The all-new Mini Countryman enhances the legacy of the Countryman and its storied place in the brand’s product line-up. As early as the 1960s, the name “Countryman” appeared alongside the classic Mini as an estate car equipped with features necessary for the enjoyment and convenience of the modern family.
At the heart of the Mini Countryman S lies an in-line four-cylinder turbocharged engine that delivers 150kW of power and 300Nm of torque and feels perfectly matched to the Mini through the 7-Speed automatic DCT. The Mini ALL4 System is now offered as standard on the Countryman S and the ride is very comfortable. The combination of the systems enables the Countryman S to accelerate from 0-100km/h in just 7.4 seconds. The official combined fuel consumption is 7.6L/100km and for my week adventuring in the Mini Countryman S I used 9.3L/100km.
The Mini Countryman S All4 the Favoured Trim is the most expressive design option of the Mini line-up, providing a modern, more sophisticated look. Enhanced customisability with new selection of colours and trims are a feature of the new Countryman range. My Mini Countryman S had the Smokey Green exterior and 20’ Windmill Spoke, Vibrant Silver/Black alloy wheels. The light alloy wheels on the new Mini generation are manufactured using up to 70 per cent recycled aluminium and in combination with renewable electricity, this process reduces C02 emissions by up to 80% compared with conventional production methods.
The new Countryman model is manufactured at the BMW Group Plant in Leipzig, one of the most advanced and sustainable automotive factories in the world. One significant aspect of this investment is the decarbonization of production by replacing fossil fuels with hydrogen. Overall, the life cycle assessment of the CO2 equivalents (CO2 e) for the global warming potential of the Mini Countryman C, over its life cycle based on WLTP consumption and a total distance covered of 200,000 km, has been calculated to be 44.8 CO2 e.
The new design philosophy of ‘Charismatic Simplicity’ pays homage to the minimalist design of the classic Mini and highlights elements that are unmistakeably Mini while allowing each individual model to showcase its own unique character. The Mini Countryman is less mini than ever and now 13cm longer and 6cm taller than previous generation model, making it more like a small SUV, but only in a good way.
As I stepped over the Mini puddle light, I admired the interior of my Mini, which had the lovely ‘Vescin Dark Petrol Finish’ on the dash and door trims and Vescin Vintage Brown seats made from vegan leather (100% leather-free). The vegan leather is a PVC based synthetic leather and throughout the vehicle floor and floor mats are all made from at least 90 percent recycled polyester obtained from PET bottles and carpet remnants. These new sustainable manufacturing methods contribute to a 98% CO2 emissions reduction for these components.
The tactile knitted surfaces are very cool and the minimalistic aesthetic provide a warm and open cabin atmosphere. I particularly liked how the light projected from behind the central screen across the dash. Then there is the shape of the pedals, which hark back to the original Mini, and the new cute looking key fob, and that you start the Mini by turning the ‘key’ in the centre console, there’s almost too many neat features to even mention.
Both front seats are heated and have powered adjustment for recline, forward/back and single seat height adjustment. The driver’s seat also gets 4-way lumbar support, two memory positions that are either set on the screen or using the buttons on the side of the driver’s seat. Plus, the driver also has two massage functions, Activation and Relaxation, built into the seat and a heated steering wheel.
You can summon Spike, the Mini’s little helper, by saying ‘Hey Mini’ and our favourite thing that Spike did was to tell us a joke as they were actually amusing and Spike didn’t repeat one. The large central screen has very good graphics, but I found it a bit hard to navigate as I could not find the back button.
There are eight experience modes within the car (changed via the toggle underneath the console screen) that alter the internal lights, ambience and screen graphics on the 240mm round OLED centre console screen. Depending on your vibe and driving style, they transform your driving experience with options including Core, Green, Go-Kart, Balance, Timeless, Personal, Trail and Vivid. and you are greeted by a different chime for each experience.
While driving you don’t need to looking at the screen for functions such as speed and navigational directions as the Mini has a head-up display that shows these. Voice control can also be used to operate some features and it is designated with a microphone rather than silhouette. Sometimes there was a bit of delay when I pressed the button and the voice control worked well for setting a destination on the sat nav, but not for making calls and it was a bit hit and miss for changing the radio station, with only has FM or DAB available.
Storage in a small car needs to be well though out and the Mini designers have certainly delivered. There is storage under the cover that has ‘Mini’ written on it and in front of this there are two cup holders that do not have grippy sides or a removable rubber mat at their base and the drink bottle storage cubbies in the front door are a good size.
Above the centre console there is a wireless charging pad for compatible smart phones and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto come as standard. In front of the moveable arm rest there are two USB-C ports and one 12V socket and another ledge that your phone can be stored on.
I found that the rear seats had ample head and leg room for me and for younger passengers there are two ISOfix/three rear tether child seat restraint points, but only enough room for two cars seats due to the width of the rear seat. The centre seat folds down as an arm rest with two shallow cup holders in it that thankfully have grippy sides to reduce the risk of them being knocked over and there are also good-sized drink bottle storage in rear door cubbies as well. Rear passengers get two central air vents that are fixed and they have one central on/off roller switch and between the vents there are two USB-C ports.
The Mini Countryman S has a powered boot lid with an open/close button on the boot lid, in the cabin and on the key fob. The boot is a good size and fitted my weekly shop and under the boot floor there is quite a large amount of extra storage space and this is where you will find the tyre repair kit. I liked that the Mini had hinges to hold the boot floor up so it didn’t fall on my head when I was looking in there.
The good-sized boot space has six substantial tie down points four located at the back of the boot near the rear seats and two at the front and a cargo net to secure items. There are also two hooks, one 12V socket and one light in the boot space and if more space is required the rear seats have a 40:20:40 split fold mechanism that is accessed by pulling the strap on the side of the rear seats.
A five-star ANCAP safety rating applies to Mini Countryman vehicles built prior to 1 January 2024 and vehicles built after this date are unrated. The Mini Countryman has Front, Side, Head and Interaction airbags and comes with a long list of active driver safety aids. These include Autonomous Emergency Braking, Blind Spot Monitoring, Lane Change Warning, Rear Collision Prevention, Rear Crossing Traffic Warning with Brake Intervention, and Adaptive Cruise Control. Unlike many vehicles the bong to alert you that you were outside one of the vehicles parameters was not unpleasant.
The Mini has a very good reversing camera with a 360 degree view as standard and rear camera that looks down when the front or rear parking sensors detect that you are too close to the object in front or behind the vehicle. For convenience you also get rain sensing wipers, automatic lights, and high beam assist.
New Mini models are covered by five-year, unlimited kilometre factory warranty. Mini Service Inclusive allows you to take care of your scheduled servicing costs in one upfront payment and covers servicing for 5 years/80,000km and costs $2,935.
The Mini Countryman S All4 Favoured trim was pleasantly surprising and passed favour with my family. The starting price and as tested price for the Mini Countryman S All4 Favoured trim id $61,990 excluding on-road costs. You can Build and Order you Mini online or visit your preferred Mini dealer for more information.
| Pros | Cons |
| The funky interior | No current ANCAP safety rating |
| It’s quite roomy for a Mini | The infotainment screen was hard to navigate |
| Spike, the Mini’s virtual assistant | The rear air vents are fixed |
Photographs by Driven Women Magazine.