Mini expanding
Hear Mini mentioned and the immediate thought is of a two-door agile sub-compact with short overhangs and the maximum of room despite reduced dimensions, a ‘go-kart with a roof’ succinctly describing the driving experience. And this description applies not only to the original Issigonis Mini developed at the end of the fifties but also to the BMW versions launched for the new millennium. But since nobody can stand for long on just one leg the management in Munich needed to act decisively. Thus there was quite soon a convertible model and since 2007 the lifestyle estate version, the Clubman. The compact SUV Countryman was introduced last year. Manufactured by Magna Steyr in Austria this is a five-door model and, at 4.10 metres, a car longer than any other Mini ever built. The entry into this very competitive SUV segment was important for BMW in order to have something to offer for a new cohort of car buyers and to increase overall market share. In the year to come the Countryman platform will also be the basis of the automobile destined to be derived from the three-door Paceman concept car.
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- The headlight arrays of the Mini Countryman seem oversized and give the car a sort of ‘pop eyed’ appearance.
No lack of room
For Europeans the terms ‘cross-over’ and ‘diesel’ go hand in hand, which is the reason for confidence that most buyers will opt for either the Cooper D or the four-wheel-drive Cooper D All4 versions. Fans of the marque who see the Countryman as something of a cuckoo in the Mini nest must learn better… This is a real Mini. The proportions and the design are authentic and the technology, too. The somewhat lumpy front could look a bit more dynamic when viewed by another driver in his rear-view mirror and the rear aspect makes one think of the vehicle favoured by Bob the Builder. But the message is… “Yes, we can!” The Mini Countryman is an all-purpose auto. In the back there is not really room for three occupants and so buyers are well advised to order the four-seater configuration. This not only looks a lot better but also provides real seating comfort for back seat passengers. The driver and his companion in the front can expect well contoured seats which remain comfortable even on long journeys. The tailgate can only be opened manually and gives onto cargo space of at least 350 litres. This capacity grows when the rear seats are retracted to 1,100 litres. This is not a massive loading capability but even Bob the Builder is doesn’t need a dump truck every single day. For everyday requirements the space available is entirely adequate.
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- The interior of the car is typical Mini in its look, with the array of retro-styled switches, round instrument housings and controls expected in any model of the marque.
Typically Mini: Function follows form
The interior of the car is also typical Mini in its look, with the array of retro-styled switches, round instrument housings and controls expected in any model of the marque. The central speedometer of oversized and may not be to the taste of everyone. This is not exactly optimal positioning especially if the buyer also orders the very useful navigation system. For here… true to the Mini motto ‘function follows form’… the excellent navigation screen has been squeezed into the round speedometer unit with the result that the actual speed is now hard to decipher. The operation of the navigation system… using a slender chrome rotate-and-press knob between the front seats… is far from ideal.
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- The Countryman is a real Mini. The proportions and the design are authentic and the technology, too. The somewhat lumpy front could look a bit more dynamic when viewed by another driver in his rear-view mirror.
A dynamic compact SUV
The chief asset of the Mini Countryman is its suspension. The steering is direct, the springing stiff and the centre of gravity low enough for there to be much more driving enjoyment than in other models competing in this segment. The neutral driving behaviour... and the well-regulated assistant systems which do not absolve the driver from his responsibilities as the performance limits are approached... mean that this is a car which can be a lot of fun. Thos who decide on the four-wheel-drive version of the Mini Cooper D Countryman with the All4 system make a sensible choice. In normal conditions the power will be directed almost exclusively to the front axle. The all-wheel-drive option has no significant weight disadvantage and proves useful not just on snow and ice. The additional 1,600 Euros is money well spent.
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- For Europeans the terms ‘cross-over’ and ‘diesel’ go hand in hand, which is the reason for confidence that most buyers will opt for either the Cooper D or thefour-wheel-drive Cooper D All4 versions.
More power to be wished
The motorization of the Cooper D was not totally convincing. The common-rail 112 horsepower (82 kW) engine is little more than an alibi entry level power plant. It is far from quick off the mark but this can be accepted. Less acceptable is the weakness felt when the RPMs are mid-range and the 112 horsepower is revealed as giving too little push. From 140 kilometres an hour the going gets difficult and when there is a hill to surmount the driver is forced to drop a gear sooner than he would wish. The all-wheel-drive auto has serious difficulties to reach its top speed of 190 kilometres an hour. Oddly enough the six-speed transmission is very well conceived and much better than the 1.6 litre engine with a maximum torque of 270 Nm that it serves. Also worth mentioning… the noise level in the Mini Countryman could be a bit lower.
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- The motorization of the Cooper D was not totally convincing. The common-rail 112 horsepower (82 kW) engine is little more than an alibi entry level power plant.
When will there be a top diesel?
The 143 horsepower Mini Cooper SD Countryman is not only for those who do a lot of driving. Few buyers will be content with the less powerful motorization. But the question remains as to when Mini will offer a diesel version with about 180 horsepower, for 143 is too little for a top model seeking to carry the flag of a very dynamic marque. A positive attribute is the fuel consumption of the Mini Cooper D Countryman All4. In our highway test the car called for 6.4 litres of diesel per hundred kilometres driven and not the promised 4.9. But when the driving is in city traffic then the stop-start system and regenerative braking help to get closer to the economy target.
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- The excellent navigation screen has been squeezed into the round speedometer unit with the result that the actual speed is now hard to decipher.
Pricey extras
The entry price for the Mini Cooper D Countryman is 25,900 Euros. But for this the buyers gets only basic level equipment. Anyone wanting the almost essential features such as heated seats, Xenon headlights, navigation system, the chic panorama roof or any of the other desirable amenities must tick off extras which will bring his total investment quite easily above the thirty thousand Euros mark. Quite a lot of money for Bob the Builder.
