What We Like
Spacious and comfortable interior that will cater to the whole family
Accomplished powertrain
Surprisingly quick for its size
Feels mature and grown up
What We Dislike
Still not convinced about the exterior styling
Has a reputation to overcome
This is the brand new MINI Countryman. It's the brand's category-busting offering that you could call a crossover Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV), a large stilted hatch, or a subcompact crossover. Or you could just call it what it is - the MINI Not-very-mini.
You see, when it was first launched in 2010, the MINI Countryman was a real oddity - a big car made by the company that was the literal embodiment of small cars.
The thing is, MINIs have something of a reputation or perceived image. They are supposed to be cute yet quirky, and pack an exciting and fun driving experience within a tiny package. Thus, you could make the case that the Countryman goes against the very ethos of the MINI brand.
And yet, in 2012, a third of the brand's global sales were the Countryman. So while it may challenge our notion of what a MINI should be, the Countryman certainly made financial sense for the company.
Now, the brand new second generation MINI Countryman has arrived, and promises big advancements for the brand within the premium compact segment.
Not very mini
The Countryman stands out for its obvious size. After all, this is the largest car that MINI has ever produced. It's larger than its predecessor, having grown 199mm in length, 13mm in height and 33mm in width.
What this means is that you get a generous helping of space. There's nothing mini about this car - legroom is more than generous at the rear, and the boot opens up to 450 litres (expandable to 1,390 litres with the 40:20:40 split folding rear bench folded down).
You see, when it was first launched in 2010, the MINI Countryman was a real oddity - a big car made by the company that was the literal embodiment of small cars.
The thing is, MINIs have something of a reputation or perceived image. They are supposed to be cute yet quirky, and pack an exciting and fun driving experience within a tiny package. Thus, you could make the case that the Countryman goes against the very ethos of the MINI brand.
And yet, in 2012, a third of the brand's global sales were the Countryman. So while it may challenge our notion of what a MINI should be, the Countryman certainly made financial sense for the company.
Now, the brand new second generation MINI Countryman has arrived, and promises big advancements for the brand within the premium compact segment.
Not very mini
The Countryman stands out for its obvious size. After all, this is the largest car that MINI has ever produced. It's larger than its predecessor, having grown 199mm in length, 13mm in height and 33mm in width.
What this means is that you get a generous helping of space. There's nothing mini about this car - legroom is more than generous at the rear, and the boot opens up to 450 litres (expandable to 1,390 litres with the 40:20:40 split folding rear bench folded down).
The boot is actually big enough to fit a compact wheelchair (this writer took his grandmother out for dinner), so this car has authentic family practicality.
Visually, we reckon the upsized MINI silhouette isn't the most pleasing. It looks like someone has taken the MINI Cooper and put it on Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson's diet. Yes, it's big, muscular and imposing, but in a way that is a tad excessive.
Not very MINI
The Countryman has also shed a little of the (un)conventional MINI image. It's got five proper doors that open in the most traditional of ways (unlike the Clubman's barn-like boot doors).
The doors open up to an interior that feels more mature and sophisticated. For example, instead of the traditional circular air-con vents, the Countryman features round-edged rectangular vents instead. And for the first time, you get electric front seats in a MINI as standard, too. It feels more prim and proper, shedding a little of the typical quirky MINI character.
Visually, we reckon the upsized MINI silhouette isn't the most pleasing. It looks like someone has taken the MINI Cooper and put it on Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson's diet. Yes, it's big, muscular and imposing, but in a way that is a tad excessive.
Not very MINI
The Countryman has also shed a little of the (un)conventional MINI image. It's got five proper doors that open in the most traditional of ways (unlike the Clubman's barn-like boot doors).
The doors open up to an interior that feels more mature and sophisticated. For example, instead of the traditional circular air-con vents, the Countryman features round-edged rectangular vents instead. And for the first time, you get electric front seats in a MINI as standard, too. It feels more prim and proper, shedding a little of the typical quirky MINI character.
