2024 Mini Countryman SE All4 evaluation

The brand new Mini Countryman Electrical has lastly landed in Australia.

Bringing EV energy to the retro-styled SUV for the primary time, the all-new Countryman E and SE exchange the previous-generation SE plug-in hybrid, and provide a vibrant and enjoyable tackle premium electrical motoring.

As earlier than, the Countryman shares its underpinnings with the equally sized BMW X1 and X2, although the brand new Countryman is between $10,000 and $15,000 cheaper than the equal BMW.

Following our stint behind the wheel in Portugal, we had an Australian launch drive on a really chilly and moist Melbourne winter day, the place we sampled the Countryman SE, JCW Countryman, Cooper S, and Cooper SE. Right here, we’re specializing in the 2024 Mini Countryman SE All4.

With the identical highly effective dual-motor electrical drive setup as xDrive30 variations of the iX1 and iX2 , the Countryman SE All4 could also be pitched as an eco-friendly zero-emissions car but it surely’s additionally fairly brisk, difficult the JCW Countryman for straight-line tempo.

The biggest Mini ever has additionally grown much more, now even much less ‘Mini’ in measurement however simply distinguishable as one due to its distinctive design in and out – the corporate says it’s now sufficiently big to be the main household automobile.

Is that this a hidden gem within the electrical car (EV) house?

How does the Mini Countryman evaluate?

View an in depth breakdown of the Mini Countryman towards equally sized autos.

Mini

Countryman

How a lot does the Mini Countryman value?

Pricing for the electrical Countryman begins from $64,990 earlier than on-road prices, and tops out at $77,990 earlier than on-roads.

To see how the Countryman compares towards the competitors, use our comparability device.

What’s the Mini Countryman like on the within?

Quirky, cool and minimalist.

As we’ve seen within the petrol-powered Countryman fashions in addition to the newest Cooper, Mini has pared again its inside design while additionally making it extra attention-grabbing.

There’s a really restrained method to bodily switchgear with a small pod for key controls underneath the round touchscreen – extra on that in a bit.

You now not have an instrument cluster, with the primary speedo and gauges now residing on the 9.4-inch central OLED show. There’s, nevertheless, a flip-up head-up show to indicate key car features forward the motive force.

Mini says the design harks again to the unique Mini of the Fifties and ’60s, with the round show appearing as a digital speedometer dial – though it’s configurable in what looks as if an infinite quantity of how.

Contemplating the huge worth gulf between the Countryman and the X1, I used to be to see if there have been any noticeable cost-saving measures within the cabin on this automobile.

Sure, there are extra exhausting plastics and a few extra fundamental finishes in comparison with the earlier mannequin, which I typically lauded as a category benchmark for tactility. Mini has neatly utilized a variety of attention-grabbing colors, finishes and textures to spruce issues up a bit of.

The knitted dashboard and door trims come rather than squidgy plastics, for instance. The cartoonish steering wheel has much less chrome and matte plastic BMW buttons. It’s all a bit easy, but it surely’s nice for usability.

It additionally has opened up much more storage and the sensation of airiness within the cabin. Extra open areas imply it appears like there’s a spot for all the pieces, and I’m obsessive about the little storage field between the entrance seats with pull tab lid that appears like one thing out of a online game.

Now, that display. At a quoted 9.4 inches it doesn’t sound big on paper, however its tall and round design makes it really feel fairly large when you’re within the driver’s seat.

In comparison with the earlier Mini infotainment unit, which was a redesigned model of the BMW iDrive 6 interface, the corporate has fully redone the feel and appear of the newest BMW Working System to make it really feel bespoke.

There’s a litany of Mini Expertise modes that include their very own appear and feel in addition to foolish sounds to indicate their activation. Like BMW My Modes, they’ll tailor the drivetrain, inside lighting and car sounds. You too can select a person mode and set it up how you want.

