The third-generation Mini Countryman evolves the brand's rebellious spirit into a more mature, practical, and technologically advanced package, offering a unique blend of BMW refinement and Mini's signature playful character.
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I don't think I've seen any other
entertainment system that has this much
Steve McQueen, the Beatles, Enzo
Ferrari, they all had one thing in
common. They all owned minis. They
didn't choose the Mini for its power or
luxury. They chose it because it matched
their personality.
Minis were tiny, cheeky rebels on wheels.
wheels.
But over the years, under BMW's
leadership, Minis got bigger and
smarter. And eventually, to keep up with
the world's growing demand for SUVs, BMW
built a larger Mini on the same platform
as the X1. But once a rebel, always a
rebel. And that's exactly what the Mini
Countryman is to me. It's a grown-up
version of a troublemaker, which is the
original Mini Cooper. >> [music]
>> Now, even though the BMW X1 and the
Countryman share the same platform, the
Mini has somehow managed to carve out
its own personality. With a twin 255
model year, Mini has introduced a third
generation countryman and brought along
some interesting changes as well. Chief
among them is the design. Now, to me
personally, I feel like the Countryman
has become more mature now and that's
primarily because it's taken up a more
angular design, has become slightly
bigger and those wide wheel arches gives
it a more muscular appeal. Now, up front
you get a very upright nose and that
angular design is emphasized by this
octagonal shaped grill as well. Over on
the corners, you would notice that the
circular iconic mini headlamps have now
evolved to a more square off design.
These headlamps are now surrounded by
customizable DRLs. From the side, you
realize how clean and proportionate the
design of the Countryman has become.
Now, all that excess detailing have been
stripped away to make way to a more
smoother, tighter line and a more
squared off design for the glass areas.
Further back, you get a new design for
the SE-pillar, which changes depending
on the model. And at the bottom, you get
options to choose from 17 to 20in wheels
depending on the variants. And on the
higher trims, you also get a design
that's more aero optimized. Now, moving
to the rear, the biggest change here are
the tail lamp signatures. Now, the tail
lamps on its own have become slimmer
than before and for the first time
feature the ability to display different
patterns, including the iconic Union
Jack design. To talk dimensions, the
Countryman is slightly smaller than the
X1. The Mini is 4.4 m long, 1.6 m tall,
and gets a ground clearance of 203 mm.
Now, overall, the Countryman's design
gets that grown-up sort of wipe. You
know, it screams that I've got my life
sorted energy. And that pattern
>> Don't get me wrong because considering
its price, which we will get to in a
bit, the Countryman is very much in the
luxury segment. But as you would expect,
it doesn't take the traditional approach
to it. Because when rivals like the X1,
the Audi Q3, the Volvo XC40, and even
the Lexus UX all use premium materials
like leather, wherever possible, the
countryman well feels like how a Mini
should feel like. Look at it this way.
If the rivals like to dress up in a
tailored suit, the countryman shows up
in a knitted sweater and chinos. But the
real showstopper here is this, the
massive 9.4 in circular OLED display
right in the center of the dashboard. I
don't think I've seen any other
infotainment system that has this much
animation in it. Check this out. The
digital assistant transforms into a dog
that reacts to commands. But of course,
you still get all the essentials that
you expect today, like wireless CarPlay,
assisted driving tech, and customizable
ambient lighting that also change
according to the drive modes. But
knowing that one display is not good
enough for everything, the driver is
also treated to a pop-up heads-up
display that pop up as soon as you start
the car. And of course, Mini couldn't
resist keeping their signature toggles,
retrostyled aircraft switches for drive
modes, traction control, drive selector,
and that old school ignition key toggle.
In fact, the whole cabin has this
playful, thoughtful, slightly quirky
mini way of doing things. But where the
new Countryman really surprises you is
with the amount of space it now has. The
rear seats are genuinely more usable
than before. More legroom, a higher
seating position, large windows, and the
panoramic sunroof all ensures that the
cabin feels bright and airy. The seats
even slide and recline, making long
drives a whole lot more comfortable. We
even tried the self-pair bottle desk in
the center console, the door bins, and
even in the rear armrests. In terms of
safety features, you get four ISOIX
anchors and the car comes with 10
airbags as a whole. Boot space is now
460 L, which is more than enough for
your weekend bags and airport runs. If
you fold the seats down, you get over
1,450 L, making this the most practical
Mini ever. But practicality aside, it's
still a Mini, and Minis are known to be
fun behind the wheel. So, let's see if
this grown-up Mini still holds up that charm.
>> Now, this is where the Countryman comes
alive. Before you even set off, you get
to choose the kind of experience you
want. From core to timeless to go-kart
mode, the Countryman takes on a
different personality with each one. And
each mode gets its own ambient lighting
theme. My favorite is, of course, the
go-kart mode, which is [music] sports
mode in other cars. Now, in this mode,
the throttle response is more immediate.
The steering feel adds on a bit more
weight, and the suspension also stiffens
up. The C favorite trim we're driving
today uses a 1.5 L 3-cylinder
turbocharged engine that produces 168
horsepower and 280 Nm of torque. So,
it's not technically a rocket ship, but
that's never been Mini style, has it?
All right. So, since we are already in
sport mode, we might as well get the 0
to 100 test out of the way, right? So,
the brake pedal is fully pressed and we
build up the revs and we lift off in 3 2 1.
1.
The official 0 to 100 km/h time is
claimed to be 8.3 seconds.
And comes up search and that was 100.
So, we've done that test a couple of
times and on average we're shown about
Now, in a highway scenario, the
Countryman feels very refined and the
suspension makes the ride quality very
smooth in a way that it almost feels
like a BMW. You also get lane keep
assist, distance control, speed limiter,
and the usual BMW style driver aids. But
like I said before, Minis are known for
being great around corners. And I'm
happy to report that the Countryman does
not disappoint. It feels as agile as a
Mini should and the steering does a
great job. It's like you point the car
to a direction and it just goes. But in
terms of drawbacks, uh I am nitpicking
here, but see everything in the car is
displayed on this circular infotainment
system. Now, even though the heads-up
display shows you navigation directions
from third party applications like
Google Maps, it doesn't show you the
turn signals. So, when you're quickly
changing lanes, you might not notice it,
especially if you have music playing.
And again, like most modern cars, the
temperature control is also buttered in
the infotainment system. So, when you're
driving along, it becomes a bit of a
But the biggest drawback in my opinion
is the price tag that starts at roughly
about 200,000 vir. But the good news is
that there is a workar around which I
will get to right after I sum up my
thoughts of the car. See, the Countryman
to me is a mixture of both a BMW and a
Mini. It takes the refinement and
comfort from the BMW and combines it
with that mischievous and rebellious
character that Mini is known for and
brings it to the modern world. Yes,
rivals like the X1 and the RDQ3 offer a
bit more luxury, but it just doesn't
make you feel like how this car does.
[music] That's why I feel like the
Countryman appeals to people who like to
go against the stride and it kind of
shows in the sales figures as well
because in its class, the Countryman is
probably the least sold model. I don't
know about you, but to me that makes the
Countryman the underdog of the segment.
No doubt that hefty price tag does play
a huge role in that. And the workaround
to that is that you can just rent it
from the self-drive app. If you download
the self drive app, you can get the
countryment for quite a reasonable
amount, which includes insurance,
registration, and service. So, all
that's left for you to do is enjoy the
car. So, that's my time with the Mini
Countryman. Until we see you next time,
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