[CARS]: Is The New Countryman The Best Mini?

It’s been a while since we have received a new Mini product since the Mini Cooper SE. And now they are looking into the electrification market. This is the new Mini Countryman S All4.

This new Countryman is very beautiful with a wide range of exterior color options to compliment those updates. The face of the Countryman is still recognizably a Mini model. The circle lights are switched out for a more angular LED light. The grill in-between them is also more hexagon shaped giving it a unique front-end. This being the electric variant, the grill is blocked off with gloss black panels and their integrated driver assistances. The Countryman is of course a cross over, so to denote that. They put textured black plastic on the wheel wells. Sitting within those wheel-wells are 19-inch beautiful aerodynamic wheels. The rear-end is also has a unique look to it. It has multi-LED lights creating the same pattern to the smaller Mini Cooper, and it has the model designation to tell you what model it is. Mini offers a few accent trims on the Countryman. Like as specced with the red paint, with gold accents on the wheels, side skirts, grille, rear diffuser, and the badges. Which makes it look very sporty especially with the optional gloss black roof.

The biggest change happens on the interior where you find a redesigned and minimalist interior. The interior has a mixture of materials and the same gold accents. The Countryman has singledigital display that gives the driver all the information they may need to know about the charging and battery percentage for this electric model. It is a bright cabin and that is assisted by the seats and the optional panoramic moon roof that extends to the rear. The seats themselves are comfortable and can be optioned with a different color. The Countryman is the largest Mini they make, and it feels like it on the interior.

There are two variants of the Countryman. An all-electric model and a mild-hybrid petrol version. They both come with three-trim levels: Classic, Favored and John Cooper Works. Ranging from R 717 600 to R 857 500. While the 2-litre turbocharged Inline-4 mild hybrid variant won’t be as quiet as the electric version. Although they feel and drive the same. The massive difference is that one needs 5 minutes to fill the tank while the other one does it in 30 minutes, using a fast charger. The electric SE model has two electric motors producing 308 horsepower and 494 Nm of torque, with an all-wheel drive. It has 67Kwh battery pack, which gives off an estimated range of 420 km.