My favourites are the Traditional and Go Kart modes, the previous pictured above. Some might discover it a bit of naff, however I feel all of this customisability is kind of enjoyable.

There are a few complaints, although.

Apple CarPlay doesn’t take up the round show and moderately reveals as like a pop-up sq. field. It simply doesn’t match the aesthetic.

I’m additionally not significantly keen on the touch-based local weather controls, which I discovered fiddly to make use of on the transfer.

The flip-up head-up show can also be a bit of fundamental in comparison with the bigger projector-type items in most autos as of late. Mini says the upright windscreen posed points when engineering this, and contributed to the polariser design being retained.

It’s higher than nothing, and at the least the HUD has been upgraded with higher graphics and extra content material than the earlier iteration.

The Countryman has grown in each dimension – +147mm in size, +21mm in width and +22mm in wheelbase – which suggests it’s as grown up and spacious because it has ever been.

Whereas a far cry from the ‘authentic’ Mini which impressed its design, the newest Countryman has loads of house for adults within the rear behind taller drivers. I’m 6’1 and match properly behind my most popular driving place.

The rear of the centre console does protrude a bit, nevertheless, and the Countryman continues to be pretty compact so don’t anticipate this to be a correct five-seater should you’re karting full-sized adults typically.

The upright and boxy physique additionally means there’s good headroom underneath the out there panoramic sunroof in larger grades, and as you’d anticipate there’s the requisite ISOFIX and top-tether factors to make sure little ones are secured of their automobile seats.

Different facilities within the second row embrace a fold-down centre armrest with cupholders, directional air vents, rear USB-C cost ports and bottle holders within the doorways. The cool knitted finishes and steel accents proceed into the rear, too.

The Countryman has additionally retained its sensible boot, which comes courtesy of the shared underpinnings with the BMW X1 and iX1.

Like its BMW sibling, the Countryman SE All4 gives 460 litres of cargo capability with the rear seats in place, increasing to 1450 litres in two-seat configuration. All variations of the Mini Countryman include a tyre restore equipment rather than a spare wheel.

To see how the Countryman compares towards the competitors, use our comparability device.

What’s underneath the bonnet?

The Countryman SE All4 contains a dual-motor electrical drivetrain with all-wheel drive.

To see how the Countryman compares towards the competitors, use our comparability device.

How does the Mini Countryman drive?

Whereas the Traditional-spec Countryman SE I drove seems fairly sedate from the surface, there’s various muscle beneath its cutesy retro-styled exterior.

The SE picks up a second electrical motor on the rear axle in comparison with the E, bumping system outputs to 230kW and 494Nm. Actually, it has equal grunt and efficiency – at the least on paper – to the go-fast JCW Countryman.

In its default mode there’s fairly torquey and easy response in regular driving and a considerably damped throttle pedal, seemingly so that you don’t slingshot ahead and provides your self and your passengers automobile illness.

There’s a reasonably progressive construct of acceleration when you get previous that doughy preliminary journey, and should you put it in Go Kart mode or just flooring it it is a brisk solution to get round.

With 494Nm on faucet from relaxation, the Countryman SE actually has some punch off the road once you mash it, and is equally responsive when rolling if it is advisable make a fast hole or overtake.

Relying on which mode you’re in, acceleration inputs are met with synthesised sounds piped into the cabin, much like the Hans Zimmer-composed ones within the BMW i vary. The tones and depth change with the chosen Expertise mode in addition to throttle inputs.

Weighing in at 2.0 tonnes, the Countryman SE is way from a featherweight. Nevertheless, Mini has managed to retain many of the fun-to-drive character its combustion-engined vehicles are recognized for.

I’ve pushed the iX1 and iX2 xDrive30 and now the Countryman SE, and the Mini is my favorite. The steering is a contact faster and feels extra linked than the BMW siblings, which makes the Countryman really feel extra dialled in.

