Mini Countryman gains 287-mile electric variant from £42,025
Mini Countryman has grown to go after the Audi Q3
New-generation SUV upsized to go after the Audi Q3, with new look and petrol power also on offer
Mini has revealed pricing and specification details for the new Mini Countryman, the largest model in its range, which will grow in size and go on sale with a choice of petrol and electric options.
The new Mini Countryman will cost £29,025 in the UK. It shares the same specification levels as the new electric Mini Cooper - which will be launched alongside its SUV sibling in electric-only guise - but can also be selected as a sporty John Cooper Works performance model.
Standard equipment on entry-level Classic models includes the firm’s updated, 9.45in circular infotainment display, a reversing camera, a power tailgate, LED headlights and automatic wipers. Keyless go is also a basic feature, as is Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Next-step Exclusive cars start from £31,525 and come with a digital driver's display behind the steering wheel, automatic headlights and silver exterior trim. This specification also includes brown dashboard upholstery and front sports seats.
Countryman Sport models kick off from £32,725 and receive Mini atmospheric Experience Modes, plus a hexagonal-design grille surround, sturdier John Cooper Works sports seats, sports brakes and JCW-inspired dashboard upholstery.
John Cooper Works cars gain a performance-inspired exterior makeover, plus a dual-clutch sports transmission, wireless phone charging, a premium Harman Kardon sound system and a glossy front grille. JCW cars are also fitted with dynamic stability control and a set of 19in alloy wheels. Prices start from £40,425.
Three petrol engines will be available – two 1.5-litre turbo triples and a 2.0-litre turbo four-pot from the BMW X1. The Countryman C has 167bhp at its front wheels; the S All4 has 215bhp going to both axles; and the JCW All4 gets 296bhp and 295lb ft of torque for a 0-62mph time of 5.4sec.
Meanwhile, the electric Mini Countryman commands a significantly higher price tag, kicking off from £42,025 in the UK. Exclusive models start from £44,525, while top-rung Sport variants cost £200 more at £45,725.
There will be two electric options at launch: the single-motor, rear-wheel-drive Electric E with 201bhp and the dual-motor, four-wheel-drive Electric SE All4 with 309bhp.
Both feature a 64.7kWh battery, which offers official ranges of 287 and 269 miles and can be rapid-charged at rates of up to 130kW.
The Countryman has grown substantially for its third generation. Being twinned with the latest BMW X1, the Countryman is 60mm longer and 130mm than its predecessor, in part to create room in the line-up for the forthcoming Mini Aceman crossover.
“There’s no Mini in this segment,” company CEO Stefanie Wurst told Autocar, emphasising the impact the increase in size will have on the Countryman’s market positioning.
The SUV “will have new customers” as a result, she said, whereas the subtler evolution of the new Mini Cooper hatchback has been aimed at retaining existing customers.
The Countryman’s exterior design is a clear evolution from the previous two generations, featuring touches also seen on the new Cooper, such as the octagonal front grille and revamped headlights and tail-lights. Its C-pillar treatment has also been reworked.
The interior features a similarly minimalist look as in the Cooper, with the dashboard dominated by an identical touchscreen. The SUV’s increased length has allowed for an enlarged centre console featuring larger cupholders and an extra 130mm of leg room in the back, where the backrests are now individually adjustable.
There’s 460-1450 litres of boot space – also representing a slight improvement – plus an underfloor cubby for storing the EV’s charging cables.
Notably, the Countryman will be the first Mini to offer level-two driver assistance, including hands-off driving at speeds of up to 37mph.
*First ride: Mini Countryman SE All4*
The new Mini Countryman shares a lot of its underpinnings and powertrains with the X1 and iX1, so is it a case of ‘see our BMW X1 review’ for the way it drives? Mini’s engineers are at pains to point out that any Mini should feel like a Mini and have ‘go-kart feeling’.
The latter is likely to be a bit of an overstatement in what's likely going to be a two-tonne EV, but there's certainly room to make the X1 feel a bit more direct and engaging.
At a recent event, I got the opportunity of a short passenger ride in a prototype of the new Countryman. The big change is that it’s noticeably roomier in the back, and the boot space has been boosted too.
Even more obvious is the revolution that has taken place up front. The dashboard and centre console have lost nearly all their buttons, including the rotary infotainment controller. All have been replaced by a very large, very thin, circular OLED touchscreen.
The only physical controls that are left are confined to a small panel with a handful of shortcut buttons, plus the drive selector and the start-stop switch, which takes the form of a classic ignition key affixed to the dash.
The car still ran a prototype build of the infotainment system, with numerous unfinished features and lots of bugs, so it would be unfair to cast judgement on whether this move has been successful. It seems substantially different from the current BMW iDrive system, however.
On the road, the Countryman shares some characteristics with the iX1, of course. Having the same powertrain, it's more than quick enough, and it gets three normal fixed regenerative-braking modes, plus an adaptive mode and a one-pedal ‘B’ mode that will bring the car to a complete stop.
Despite that, it’s quite striking how different the chassis feels from the iX1's. Unlike that car, the Countryman runs passive dampers and fixed-ratio steering, and even from the passenger seat, there's something about its ride and roll rates that makes it feel more alive than the iX1.
This is designed to be a more comfortable car than the outgoing one, as befits its more family-friendly remit. Nevertheless, it’s quite firm-riding, which could prove too much in the UK, but it deals with potholes remarkably well.
The vehicle dynamics engineer who drove us around said the steering where most of the Mini character will come from, but that’s something to verify when we actually get behind the wheel – hopefully later this year.
Illya Verpraet