Mini Cooper Countryman - The rule of 4 by Mini

What makes a Mini a Mini?

The original answer would be a small, two-door, go-kart handling British machine.

Yesterday's answer would have been a small, two-door, go-kart handling German machine.

Today's answer has changed yet again, as Mini recently launched their new star: the four meter long, four door Countryman. (Check out the Mini Countryman Launch here).

Mini's magic number this year is 4, and the Countryman is all about 4s: in its Cooper S trim, this is the first ever 4 meters long Mini, with 4 doors, starring the All4, the first ever 4 wheel drive system for Minis, and guess what? It's got 4 seats. 

Mini Asia kindly let me experience the Countryman in its two trims: the Mini Cooper Countryman, and the Cooper S All4 Countryman, allowing me to drive them back to back and really feel the difference between the two models.

Starting with the Cooper Countryman, the first thing that strikes is that from the outside, it's unmistakably a mini, with the classic Mini lines, albeit more muscular, and for those of you who stated that the Mini was a cute ladies' car, this one definitely sits in the men's camp (that doesn't mean, of course, that it's only made for men).

 

Sit inside and you will be greeted by the trademark Centre Speedo, only the rev-meter will be facing you behind the wheel, underlined with a digital meter displaying speed and other useful information from the on-board computer. The Cooper Countryman is quite spacious, and the comfy seats offer an enjoyable high-seating position, which will give you a better view of the road and obstacles around you. Another new feature of the Cooper Countryman is the centre rail. On this trim, only the driver and front passenger enjoy this rail, on which can be fitted a selection of useful items, such as cup holder, sunglasses case, or phone holder. The rail is a fun and innovative idea, but the plastic rail items seem quite flimsy and, just like the plastic door handles, could have been taken care of a bit better to fit in the overall feel of the car.

The centre console is simple and intuitive to use, and it won't take much thinking to get it to work the way you want. A useful feature is the easy access auxiliary line-in that will allow you to plug in your portable audio device to enjoy your favourite songs on the good-sounding audio system.

In the rear, the Countryman is very friendly with its passengers and, unlike the regular Minis, will provide ample legs and head-room, comfortably seating tall people and offering much welcome struggling room for fitting the little ones in their baby seats.

Indeed, families are the Countryman's bread and butter, and its top-rating 5 stars Euro NCAP ratings will make sure everybody will get home uninjured in case of trouble.

The boot too is family friendly, and offers a 350 litres flat loading area, very good and useful for loading heavier stuff, but the flat floor panel can also be lifted and locked in open position to offer an under-compartment of an additional 100 litres of storage area. One might expect to see a spare wheel in that compartment, but the Countryman is delivered with run-flat tyres, making the heavy and cumbersome spare wheel unnecessary. When needed, the Countryman can also fold its rear seats to offer 1,170 liters of storage space.

The Cooper Countryman comes equipped with Mini's usual 1.6l, in-line four engine, delivering 120bhp at 6,000rpm and 160Nm of torque at 4,250rpm. While this is fairly adequate for a family car in Singapore, the 1,370kg of this Mini will make it drink a claimed combined cycle of 7.6l/100km. If your foot is as heavy as mine and you don't like to crawl away when the light turns green, you'll get to experience a less friendly consumption of 10.7L/100km.

The Countryman only comes with a 6-speed automatic gearbox, but you always have the option to shift yourself, either at the stick (up/down) or more preferably at the steering wheel, where both selectors will shift up when pulled and down when pushed. I appreciated this setup as you don't have to search for the up or down selector, especially when turning, just pull or push to shift the way you want.

The ride is quite firm, some might say a tad too firm for a family car, and this is not helped by the run-flat tyres that have strengthened walls and are thus less good at absorbing shorks. While this firmness has its drawbacks, it also has its advantages as it gives the Countryman a better handling. I have to admit, the car being heavier and 10cm higher than a normal Mini, I was afraid it would suffer from body roll, but the firm suspension gives it a well composed handling. In my opinion, it doesn't equate to Mini's traditional go-kart handling, but considering the weight, size and height of the Countryman, it's not too far from it.

