We like
Still quick and highly entertaining to drive, far more spacious than before, excellent HMI and display screen, cabin materials feel more premium than before

Room for improvement
Exhaust is less theatrical than a JCW variant should be, naff electronic sound generation on BEV models, SE electric ultimately lacks the grip of the JCW petrol

Overview

 

MINI Countryman buyers have a lot to be excited about with the new generation line-up.

 

Not only has the fan favourite grown – becoming far more family friendly in the process – it now offers more choice than before with greater personalisation options, various model grades and the option of turbocharged petrol or electric motivation. Win-win.

 

In a recent showcase of the Mini Cooper and Countryman range in Melbourne, GoAuto was afforded the chance to sample several U25-series Countryman variants, including the flagship JCW (turbo-petrol) and SE Favoured All4 (battery electric).

 

With price tags in the high $70K the Countryman duo tested doesn’t come cheap, but certainly offers much in the way of equipment, technology, safety – and space.

 

Sharing its UKL2 platform with the BMW X1 means the Countryman is more practical than ever before. It now measures 4444mm (+131mm) in length, 1843mm (+22mm) in width, 1661mm (+104mm) in height, and with a 2692mm (+22mm) wheelbase.

 

Resultantly, there’s a noticeable increase in roominess in the passenger cabin and up back, with 505 litres cargo capacity in the petrol and 460 litres in electric models.

 

The downside to the extra size is that the Countryman is slightly slower in its latest iteration. The turbo-petrol JCW now accelerates from standstill to 100km/h in 5.4 seconds (-0.3sec) and the SE Favoured All4 5.6 seconds. We doubt you’ll notice…

 

While we have detailed the Mini Countryman JCW previously, a quick recap shows motivation from a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol mill developing 221kW (-4kW) and 400Nm (-50Nm) with fuel consumption averages between 8.0-8.6 litres per 100km (WLTP). Kerb weight is 1723kg.

 

The 2000-odd kilogram battery-electric Mini Countryman SE uses a dual-motor setup to offer 230kW and 494Nm, a 63.8kWh lithium-ion battery pack, and a driving range of up to 462km (WLTP). Charging time is listed at 29 minutes against the standard 20-80 per cent measure.

 

Both variants tested are all-wheel drive.

 

Driving Impressions

 

Melbourne really turned on the water works for our Mini drive day.

 

From the moment we arrived until the time we went home the rain did not stop. Standing water and sodden tarmac was the order of the day, Mini’s wiper motors put to good use alongside the heater and demister – and of course the All4 all-wheel drive system.

 

In a way, though, the foul weather did us a favour. The slick roads showed just how effortlessly Mini’s all-wheel drive system handled itself, even if the heavier SE ultimately lacked the commitment of the petrol-powered JCW; which seemed close to unflappable in even the most trying of scenarios.

 

Both Countryman variants offer direct and well-assisted steering with a tighter ratio than before. It makes for an agile and involving drive that helps the Mini to shrink around you. And, in sitting higher than before, it is just as easy to park as ever – a bonus considering its recent growth spurt.

 

We found the ride to be firm, but forgiving enough, with adequate compliance on pockmarked roads – a marked improvement over the outgoing model. Tyre noise is remarkably well contained, the only real intrusion to the Countryman’s cabin the sound of heavy rain on the front windshield glass.

 

Power delivery is smooth and well metered, the SE offering progressive acceleration in concert with the position of the pedal – and not the binary experience we’ve come to expect from some battery electric models. Both the JCW and SE are brisk, and have ample in reserve for overtaking, though the experience tends to lose its similarities there.

 

Sportier Mini models have always been renowned for their cheeky exhaust note and characterful engines, but the newest Countryman JCW is more subdued than we recall. Funnily enough, we wanted more ‘bark’ from the petrol-powered SUV and less, err ‘tone’ from the electric model, whose sound generator is nothing short of naff, even distracting, and best left switched off.

 

The Mini’s regenerative function works well, even in sportier driving scenarios, and is not in the least ‘grabby’ in the way some electric vehicles can be. Deceleration in the Countryman SE and JCW alike is strong, both offering larger disc rotors for improved stopping power and an impressively well-modulated pedal.

 

If you’re reading the above as ‘the Countryman is more refined than before’, then you’re right. It feels far more premium and is beautifully put together. We found the fit and finish hard to fault, and the materials – even those made from recycled plastics – to be of a quality fitting a vehicle that costs close to $80K on-road.

 

We also admired the Mini’s human-machine interface (HMI), the clarity of the 9.4-inch centre screen, nifty head-up display and accurate advanced driver assistance systems each a credit to their various engineers.

 

Driving any modern car seems to be a lesson in tolerance that requires an IT degree to fettle, but not the Countryman. The central screen and its menu systems are concise, logical, and take very little time to acclimatise too. The graphics are super crisp and the touchscreen ultra responsive – oh, and we really love the voice assistant ‘Spike’ (and we’re sure the kids will, too).

 

But perhaps the biggest takeaway from our brief drive of the new Mini Countryman is just how close the road feel – and the ownership experience – is between petrol and electric. The gap between each powertrain is closer than it has ever been, meaning there are no real losers when it comes to making your purchase.

 

Petrol or electric, we’re certain you’ll enjoy the new Mini Countryman as much as we did. Win, win, win!