A happy hybrid

Jack Evans heads to Barcelona to try out Mini’s new hybrid

With diesel cars very much in the headlines at the moment – for all the wrong reasons – it’s understandable manufacturers are bringing alternative options to market. Here’s Mini’s offering. Powered by a three-cylinder petrol engine coupled to an electric motor, it’s capable of 134.5mpg.

Inside at out the Cooper S E is solid and smart. Inside, the changes are even less visible. The starter button in the centre of the dashboard, while usually red has now been changed to yellow, mirroring the styling touches on the exterior.

You could be fooled into thinking that because it is fitted with an electric motor and batteries placed underneath the boot floor, the Cooper S E Countryman ALL4 would be lacking in luggage space. However, it’s got a lot more to offer and there’s plenty of space in the cabin, too.

The car will set off using all-electric power and can continue doing so, Mini claims, for about 25 miles at speeds of up to 78mph. This means that zero-emissions driving isn’t just restricted to urban areas. Thanks to three separate driving modes, however, you can specify how and when you’d like that electric power to come in. Switching between the three while moving does impart quite a change upon the car, though we found Auto edrive the most useful mode overall. Mini claims it’ll take two and a half hours to replenish the car’s battery via a higher-output wall socket. When charging through a conventional domestic socket it’s three hours and 15 minutes.

The Mini Cooper S E Countryman ALL4 is priced at £31,585. However, it qualifies for the government’s plug-in grant of £2,500, offering a sizeable incentive to those who are thinking of buying it. For the amount, you get satellite navigation as standard, as well as Bluetooth connectivity and cruise control. Also, because the Mini emits just 52g/km CO2, taxation costs will be much lower.