Mini introduces Countryman Boardwalk Edition

MINI Australia has launched the first of what is sure to be many special edition versions of its latest Countryman compact SUV with the Boardwalk Edition, a variant aimed at “celebrating a universal love for the seaside”.

Just 59 Boardwalk Editions are slated to make it to Australia, consisting of 29 Coopers and 30 Cooper S’, all finished in Deep Laguna paint with piano black contrasting trim.

Priced from $52,000 plus on-road costs in Cooper form and $58,500 in Cooper S guise, the new limited edition carries a sizeable $7500/$5600 premium over the regular Cooper and Cooper S respectively, netting customers a heap more – exclusive – standard equipment.

For the Cooper, standard kit highlights include Boardwalk Edition side scuttles, door sills and rooftop decal with black roof rails, piano black roof, mirror caps, grille surround and front and rear Mini logos, LED headlights, foglights and tail-lights, black 18-inch ‘pin’ spoke alloy wheels, picnic bench, carbon black leatherette upholstery, 5.0-inch digital instrumentation display, Boardwalk Edition dashboard fascia insert, piano black interior surfaces, anthracite headliner, 8.8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Mini Connected, 12-speaker Harman Kardon sound system, comfort access, driving assistant, parking assistant and a reversing camera.

No changes have been made to the Cooper’s turbocharged 1.5-litre three-cylinder petrol engine or the even-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission it is hooked up to with the powertrain still sending 100kW/220Nm to the front wheels.

As in the normal range, the Cooper S ups the ante both in terms of standard kit and power, adding a black honeycomb insert to the grille, a JCW Sport steering wheel, power adjustable carbon black leather cross punch seats with memory function and adaptive cruise control.

While the Cooper S is inevitably more powerful than the Cooper, the Boardwalk Edition boasts no extra grunt than the regular Countryman Cooper S with its force-fed 2.0-litre four-banger still developing 141kW/280Nm, all of which is sent to the front wheels via a recalibrated version of the Cooper’s seven-speed dual-clutch automatic.

According to Mini, many of the Boardwalk Edition’s visual cues were inspired by those on the Sidewalk Edition Convertible.

The Countryman was given a mid-life refresh in September last year which saw the inclusion of refreshed styling and greater all-electric range for the hybrid powertrain.

The current range – Cooper, Cooper S, Boardwalk Edition, Hybrid, JCW Pure, JCW – will be bolstered in the near future by the arrival of the Signature, Exclusive and Sport trim levels with the base Cooper and Cooper S set to become the ‘Classic’.

Mini Australia declined to comment on the new variants and the naming restructure, instead telling GoAuto that more information would be released in the future.

While the details are still thin on the ground, we do know the Cooper Signature will be priced from $49,275 while the Exclusive will retail for $53,924, significantly bridging the price gap between the Cooper and Cooper S variants.

Speaking of the Cooper S, the Cooper S Signature will land from $58,200 while the higher-spec Sport will carry a $59,700 sticker price.

The Signature nameplate will also be applied to the Countryman Hybrid ($66,200) as well as the hi-po JCW ($71,013), ballooning out the number of full-time Countryman variants from five to 10.

Mini Australia sold 72 new Countrymans last month, accounting for 4.0 per cent of the $40,000-plus compact SUV segment currently being led by the Audi Q3 (385/21.3%).

2021 Mini Countyman Pricing*

*Excludes on-road costs