There’s a enjoyable and chuckable really feel to the chassis, very minimal physique roll in bends, and good grip from the electrified all-wheel drive. You can begin to really feel its weight shift because the pace and depth climb, but it surely nonetheless appears like a Countryman.

With that stated, Mini’s 0-100km/h declare for the Countryman SE is 0.4s off the iX2 xDrive30 and 0.2s slower the iX1 xDrive30. You’d in all probability solely discover these tenths should you lined the three up for a drag race, although.

The Countryman is simply as competent on the open highway as it’s on the town, with its extra grown-up underpinnings making for a terrific freeway cruiser. It’s planted and surefooted even within the heavy rain we skilled on Melbourne’s Monash Freeway, and the decreased ranges of highway and wind noise are good for the category.

Whereas the Countryman is sweet on the freeway, that’s the place you’ll see it zap probably the most juice out of the battery. It’s a disgrace the DC cost charge is simply 130kW, when there are autos in the identical worth section that may obtain a lot larger numbers – nevertheless, the Mini’s battery is on the smaller facet.

We completed our combined drive route with an indicated readout of 18.9kWh/100km over a mixture of freeway and suburban driving with various site visitors situations and really heavy rain. That equates to a real-world driving vary of lower than 400 kilometres, although it’s price noting there have been some spirited sections thrown in.

As for driver help programs, the Countryman has been handled to a considerable improve courtesy of its new platform from BMW.

There’s customary blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic help throughout the lineup, which is greater than the outdated mannequin may handle. The adaptive cruise (from Traditional) has a radar now moderately than being simply camera-based, too.

Step as much as the Traditional and also you get BMW’s wonderful Steering and Lane Management Assistant which facilitates semi-autonomous driving by combining adaptive cruise management with energetic lane centring. It’s top-of-the-line within the enterprise.

Traditional variations additionally get the helpful Encompass View cameras with Parking Assistant Plus, supplying you with a panoramic show of what’s round you. Given the brand new Countryman’s elevated dimensions, this makes parking and low-speed manoeuvres that little bit simpler.

What do you get?

Countryman Core highlights:

Driving Dynamics and Know-how

• AC Charging Skilled, 22kW
• Mode 3 and Mode 2 charging cables
• Electromechanical parking brake with Auto Maintain

Exterior

• 4 x exterior paint choices
• 3 x roof and mirror choices
• 18-inch alloy wheels

Upholstery

• Gray/Blue Fabric/Vescin
• Black/Blue Fabric/Vescin

Driver Help

• Attentiveness Assistant
• Excessive Beam Help
• Inside mirror with anti-dazzle operate
• Rain sensor, auto lights
• Velocity limiter
• Tyre strain monitoring
• Tyre restore equipment
• Warning triangle

Infotainment

• Mini Related Providers
• DAB+ digital radio
• Head-up show
• Private e-SIM with 5G
• 9.4-inch OLED central show
• Wi-fi Apple CarPlay, Android Auto
• Wi-fi cellphone charger

Consolation and Expertise

• Adjustable, folding rear seats
• Twin-zone local weather management incl. rear vents
• Auto tailgate with kick operate
• Consolation entry with Digital Key
• Baggage compartment web
• Mini Expertise Modes
• Prolonged ambient lighting
• Steering wheel heating
• 4 x USB-C ports
• 2 x 12V ports
• Auto-dimming, folding exterior mirrors
• LED headlights
• LED daytime working lights
• Roof rails in Black
• Ground mats in Velour
• Sliding entrance armrest

Core Extras

• Cruise management
• Parking Assistant
  • Entrance, rear parking sensors
  • Rear digicam
• 6 speaker, 100W sound system
• Sport seats
• Sport steering wheel
• Traditional Trim Design Components, Piano Black
• Traditional Trim Inside Styling, Darkish Blue/Black

Countryman Traditional provides:

