Say hello to…
…the Mini Countryman, the brand’s largest car, a mid-size family SUV. The all-new Countryman has been given a highly distinctive new look that clearly sets it out from what is a very crowded market. This is no bad thing. Not only has the exterior been given a bold look, the interior is far from mundane too. While styling is subjective, the interior is interesting in a good way with high quality materials that avoid the use of cheaper feeling plastics.
The Countryman is offered in three trim levels, excluding the hot JCW version.
- Classic
- Exclusive
- Sport
Standard equipment on the Classic trim includes a heated steering wheel, roof rails, Apple CarPlay, 18-inch alloys, aircon, auto high beam, DAB radio, infotainment touchscreen and heated seats.
Standard on the Exclusive adds a sports steeringwheel, sports seats, uprated interior trim and a black roof.
Sport adds a sportier bodykit.
Is the Mini Countryman suitable for my fleet
With both petrol and full electric versions available, the new Mini Countryman starts off well for fleet suitability. It’s also extremely practical with good space in the cabin for passengers front and back. The boot is a good size at 480 litres. All versions are also all automatic.
Leasing a Mini Countryman
Intelligent Car Leasing is offering the Countryman in 1.5 Classic form on a 3+36 contract with 20,000 miles a year for £377 a month. Maintenance costs are forecast to be £64 a month according to Gensen Reports with the Class 1A NIC coming in at £87 for the entry level Countryman C Classic.
Driving a Mini Countryman
Everything about the Mini Countryman is interesting. Climb into the driver’s seat and you’re immediately greeted by a large circular infotainment screen that allows you to adjust a multitude of settings from the way the rear lights display at night to the drive modes and sounds the car plays.
While it is a fun element to the car, it is also very complicated. There are no fewer than eight drive modes to cycle through. Initially that’s too many. Eco, comfort and sport would be just fine. However, over time, and once you’d learnt the menu system, the multitude of setting approach would suit the customisable nature of Mini.
Once you’ve picked your drive mode, the actual driving experience is excellent. Ride comfort is good and the seats supportive. There’s little bodyroll on twistier roads and there’s definitely a fun element to the experience.
The standard automatic gearbox is possibly the weakest link in the way the car drives. However, for 90% of the time it is great. Just when you go a little quicker it can be a touch slow to react.
We’d also avoid the optional sports steering wheel which is just too fat and not a comfortable to grip as a regular steering wheel.
Engine refinement from the 1.5-litre petrol engine is very good on a motorway cruise and around town. It’s also impressively efficient. With our test figure of 44.6mpg coming very close to the official 46.5mpg WLTP statistic.
For those looking for something more interesting in the family SUV sector the Mini Countryman is a highly attractive option.
Verdict on the Mini Countryman
Mini showing how you can have ‘interesting’ in the SUV segment. Highly recommended.
Mini Countryman
- Model: Countryman C Classic 1.5 auto
- Power: 170hp
- Torque: 280Nm
- Max speed: 131mph
- 0-62mph: 8.3s
- Official mpg: 46.5mpg
- Test mpg: 44.6mpg
- CO2 emissions: 139g/km
- BIK tax band 2024/25: 32%
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