MOTORING REVIEW: Countryman is biggest MINI yet

The Countryman compact SUV is the largest model in the MINI family line-up, and the biggest MINI ever.

Versions include ‘C’ 3 cylinder with FWD, ’S 4 cylinder ALL4 AWD, and John Cooper Works ALL4 with four cylinders; all are petrol vehicles. A fully electric model is also available. 

My car was the Countryman C Sport with a John Cooper Works style pack that includes specific JCW badging, exterior details and interior trim but comes without the full JCW renowned performance. 

This entry-level model with Sport trim has imposing presence with its SUV muscular design, upright stance, pronounced shoulder line, large grille, striking LED headlights and high bonnet. A real get-out-of-my-way warning to less dramatic looking vehicles! My review car had a Midnight Black exterior with contrasting Red Chili roof, two big red stripes down the bonnet and large John Cooper Works red badging over rear side windows. Roof rails are standard, and roof and mirror caps were also available in Chili Red.

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The rear spoiler also gets the red treatment while the whole design emphasises the car’s solid, and wide stance. 

The spacious interior has a sporty and modern look with lots of high-quality materials such as the knitted black fabric with red vertical lines across the dash and door panels, the race-inspired John Cooper Works sports seats with a red stripe on the integrated head rests in a Vescin/cord combination JCW Black with red stitching. They looked quite fabulous and held me in well with support from my shoulders down my back while also managing to be extremely comfortable. Front ones have manual seat adjustments and can be heated. 

The main attraction, however, is the big 9.4-inch circular central touchscreen with superb graphics that runs the new MINI Operating System 9 for touch and voice control, featuring cloud-based navigation and connectivity. The driving-related information is shown on the top half, with the controls for navigation, media and dual zone climate controls (with up and down arrows on both sides) on the lower half. You can customise this screen to suit your preferences. Use the Experiences knob below the screen, to change the default Core mode, to Go-Kart (sporty), Green efficiency or the adventurous Trail mode - not a proper 4x4 mode - each with its own ambient lighting colour and display or choose the nostalgic Timeless one that provides graphics inspired by the original MINI’s analogue dials. You can use voice mode to get the setting you require. A 360 deg camera system allows you select all the different views of the outside your car. It’s all pretty cool really. 

While there’s no driver’s instrument cluster, a Head Up Display screen pops up from the dash within the driver’s direct line of sight, showing the current speed. Other physical switches are for the engine on/off, volume control, and a neat lever for the automatic transmission. 

The spec includes a wireless mobile phone charging pad and two C-type USB ports. The floating front armrest has no storage area directly below, but there’s a neat little storage box with a red pull-up opener for storing small items. Other cubbies include large front and rear door bins and a decent sized glovebox.

The steering wheel also gets JCW special badging and a colourful strap as a bottom spoke. It can be heated via the screen. 

Those in the rear enjoy good head and legroom, but the high tunnel compromises footpace. The rear seats can be slid back or forth for extra legroom. There are two small USB ports here, too. Luggage capacity is 450-1,450 litres with rear seats folded down. No spare, just a sealant.

Extras included a Sport Pack at €5,094.73 which includes John Cooper Works features, Adaptive Suspension, an automatic transmission with gearshift paddles, and Sport Trim Content. 

Level 1 Pack at €3,951.86 included a larger fuel tank, Comfort Access, luggage net, folding wing mirrors with auto-dimming, rear-view mirror with auto dimming, Adaptive LED Headlights, High-Beam Assistant, the Head-up Display, and Driving Assistant Plus preparation.

Countryman is available in front-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive models. Powertrains range from 170hp, to 218hp and up to 300hp. All come with a smooth 7-speed automatic transmission. My car, with mild hybrid technology which improves fuel efficiency, was powered by a 1.5, 163hp 3-cylinder turbo engine. Max torque is 280Nm and top speed is 212km/h, where allowed.

While I didn’t opt for the go-kart drive mode, the car was quite fun to drive, with its own good acceleration from 0-100km/h in 8.5 seconds and felt secure on the road. A Boost button increases maximum power for up to ten seconds for overtaking or when joining the motorway. There were no complaints from my back seat passengers on ride comfort with the slightly raised suspension doing its job. I appreciated the blind spot detection which is not always provided in many of the cars I test drive. 

The model was awarded a maximum 5-star safety rating when tested by Euro NCAP  in 2024. 

The basic price is €40,260.00; packages and optional equipment of €9,893.42, brought the total price of my car as tested to €50,153.42. Road tax is €210.