Mini Countryman

The Countryman is a Mini for the family. It’s an urban crossover that’s high on style, space and practicality without losing out on the fun-to-drive factor. The Countryman is sold in petrol-automatic and diesel-automatic forms but sadly India doesn’t get all-wheel drive versions.

The Countryman is a Mini for the family. It’s an urban crossover that’s high on style, space and practicality without...

The Countryman is a Mini for the family. It’s an urban crossover that’s high on style, space and practicality without losing out on the fun-to-drive factor. The Countryman is sold in petrol-automatic and diesel-automatic forms but sadly India doesn’t get all-wheel drive versions.

At 4.3m long, the latest Mini Countryman doesn’t even pretend to be ‘mini’. It’s got its nice angles but the cutesy lines of other Minis have been lost in translation on the Countryman’s larger body. It’s typical Mini fare on the inside, with a new-meets-retro cabin theme but prepare to pay big money to spec it up to standard. You don’t sit all that high up in a Countryman so the view out is very car-like. Also, while the rear seat space is generous, the seat itself isn’t quite the best.
The Countryman is really enjoyable with both engines – the 192hp, 2.0-litre, turbo-petrol and the 190hp, 2.0-litre turbo-diesel. Both motors are punchy but you do miss the added traction of all-wheel drive under hard acceleration. Like other Minis, the Countryman is a keen handler and doesn’t feel as big as it is. The steering is well-weighted and body control is incredibly tidy too. What is a spoiler, though, is the harsh low-speed ride, but things improve with speed.

At 4.3m long, the latest Mini Countryman doesn’t even pretend to be ‘mini’. It’s got its nice angles but the cutesy l...

At 4.3m long, the latest Mini Countryman doesn’t even pretend to be ‘mini’. It’s got its nice angles but the cutesy lines of other Minis have been lost in translation on the Countryman’s larger body. It’s typical Mini fare on the inside, with a new-meets-retro cabin theme but prepare to pay big money to spec it up to standard. You don’t sit all that high up in a Countryman so the view out is very car-like. Also, while the rear seat space is generous, the seat itself isn’t quite the best.
The Countryman is really enjoyable with both engines – the 192hp, 2.0-litre, turbo-petrol and the 190hp, 2.0-litre turbo-diesel. Both motors are punchy but you do miss the added traction of all-wheel drive under hard acceleration. Like other Minis, the Countryman is a keen handler and doesn’t feel as big as it is. The steering is well-weighted and body control is incredibly tidy too. What is a spoiler, though, is the harsh low-speed ride, but things improve with speed.

Out of the three variants on offer, we’d recommend the Mini Countryman Cooper S JCW Inspired variant. It’s fun to drive, as you’d expect, and also comes with lots of equipment as standard, including leather seats with electric adjust, a large 8.8-inch touchscreen with satellite navigation, keyless entry, a panoramic sunroof, a touchpad, heads-up display and paddle-shifters on the steering wheel.

Out of the three variants on offer, we’d recommend the Mini Countryman Cooper S JCW Inspired variant. It’s fun to dri...

Out of the three variants on offer, we’d recommend the Mini Countryman Cooper S JCW Inspired variant. It’s fun to drive, as you’d expect, and also comes with lots of equipment as standard, including leather seats with electric adjust, a large 8.8-inch touchscreen with satellite navigation, keyless entry, a panoramic sunroof, a touchpad, heads-up display and paddle-shifters on the steering wheel.