BMW India will soon commence local assembly of the Mini Countryman at its Chennai plant, with a launch expected in the second half of the year. The third-generation model was launched in July 2024 as an EV, with a single, high-performance petrol variant – the 300hp Countryman JCW All4 – joining over a year later in October 2025, both of which are CBU imports. Local assembly, however, will only be for the petrol version, and it’s expected to come in a lower-spec trim with a two-wheel-drive layout. Both previous generations of the Countryman were assembled in India, the first commencing in May 2013, the second in May 2018.
- Mini Countryman is based on the same platform as BMW X1
- Expected to cost much less than fully imported JCW All4 variant
Locally assembled Mini Countryman: What to expect?
What community is saying on the Countryman?
The Mini Countryman petrol is based on the same front-wheel-drive platform (codename: UKL2) as the BMW X1, which is also assembled in India. As such, it could even share its petrol engine, which is a 1.5-litre, three-cylinder turbocharged unit mated to a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox. That said, the possibility of the more powerful Countryman S with the 218hp 2.0-litre engine should not be ruled out either.
While the Countryman JCW All4 is priced at a considerable Rs 64.90 lakh, the locally assembled model is expected to cost far less and closer to the BMW X1’s Rs 51 lakh price point. The previous-gen locally assembled petrol model cost around Rs 48 lakh when it was last on sale in 2024. However, given inflation and the depreciation of the rupee against the pound since then, we expect it to be priced a little higher – around Rs 55 lakh, ex-showroom.
BMW Group Q1 2026 sales
BMW Group recently recorded its best-ever Q1 sales in India, allowing it to nudge ahead of rival Mercedes-Benz for the first time in over a decade. The Mini brand saw 42 percent growth, and the introduction of this all-important locally assembled Countryman SUV will no doubt boost that further going forward.
Dipan Sur
Dhruv Dhaka
Viraaj Bhatnagar