The Cooper S Countryman is a whole different story. When I said that the Cooper Countryman was for families, this one is clearly made for big kids.

The differences with the standard Cooper trim are unmistakable, starting with a much more aggressive (and better looking) body kit. The front grill looses the chrome and changes to give it a muscle car look (that reminds me of the Charger SRT), the rims are 18" black alloy, with a tasteful silver lip, and the rear bumper features two chrome exhausts that mean business. The common headlights are also replaced with xenon lights that, in my opinion, look so much better.

The interior features the Mini Visual Boost: the Centre Speedo only runs on the rim of the console while a 6.5” liquid-crystal screen is fitted in its centre for entertainment and information purpose (I really loved the real-time radar when reversing). Once again, the system is quite intuitive and simple. Staying on the ICE side, the Cooper S is not only equipped with an auxiliary line-in plug, but also with a USB interface that will allow you to plug in your iPod or iPhone and control it with the steering wheel commands, while the centre screen displays the playing info. This trim level also offers you the ability to pair your hand phone through Bluetooth for a safer ride, if you’re expecting calls.

The Cooper S Countryman comes stock with four seats, and sees the centre rail extended to the rear seats, giving room for more rail items. Other than the obvious drawback of not being able to haul a fifth person around, the four seat setup gives a direct view inside the boot from between the rear seats, which is a bit disappointing considering the trim level. Hopefully, you can hide your boot's content by locking the flat bed's panel open. Not to worry, if you would rather have room for three at the back, Mini can fit you with the same seating setup as the base trim for no additional charge (three in the back, at the expense of the centre rail). Last but not least, this Countryman was equipped with the electrical glass roof (on option on both Cooper and Cooper S), making the interior feel much more spacious and giving a better lighting. The glass roof is in two parts, the rear one being only able to lift a little bit, and otherwise stays closed when the front glass roof is opened as it slides on top of it.

Engine-wise, the Cooper S Countryman is equipped with the same 1.6l in-line four engine as the Cooper, but a very much appreciated twin-scroll turbo is added, bumping the power to 184bhp at 5,500rpm, and the torque to 240Nm available from 1,600rpm to 5,000rpm (260Nm from 1,700rpm to 4,500rpm with the Overboost). Let me tell you, that charged engine will give you a completely different experience, and the stiff suspension that equips both the Cooper and the Cooper S suddenly makes a lot more sense. This toy really craves for speed, and the torque and power developed when the turbo kicks in, at 1,600rpm is quite addictive. If it's still not enough for you, you can always press that little “sports” button that will give you event quicker shifts.

Another major difference between the Cooper and the Cooper S is the All4 system. The permanent four-wheel drive system can distribute 100% of the power to the front or rear axle to maximize grip and safety thanks to its electromagnetic centre differential, and comes equipped with a (disconnectable) dynamic traction control.

The twin-scroll turbo, the firm suspension and the All4 system transforms the Cooper Countryman into a fun, family friendly toy that's a blast to drive, if you don't mind the higher fuel consumption of 8.1l/100km. Once again, if your driving style is a bit more aggressive and your will weak to resist the turbo temptation (like me), your Cooper S Countryman will drink closer to 13.5l/100km...

In my opinion, the Countryman fits nicely in the Mini stable as it answers the need of trendy, youthful parents, or simply big kids who want to enjoy the flexibility offered by the four doors. On an added note, if I was to let myself be tempted by the Countryman, I'd definitely fork out the additional S$30,000 to get the Cooper S Countryman. Trust me, it's really worth it!

Enjoy the gallery for more Countryman goodness!

Special thanks to Joyce, Mayvia and Teck Huat for their support and kindness.