance to the rest of the product range, it was also the first Mini with four doors, allwheel drive and a wide-opening rear liftgate, all ostensibly adding a whiff of practicality — and much- needed sales volume — to the brand. ( The wagon- styled Clubman, redesigned last year and a bit awkward looking itself, actually became the first Mini to move up to the compact class from subcompact.)
After selling more than 550,000 of the first generation, Mini ( or, more accurately, parent company BMW) decided it was time for a redesigned and re- engineered Countryman, upsizing it to make it more relevant in the red- hot premium compact crossover market, but also jumping on the green bandwagon with a plug-in hybrid version. The S E Countryman All4 will be added in June to the usual gas- powered Cooper and Cooper S models. Don’t fret, motorheads, there will also be a high-performance John Cooper Works model in late spring.
“It was clear to us that the new Countryman needed to go a step further esthetically and yet still remain a Mini,” says Oliver Sieghart, head of interior design. “In terms of its design, the Countryman is the most rugged and upright model in the Mini family.”
There’s no denying its larger size makes the cabin a far more hospitable environment for a family, though taller types will still find the rear quarters a bit short of legroom. The 2017 Countryman sees 170 millimetres added to its length, with a wheelbase extension of almost 74 mm. The luggage compartment can be expanded as needed, from 17.6 cubic feet ( 498 litres) to as much as 47.6 cu ft (1,348 L).
Like the rest of the Mini lineup, the new Countryman — which will arrive in Canada in March — comes with a choice of engines: the 136-horsepower, 1.5-L turbocharged three-cylinder for the base Cooper (standard frontwheel drive, available All4) and a 189-hp, 2.0-L turbo four for the S All4 ( the JCW will punch out 228 hp). Six-speed manuals are standard for both Cooper and Cooper S All4, with a six-speed automatic optional for the Cooper, and an eight-speed autobox for the S All4. The S E will be powered by both the three- cylinder turbo and an electric hybrid synchronous motor.
The volume car in Canada will be the S All4, which was the only model available to test during the Countryman’s international launch near Oxford, home of Mini’s largest manufacturing plant. That meant driving a British-market right-hand-drive Countryman on the M- and A- numbered hi g hways, which is only slightly intimi- dating when compared with the narrow, winding back roads meandering through quaint villages dotting the English countryside.
This meant a greater concentration on avoiding an international incident than getting to know the intricacies of the second-generation crossover. Still, the S felt strong and responded well to pedal pressure, passing plodding transports with ease. Like other Mini models, the Countryman has several drive modes to choose from — Sport, Mid and Green — allowing engine response to be tailored to one’s personal driving style. And the new eight- speed makes the best use of the turbo’s 207 poundfeet of torque.
The fog and dampness during most of the launch meant wet roads, buy they were little challenge for the All4 AWD system. However, we also got to play on a very muddy off- road trail, which provided a bit of a workout, though not nearly enough to stress the Countryman’s adventurous capabilities. The revised all-wheel-drive setup is now fully automatic and seamlessly delivers power to the wheels that grip, reacting, says Mini, to road conditions in as little as a quarter of a second.
The new model also feels more solid to drive, partly because it’s now sharing the same architecture as the BMW X1, but primarily because it’s weightier than its predecessor; the S All4 with automatic t ransmission now tips the scales at a solid 1,665 kilograms. This has me thinking the base turbo three-cylinder Cooper might be a bit overworked, having to deal with its 1,500- kg avoirdupois ( another 95 kg when fitted with All4). The Countryman, despite possessing many of the same sporting handling dynamics inherent in the Mini brand, is, after all, supposed to be an adventure- oriented, familyuse vehicle. To be fair, though, this is just supposition until this version gets tested.
The Countryman’s cabin is familiar territory to anyone who has spent time in any recent Mini, though it has been cleaned up and modernized compared with the first- generation cars, with better materials, nicer trim bits, LED centre instrument ring with interactive display, and more. Standard features include the Mini Connected infotainment system with 6.5-inch high-resolution display, rear park-distance control, automatic headlights and rain-sensing windshield wipers. All4 variants get parking sensors and a rearview camera with guidelines.
The things that made the first-generation Countryman so interesting — a somewhat funky vehicle that is highly individualistic, more intimate and very involving — are pretty much intact with the new model. Yes, for the same money, there’s a number of larger, more mainstream crossovers available, though Mini is targeting the premium- compact class, which means the competition is more likely the Mercedes GLA, Audi Q3 and corporate sibling BMW X1, among others.
Pricing for the Countryman starts at $ 26,990 for the base Cooper, $ 28,990 when equipped with All4. The Cooper S All4 starts at $ 31,990. The later- arriving JCW edition will carry a $38,500 MSRP.