Photo: MINI
Purists will look at this brand new Countryman and say that it embodies everything wrong with the modern MINI. But we see it as the crossover they should have built from the start.
The 2017 Countryman is nothing like the tiny 2-door hatchback that powered the MINI reboot at the turn of this century. However, that's a good thing because the Countryman was the No.1 seller due to its larger size and increased practicality.
Just like the Clubman, it stopped playing games and became a real car that can comfortably compete with other compacts. And the new engines that were sourced from BMW are even more of a selling point now because they are bigger yet more efficient.
The range is pretty much identical to the Clubman's starting off with a Cooper model rated at 136 HP and 220 Nm of torque, thanks to the familiar 1.5-liter 3-cylinder turbo engine. Next up, we have the Cooper S with the 192 HP turbo. Both the Cooper D and Cooper SD use 2.0-liter diesel mills that are similar to a 318d and 320d. At 150 HP and 330 Nm, the D is miles more powerful than the old Cooper D's 1.6-liter and will also leave a Nissan Qashqai for dead. However, MINI has also prepared the 190 PS SD model as an answer to the SEAT Ateca and even the BMW X1 with which the Countryman shares its platform.
ALL4 is either standard or optional, and so is the automatic gearbox, which is a 6-speed for the base Cooper and an 8-speed for everything else. The new MINI Cooper S Countryman ALL4 with 8-speed Steptronic transmission sprints in 7.2 seconds from zero to 100 km/h (62 mph) – making it 0.9 seconds faster than its predecessor model.
Thanks to the UKL1 platform, the new Countryman is 20 centimeters longer than before. The overall proportions are strong, thanks to wide-set LED headlights with a bold DRL signature. The most distinctive feature is the black lower front bumper, which protrudes outwards.
Rear legroom has increased substantially, and three people can now sit in the back, or at least that's what they tell us. However, the back seats can also slide 40:20:40 forwards and backward to increase luggage capacity. Beneath that optional auto tailgate is 450 liters of stowage or as much as 1,309 liters with everything folded flat. There's even the option to order a trunk bench, sort of like in a Range Rover.
Compared to the old Countryman, this one has a more modern interior. However, it's still mostly designed with a compass. Like on the Audi Q2, there's a translucent part of the dash that coordinates with the rest of the ambient lighting.
Just like the Clubman, it stopped playing games and became a real car that can comfortably compete with other compacts. And the new engines that were sourced from BMW are even more of a selling point now because they are bigger yet more efficient.
The range is pretty much identical to the Clubman's starting off with a Cooper model rated at 136 HP and 220 Nm of torque, thanks to the familiar 1.5-liter 3-cylinder turbo engine. Next up, we have the Cooper S with the 192 HP turbo. Both the Cooper D and Cooper SD use 2.0-liter diesel mills that are similar to a 318d and 320d. At 150 HP and 330 Nm, the D is miles more powerful than the old Cooper D's 1.6-liter and will also leave a Nissan Qashqai for dead. However, MINI has also prepared the 190 PS SD model as an answer to the SEAT Ateca and even the BMW X1 with which the Countryman shares its platform.
ALL4 is either standard or optional, and so is the automatic gearbox, which is a 6-speed for the base Cooper and an 8-speed for everything else. The new MINI Cooper S Countryman ALL4 with 8-speed Steptronic transmission sprints in 7.2 seconds from zero to 100 km/h (62 mph) – making it 0.9 seconds faster than its predecessor model.
Thanks to the UKL1 platform, the new Countryman is 20 centimeters longer than before. The overall proportions are strong, thanks to wide-set LED headlights with a bold DRL signature. The most distinctive feature is the black lower front bumper, which protrudes outwards.
Rear legroom has increased substantially, and three people can now sit in the back, or at least that's what they tell us. However, the back seats can also slide 40:20:40 forwards and backward to increase luggage capacity. Beneath that optional auto tailgate is 450 liters of stowage or as much as 1,309 liters with everything folded flat. There's even the option to order a trunk bench, sort of like in a Range Rover.
Compared to the old Countryman, this one has a more modern interior. However, it's still mostly designed with a compass. Like on the Audi Q2, there's a translucent part of the dash that coordinates with the rest of the ambient lighting.
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