0:01 I don't think I've seen any other
0:04 entertainment system that has this much
0:12 Steve McQueen, the Beatles, Enzo
0:15 Ferrari, they all had one thing in
0:17 common. They all owned minis. They
0:19 didn't choose the Mini for its power or
0:21 luxury. They chose it because it matched
0:23 their personality.
0:25 Minis were tiny, cheeky rebels on wheels.
0:27 wheels.
0:29 But over the years, under BMW's
0:32 leadership, Minis got bigger and
0:34 smarter. And eventually, to keep up with
0:38 the world's growing demand for SUVs, BMW
0:40 built a larger Mini on the same platform
0:44 as the X1. But once a rebel, always a
0:47 rebel. And that's exactly what the Mini
0:49 Countryman is to me. It's a grown-up
0:52 version of a troublemaker, which is the
0:55 original Mini Cooper. >> [music]
1:14 >> Now, even though the BMW X1 and the
1:16 Countryman share the same platform, the
1:18 Mini has somehow managed to carve out
1:21 its own personality. With a twin 255
1:22 model year, Mini has introduced a third
1:25 generation countryman and brought along
1:27 some interesting changes as well. Chief
1:29 among them is the design. Now, to me
1:30 personally, I feel like the Countryman
1:32 has become more mature now and that's
1:34 primarily because it's taken up a more
1:36 angular design, has become slightly
1:38 bigger and those wide wheel arches gives
1:40 it a more muscular appeal. Now, up front
1:44 you get a very upright nose and that
1:46 angular design is emphasized by this
1:48 octagonal shaped grill as well. Over on
1:50 the corners, you would notice that the
1:53 circular iconic mini headlamps have now
1:55 evolved to a more square off design.
1:57 These headlamps are now surrounded by
2:01 customizable DRLs. From the side, you
2:02 realize how clean and proportionate the
2:03 design of the Countryman has become.
2:05 Now, all that excess detailing have been
2:07 stripped away to make way to a more
2:10 smoother, tighter line and a more
2:12 squared off design for the glass areas.
2:15 Further back, you get a new design for
2:17 the SE-pillar, which changes depending
2:19 on the model. And at the bottom, you get
2:22 options to choose from 17 to 20in wheels
2:23 depending on the variants. And on the
2:25 higher trims, you also get a design
2:27 that's more aero optimized. Now, moving
2:28 to the rear, the biggest change here are
2:30 the tail lamp signatures. Now, the tail
2:32 lamps on its own have become slimmer
2:34 than before and for the first time
2:36 feature the ability to display different
2:39 patterns, including the iconic Union
2:41 Jack design. To talk dimensions, the
2:43 Countryman is slightly smaller than the
2:48 X1. The Mini is 4.4 m long, 1.6 m tall,
2:51 and gets a ground clearance of 203 mm.
2:53 Now, overall, the Countryman's design
2:55 gets that grown-up sort of wipe. You
2:58 know, it screams that I've got my life
3:00 sorted energy. And that pattern
3:19 >> Don't get me wrong because considering
3:21 its price, which we will get to in a
3:23 bit, the Countryman is very much in the
3:26 luxury segment. But as you would expect,
3:28 it doesn't take the traditional approach
3:31 to it. Because when rivals like the X1,
3:34 the Audi Q3, the Volvo XC40, and even
3:37 the Lexus UX all use premium materials
3:39 like leather, wherever possible, the
3:43 countryman well feels like how a Mini
3:45 should feel like. Look at it this way.
3:47 If the rivals like to dress up in a
3:49 tailored suit, the countryman shows up
3:52 in a knitted sweater and chinos. But the
3:55 real showstopper here is this, the
3:58 massive 9.4 in circular OLED display
4:00 right in the center of the dashboard. I
4:02 don't think I've seen any other
4:04 infotainment system that has this much
4:06 animation in it. Check this out. The
4:08 digital assistant transforms into a dog
4:10 that reacts to commands. But of course,
4:12 you still get all the essentials that
4:14 you expect today, like wireless CarPlay,
4:16 assisted driving tech, and customizable
4:18 ambient lighting that also change
4:20 according to the drive modes. But
4:22 knowing that one display is not good
4:25 enough for everything, the driver is
4:27 also treated to a pop-up heads-up
4:29 display that pop up as soon as you start
4:31 the car. And of course, Mini couldn't
4:33 resist keeping their signature toggles,
4:35 retrostyled aircraft switches for drive
4:38 modes, traction control, drive selector,
4:40 and that old school ignition key toggle.
