Forward facing
FOR Fabulous interior, distinctive character, well engineered
AGAINST It’s grown so much it’s hardly a Mini or a hot hatch
This is the third generation Countryman the model in the now not so New Mini lineup that tested the definition of ‘mini’ to the point of destruction Well if you thought the previous two iterations were packing a little excess timber get a load of this one
It’s a resounding mm longer than the outgoing model and mm taller a growth spurt that moves the Countryman out of crossover territory and closer to a fullsize SUV At m it’s not far off the length of an original Range Rover a fact that would likely have Sir Alec Issigonis rotating in his grave
The big news is the arrival of the first fully electric Countryman in E and SE All versions Both are powered by the same kWh battery pack making or bhp and delivering a range of or miles
Hedging its bets slightly against the wholesale shift to electrification three combustion engine dCountrym ans Countrymen? are available The C uses a litre threecylinder turbo that makes bhp with the bhp fourpot turbo litre S All next in line Then there’s the John Cooper Works powered by the same unit but with bhp Mini claims mpg WLTP while CO emissions are g/km
Despite the Countryman’s increase in stature we expect Mini in all its forms to keep faith with the original’s inherently joyful persona The JCW as we’re focusing on here wilfully invokes the memory of the man who helped turn the earliest Mini into such a remorseless giant slayer to this day one of the most amusing cars you’ll ever see racing at Goodwood Or anywhere else for that matter
The Countryman JCW obviously has a very different job to do and the world is a wildly different place now so it’s best not to get hung up on suspicions of mission creep That said the Countryman has its hands full in its efforts to manage traditional Mini design cues on this plussize template The front end is as unapologetically inyer face as most other things in the wider BMW Group product portfolio while the rear vertical light clusters are configurable and back away slightly from the questionable Union Jack motif
But it’s inside where the new Countryman stakes its claim for class leadership Mastering the complexities of connectivity and digitalisation has wrong footed some of the big names but Mini’s design team has nailed it The Countryman is wildly clever imaginative and crucially given the technology it deploys simple to use
And we need to talk a little more about the Experience Modes There are eight on the Countryman¤ Core Green GoKart Personal Vivid Timeless Trail and Balance Each one has its own specially designed background on
the central display and a specific sound signature Choose Go Kart for example and you’ll be greeted with a hearty “woo hoo!” Balance turns the car into a kind of mobile spa Personal mode allows you to set your own background image via the Mini app It risks being utterly ridiculous but it’s so well done that you would have to be an irredeemable grump not to appreciate it
Prices start at with the John Cooper Works priced from Amid all the talk of carbon zero factories and sustainability you’d be right to query the merits of a Mini that’s so much bigger and chunkier than before Smaller and lighter would be lovely but then the human race isn’t going that way either and this is what the market demands Besides smaller Minis are also available soon to be joined by the wee Aceman crossover
So the new Countryman is fit for purpose and then some It’s roomy versatile and in JCW form a spirited enough performer to satisfy most drivers this side of an Alpine A or GMA T But it’s the interior that’s the USP here as will increasingly be the case as the focus shifts firmly onto how we interact with cars rather than what propels them This new Mini delivers oodles of tactility connectivity and entertainment It’s a joyous place to be before you’ve even turned a wheel