These modern amenities add to the overall sense of the Countryman feeling more grown-up, and more targeted towards the sensible adult. And in all honesty, that does make sense. It gives you much in the way of practicality, flexibility and functionality.
Additionally, the Countryman features the MINI Connected app as standard - it's a day-to-day personal assistant that helps you do anything from plan the ideal travelling route to calling for help if your vehicle faces any mechanical issues while driving.
So, we suppose you could make the case that the new Countryman isn't really a proper MINI, especially considering its significant size differential to popular models like the standard Cooper.
Still has the soul of the MINI
You might think that with all its changes, the Countryman would lose its MINI essentiality. But we are glad to report that it hasn't. Behind the wheel, it's shockingly easy to forget that you are driving what amounts to a big, family car.
The 1.5-litre engine in our Cooper variant is wonderful to use, and you can get up to speeds at a pretty rapid pace. The turbocharged engine produces 136bhp and 220Nm of torque (achieved at just 1,400rpm), and pulls the car along in a way that allows you to forget that it's a small SUV weighing 1,365kg. It even makes quite a nice noise.
Additionally, the Countryman features the MINI Connected app as standard - it's a day-to-day personal assistant that helps you do anything from plan the ideal travelling route to calling for help if your vehicle faces any mechanical issues while driving.
So, we suppose you could make the case that the new Countryman isn't really a proper MINI, especially considering its significant size differential to popular models like the standard Cooper.
Still has the soul of the MINI
You might think that with all its changes, the Countryman would lose its MINI essentiality. But we are glad to report that it hasn't. Behind the wheel, it's shockingly easy to forget that you are driving what amounts to a big, family car.
The 1.5-litre engine in our Cooper variant is wonderful to use, and you can get up to speeds at a pretty rapid pace. The turbocharged engine produces 136bhp and 220Nm of torque (achieved at just 1,400rpm), and pulls the car along in a way that allows you to forget that it's a small SUV weighing 1,365kg. It even makes quite a nice noise.
The steering also has a meaty weight to it, which tempts you to be a little more exuberant when driving into corners. Yes, there is some body roll, and the raised ride height means that the car bobs up and down a little, but overall, the driving experience is recognisably MINI - it is still pretty darn fun to drive.
Yes, you might say that a MINI has to be chuckable, but this Countryman is for the mature family man. It trades some of that trademark chuackablity for more assured dignity, aided by better noise insulation for a more sensible overall driving experience.
A real practical MINI?
We will admit, we had our reservations about the new MINI Countryman. The Countryman always felt like a car that sat oddly in the MINI lineup, a car created specifically for the purposes of taping into another car segment. The Countryman was often lamented for being created by a bunch of number-crunching businessmen, trying desperately to capture a piece of the growing crossover SUV pie.
But by embracing its more grown-up disposition, the new MINI Countryman now feels more congruous. The more time we spent with it, the more it started to make sense. It doesn't just want to be an XL MINI Cooper anymore. Rather, it wants to (and succeeds in being) a car entirely of its own.
Contrary to what some people may say, the MINI Not-very-mini may be quite different from what you expect, but it's still very much a MINI, and a very good one at that.
Yes, you might say that a MINI has to be chuckable, but this Countryman is for the mature family man. It trades some of that trademark chuackablity for more assured dignity, aided by better noise insulation for a more sensible overall driving experience.
A real practical MINI?
We will admit, we had our reservations about the new MINI Countryman. The Countryman always felt like a car that sat oddly in the MINI lineup, a car created specifically for the purposes of taping into another car segment. The Countryman was often lamented for being created by a bunch of number-crunching businessmen, trying desperately to capture a piece of the growing crossover SUV pie.
But by embracing its more grown-up disposition, the new MINI Countryman now feels more congruous. The more time we spent with it, the more it started to make sense. It doesn't just want to be an XL MINI Cooper anymore. Rather, it wants to (and succeeds in being) a car entirely of its own.
Contrary to what some people may say, the MINI Not-very-mini may be quite different from what you expect, but it's still very much a MINI, and a very good one at that.