4:43 In fact, the whole cabin has this
4:46 playful, thoughtful, slightly quirky
4:48 mini way of doing things. But where the
4:50 new Countryman really surprises you is
4:53 with the amount of space it now has. The
4:55 rear seats are genuinely more usable
4:57 than before. More legroom, a higher
5:00 seating position, large windows, and the
5:03 panoramic sunroof all ensures that the
5:06 cabin feels bright and airy. The seats
5:08 even slide and recline, making long
5:10 drives a whole lot more comfortable. We
5:12 even tried the self-pair bottle desk in
5:15 the center console, the door bins, and
5:17 even in the rear armrests. In terms of
5:19 safety features, you get four ISOIX
5:22 anchors and the car comes with 10
5:24 airbags as a whole. Boot space is now
5:27 460 L, which is more than enough for
5:29 your weekend bags and airport runs. If
5:31 you fold the seats down, you get over
5:35 1,450 L, making this the most practical
5:37 Mini ever. But practicality aside, it's
5:39 still a Mini, and Minis are known to be
5:42 fun behind the wheel. So, let's see if
5:44 this grown-up Mini still holds up that charm.
6:01 >> Now, this is where the Countryman comes
6:03 alive. Before you even set off, you get
6:04 to choose the kind of experience you
6:07 want. From core to timeless to go-kart
6:09 mode, the Countryman takes on a
6:12 different personality with each one. And
6:14 each mode gets its own ambient lighting
6:16 theme. My favorite is, of course, the
6:18 go-kart mode, which is [music] sports
6:20 mode in other cars. Now, in this mode,
6:22 the throttle response is more immediate.
6:24 The steering feel adds on a bit more
6:26 weight, and the suspension also stiffens
6:28 up. The C favorite trim we're driving
6:30 today uses a 1.5 L 3-cylinder
6:33 turbocharged engine that produces 168
6:36 horsepower and 280 Nm of torque. So,
6:39 it's not technically a rocket ship, but
6:41 that's never been Mini style, has it?
6:42 All right. So, since we are already in
6:44 sport mode, we might as well get the 0
6:45 to 100 test out of the way, right? So,
6:48 the brake pedal is fully pressed and we
6:51 build up the revs and we lift off in 3 2 1.
6:53 1.
6:56 The official 0 to 100 km/h time is
6:59 claimed to be 8.3 seconds.
7:04 And comes up search and that was 100.
7:06 So, we've done that test a couple of
7:08 times and on average we're shown about
7:13 Now, in a highway scenario, the
7:15 Countryman feels very refined and the
7:17 suspension makes the ride quality very
7:19 smooth in a way that it almost feels
7:21 like a BMW. You also get lane keep
7:24 assist, distance control, speed limiter,
7:26 and the usual BMW style driver aids. But
7:28 like I said before, Minis are known for
7:31 being great around corners. And I'm
7:34 happy to report that the Countryman does
7:36 not disappoint. It feels as agile as a
7:39 Mini should and the steering does a
7:42 great job. It's like you point the car
7:44 to a direction and it just goes. But in
7:47 terms of drawbacks, uh I am nitpicking
7:50 here, but see everything in the car is
7:52 displayed on this circular infotainment
7:54 system. Now, even though the heads-up
7:57 display shows you navigation directions
7:59 from third party applications like
8:00 Google Maps, it doesn't show you the
8:02 turn signals. So, when you're quickly
8:05 changing lanes, you might not notice it,
8:06 especially if you have music playing.
8:08 And again, like most modern cars, the
8:10 temperature control is also buttered in
8:12 the infotainment system. So, when you're
8:14 driving along, it becomes a bit of a
8:20 But the biggest drawback in my opinion
8:23 is the price tag that starts at roughly
8:26 about 200,000 vir. But the good news is
8:28 that there is a workar around which I
8:30 will get to right after I sum up my
8:31 thoughts of the car. See, the Countryman
8:35 to me is a mixture of both a BMW and a
8:37 Mini. It takes the refinement and
8:40 comfort from the BMW and combines it
8:42 with that mischievous and rebellious
8:44 character that Mini is known for and
8:46 brings it to the modern world. Yes,
8:49 rivals like the X1 and the RDQ3 offer a
8:52 bit more luxury, but it just doesn't
8:55 make you feel like how this car does.
8:56 [music] That's why I feel like the
8:58 Countryman appeals to people who like to
9:00 go against the stride and it kind of
9:02 shows in the sales figures as well
9:04 because in its class, the Countryman is
9:06 probably the least sold model. I don't
9:08 know about you, but to me that makes the
9:11 Countryman the underdog of the segment.
9:13 No doubt that hefty price tag does play
9:15 a huge role in that. And the workaround
9:17 to that is that you can just rent it
9:18 from the self-drive app. If you download
9:19 the self drive app, you can get the
9:21 countryment for quite a reasonable
9:23 amount, which includes insurance,
9:25 registration, and service. So, all
9:27 that's left for you to do is enjoy the
9:29 car. So, that's my time with the Mini
9:31 Countryman. Until we see you next time,