Exterior

• 7 x exterior paint choices
• 3 x roof and mirror choices

Traditional Extras

• Adaptive cruise management
• Parking Assistant with Encompass View
• Automated Velocity Restrict Assistant
• Steering and Lane Management Assistant
• Inside digicam
• Augmented Actuality (AR) navigation
• Seat heating, entrance
• Panoramic glass sunroof

Countryman Favoured provides:

Exterior

• 9 x exterior paint choices
• 3 x roof and mirror choices (Countryman E)
• 4 x roof and mirror choices (Countryman SE)
• 19-inch alloy wheels (Countryman E)
  • Kaleido Spoke, Vibrant Silver/Black
• 20-inch alloy wheels (Countryman SE, $NCO)
  • Windmill Spoke, Vibrant Silver/Black

Upholstery

• Beige Vescin
• Darkish Petrol Vescin
• Classic Brown Vescin

Favoured Extras

• Harman/Kardon premium sound system
• Panoramic glass sunroof
• John Cooper Works seats
• Energetic Seat Features, driver
• Electrical entrance seats with reminiscence
• Solar safety glazing
• Headliner anthracite

JCW Sport provides:

Exterior

• 2 x Sport stripes choices
• 19-inch alloy wheels
• 20-inch alloy wheels ($NCO)

Upholstery

JCW Sport Extras:

• John Cooper Works steering wheel
• John Cooper Works exterior styling
• John Cooper Works inside styling, Black/Pink
• John Cooper Works sport brakes

Is the Mini Countryman secure?

The brand new-generation Mini Countryman hasn’t been crash examined by ANCAP or Euro NCAP.

Countryman E customary security options:

• Autonomous emergency braking (AEB)
• Blind-spot monitoring
• Exit warning
• Rear cross-traffic alert
• Clever emergency name
• Rear collision prevention
• Entrance parking sensors
• Reversing digicam

Countryman E Traditional provides:

• Adaptive cruise management
• Parking assistant
• Encompass-view digicam
• Automated pace limiter
• Inside digicam
• Drive recorder

How a lot does the Mini Countryman value to run?

All Mini fashions are coated by a five-year, unlimited-kilometre guarantee; with hybrid and electrical autos additionally getting eight-year/100,000km cowl for the high-voltage battery.

To see how the Countryman compares towards the competitors, use our comparability device.

CarExpert’s Tackle the Mini Countryman

It could be quirky, however there’s loads to love about Mini’s all-electric crossover.

With this generational overhaul the model has managed to up the house and tech with out sacrificing the character and allure that made the outdated one so distinctive. Now, there’s extra room for everybody, and fewer emissions.

When you’re taking a look at one thing like a BMW iX1, I strongly counsel additionally testing the Mini. The drivetrain and tech is just about the identical with a extra enjoyable appear and feel, plus you can save your self $10,000-$15,000.

As for which model you need to choose, the Traditional is arguably the strongest worth – however the Favoured brings about probably the most (no-cost) choices and personalisation which is the fuller Mini expertise. Get me a British Racing Inexperienced one over Classic Brown, please…

The SE can also be bloody fast, and isn’t all that a lot pricier than the petrol-powered JCW Countryman.

Sure it lacks the new hatch-like soundtrack and can provide much less vary, however the tempo and character is there – plus you may even placed on a JCW Sport look package deal to make it look nearly similar.

I do know the inevitable worth comparisons to the Tesla Mannequin Y and the like will ensue. I truthfully don’t suppose a typical Tesla purchaser is hitting up the Mini showroom; they strike me as fully totally different patrons.

I’ll additionally word the typical driving vary as a ache level significantly for the SE over the E, as sub-400km is sub-par at the present time the place increasingly manufacturers are dipping into the 500s.

However the electrical Mini makes loads of sense should you take pleasure in driving and love the funky retro-inspired styling – I personally undoubtedly fall into that camp. It’s additionally comfy, spacious and fairly nicely priced.

Click on the photographs for the total gallery

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