The third-generation Mini Countryman may not be mini, exactly, but it is impressive.
A full 13cm longer and 6cm taller than the outgoing model it is – crazily – nearly as big as the original Range Rover.
That ballooning waistline may dismay purists, but it does finally make the Countryman a practical (as well as fun and stylish) alternative to the Nissan Qashqai, Kia Sportage, Ford Kuga, and other mainstream family SUVs.
Prices start at a fairly reasonable £28,500, which makes it competitive with many of the above rivals.
Electric and petrol options
The Countryman is now available as a fully electric model, with either two or four-wheel drive.
The former has 201bhp and the latter 309bhp, with ranges of 287 and 269 miles, respectively.
Likely to be the biggest seller is the entry-level C model, which has a 1.5 litre, three cylinder petrol engine.
By far the most fun Countryman is the model I drove – the John Cooper Works version.
A snazzy paintwork and bigger wheels with bright red brake calipers help make it stand out from the rest of the Countryman crowd.
Under the bonnet is the same 1.5 litre unit but upgraded to deliver 296bhp. It’s paired with an automatic gearbox and all-wheel-drive for extra traction.
This Mini has a striking interior…
If the exterior doesn’t look radically different to the old model – the Mini’s iconic shape limits its designers’ freedom – the interior has, at least, been dramatically overhauled.
At its heart is what Mini claims is the world’s first circular OLED touchscreen display.
Previous circular displays have, apparently, been rectangular with a circular facia to make them look round.
This one, jutting proudly out from the dashboard as it does, most certainly is circular and provides a hefty dollop of panache.
It looks fantastic, although Mini have put the temperature and fan controls into the touchscreen, making them fiddlier to operate than the physical dials the old car used.
A standard head-up display beams your speed and other vital info onto the windscreen, reducing the driver’s need to look away from the road.
The upholstery is made from recycled material and the dash is wrapped in fabric rather than the usual plastic.
A lot of work has gone into designing an interior that is not only stylish but radically different from that of any other car.
Is Mini Countryman fun to drive?
So what’s it like to drive? A lot of fun, is the short answer.
The Mini Countryman shares the same chassis as the BMW X1 and X2, both of which are good driver’s cars.
Having almost 300bhp to play with, the John Cooper Works version completes the 0-62mph sprint in just 5.4 seconds
The all-wheel drive system ensures there’s no wheelspin and the car launches off the line without any fuss, even in wet weather.
For an SUV, the Countryman handles remarkably well.
Light, accurate steering makes it easy to place into corners and there’s plenty of grip.
It doesn’t feel quite as agile as the Mini hatchback, but it’s streets ahead of other SUVs.
The flipside of this is firm suspension that’s much less forgiving of bumps and imperfections than many more family-oriented SUVs.
Mini Countryman practicality
The Mini Countryman now has space for four adults, thanks in part to its bigger dimensions and also to a rear seat that slides forward or back by 13cm.
This lets you gain extra legroom for rear passengers, albeit at the expense of boot space.
Even with the seats fully back, however, there’s still a decent 460-litre boot, and with the rear seats folded that expands to 1,530 litres.
Not everyone will love the fact that the Mini Countryman is so much bigger than it used to be.
The extra space has been put to good use, though, and it’s finally practical enough to be used as a family car.
Go for the John Cooper Works version and you get an SUV that drives as well as most hot hatches do.
The Mini Countryman may have grown up but it hasn’t lost its sense of fun.
Mini Countryman review – facts:
Price: £39,900
0-62mph: 5.4 seconds
Top speed: 155mph
Economy: 35.3mpg
CO2 emissions: 180g/km
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