Distinctly MINI, decisively different

As the first four-door MINI, the Countryman is a fun and exhilarating drive with new levels of space and practicality

The MINI Countryman is instantly recognisable as a MINI, but at the same time it is distinctly different. It’s longer, wider and taller, and for the first time, it has four wide-opening doors and passenger capacity for five adults. It is also the first MINI to offer four-wheel drive on two of its models.
    
It’s a thrilling ride that puts a smile on your face. But it is also practical and spacious which will make it more appealing to a broader market, including fleets.

FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE
I test drove the high-spec petrol MINI Cooper S ALL4 Countryman, which is one of the options that has four wheel drive. Cleverly, the four-wheel drive is not active all the time, but when a slip is detected on the front wheels, or if the car is being driven enthusiastically, an electro-magnetic clutch, located on the rear axle, engages drive to the rear wheels to improve traction. This makes the car safe to go off the beaten track. And the fact that the four-wheel drive is not active all the time is better for fuel economy.
    
The CO2 emission level on the Cooper S All4 Countryman is 157g/km, while for the Cooper D All4, CO2 emissions go down to 129g/km, making it the cleanest 4x4 in its class. For the standard front-wheel drive derivatives, carbon emissions go as low as 115g/km for the One D and Cooper D, which will be popular with fleets.

GREEN TECHNOLOGY
The Countryman has many features to make it greener. These include Brake Energy Regeneration, which recycles wasted energy during braking to charge the battery, and auto start/stop which cuts out the engine when at a standstill. Meanwhile, a Shift Point Display advises the driver of the optimum gear to encourage fuel efficient driving.
    
The interior is fun and quirky. The trademark central speedometer lights up in a fun, muted orange colour and gives the interior a retro feel.
    
When ordered with a four seat configuration, as mine was, a metal rail runs from the front to the rear and can be equipped with various accessories such as a cup holder, glasses case, and mobile phone case, which can slide up and down easily. This metal rail is underlit with a cool blue light, adding to the funky, stylish look and ambience.  When the Mini is ordered as standard with the rear bench seat, the centre rail stops between the driver and passenger seats.
    
The boot space of 350 litres is more than double that of the Hatch and 90 litres more than Clubman offers.
    
The Cooper S model is an extremely punchy drive, sprinting from 0-62 in 7.9 seconds thanks to the twin-scroll turbocharger and direct fuel injection. The model I drove cost £22,030, £1,220 more than the standard Cooper S because of the four-wheel drive capability. But it is worth noting that the range starts from £16,000 for the Mini One.

Written by Angela Pisanu

AT A GLANCE:
MINI Cooper S ALL4 Countryman
Engine: 1.6
MPG: 42.2
CO2g/km: 157
RFL: G
P11d: £21,820
BIK: 20%
0-62 mph: 7.9
Model price range: From £16,000 - £22,030