Mini Countryman Electric Car Review

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…the first all-electric Mini Countryman, which is built on the same platform as the BMW X1.

The Countryman line-up starts at £29,340 with the 1.5-litre petrol engine, which we tested earlier this year. There’s a significant price jump to £42,080 for the entry-level all-electric Countryman E, although for company car drivers benefit-in-kind (BIK) is just 2% for the 2024/25 tax year.

The Countryman E has a 66kWh battery (64.7kWh usable capacity), coupled with a 150kW/201hp electric motor. You can step up to the all-wheel drive Countryman SE All4, which has an increased power output of 230kW/308hp thanks to two electric motors, although the WLTP range dips from 286 miles to 266 miles.

There are three trim levels to choose from:

Classic
Exclusive
Sport

Both Classic and Exclusive give drivers the choice of two packs (level 1 and level 2), while Sport adds a level 3 option. Level 1 includes technology such as Comfort Access keyless entry and head-up display, while level 2 adds features such as a panoramic glass sunroof and sun protection glass, and level 3 gives you 22kW high speed charging, Park Assist Plus and an interior camera.

Is The Mini Countryman Electric Suitable For My Fleet

We drove the Mini Countryman E at the SMMT Test Day at Millbrook Proving Ground so didn’t get to see how the range fared during a week-long test. A few laps of the city course and alpine route saw the trip computer register 3.0 miles per kWh (the official figure is 3.9mpkWh) from an 85% charged battery.

Boot space in the Mini Countryman Electric is a reasonable 450 litres (although the BMW iX1 offers 490 litres), and there is an additional floor compartment for charging cables.

The rear seats split in a 40/20/40 configuration but don’t slide like they do in the petrol model.

Leasing A Mini Countryman Electric

Intelligent Car Leasing is offering the Countryman E Exclusive on a 3+36 contract with 20,000 miles a year for £605.24 a month. Maintenance costs are forecast to be £30.69 a month according to Gensen Reports, with Class 1A NIC coming in at £13.84 a month.

Driving A Mini Countryman Electric

Driving a Countryman is never going to be as fun as a Mini Cooper given its size but it does still promise a ‘go kart’ experience if you flip it into this mode. Acceleration (0-62mph) in the Countryman E is 8.6 seconds and it handled the turns of the alpine and city courses well, although the ride was a little firm.

For more comfort and efficiency, you can choose ‘green’ mode, which is the equivalent of eco, or ‘core’.

We found the optional head-up display really useful to save you turning your attention to the huge round touchscreen for key driving information.

As you would expect with Mini there are plenty of retro design features such as the toggle bar below the touchscreen for driving functions. It includes the start-stop key which you twist.

There are high quality materials throughout the cabin, many of which are partly recycled or recyclable, and the curved dashboard features a textile surface for the first time, which makes the Countryman a really interesting place to be.

FleetandLeasing.com Verdict On the Mini Countryman Electric

The electric SUV market is crowded, especially with the addition of competitively-priced models from Chinese brands, so the Mini Countryman Electric needs to stand out. It certainly does that design-wise and the build quality is excellent, elevating it to the premium level. It will appeal to user choosers who are fans of Minis but a longer range may be needed to convert more fleet managers and their drivers.