Mini Countryman SE All4 review: Biggest Mini sets off on a new adventure

August 16, 2024 Matt Allan

Is Mini’s biggest and most expensive model finally a serious SUV contender?

Despite the Mini Countryman getting bigger and bigger with each generation, there’s always been a bit of a feeling that it’s still just a fat five-door Mini hatch. But for this new generation Mini is really trying to emphasise that it’s a model range in its own right – one of three unique cars in its electric range.

With the arrival of the Aceman to sit directly above the regular hatchback, the new Countryman has had space to expand and become a ‘proper’ SUV. So how does Mini’s biggest and most expensive model stack up?

Design, interior and technology

You’d think that after 20 years we would have got past the ‘it’s too big to be a Mini’ comments. Sadly, there are still corners of the internet that can’t cope with the Mini name having moved on, and this car is only going to enrage them further.

It’s 4.44m long by 1.84 wide and 1.66 tall, which is 15cm longer than the old Countryman, a couple of centimetres wider and 10cm taller too. That means it’s the same size as a Volvo EX40 or Mercedes EQA and almost as big as a BMW iX1, Ford Explorer or Renault Scenic E-Tech.

And it wears its size with pride, using angular lines and boxy shapes to emphasise its SUV-ness while still echoing the style of the previous generation. There are enough signs of a family connection to know it’s a Mini but this new Countryman is now more distinctly a model in its own right.

There’s a little more of the other Minis inside, where the Countryman has also adopted the striking fabric finish to the dashboard and door tops. Depending on the trim level, this comes in a variety of colours and patterns and makes a refreshing change from the squishy plastic or faux leather finish we see in so many other cars.

The Countryman also gets the same row of neat toggle switches for starting the car and selecting the drive modes, situated beneath the new circular 24cm central touchscreen. This smart and responsive setup pays homage to the original Mini’s central dial but fills it entirely with information and controls. Different areas of the screen are permanent home to different key functions but you can switch between ‘experiences’ to change the look of the screen as well as elements such as the ambient lighting and synthetic sound.

Elsewhere, the interior has plenty of practical touches from a large, low centre console with cupholders and storage, to broad door bins, seat back pockets, and rear USB sockets, that give it a full-on family focus.

While there’s plenty of space for stuff (including a decent 460-litre boot), the Countryman’s passenger space is fairly average. An regular family of four will fit fine but the longer-legged don’t have a lot of room in the back seats. It’s not terrible compared with its premium competitors but more mainstream models such as the Ford Explorer or Renault Scenic offer more space in a similar footprint.

Battery, motor and performance

The Countryman comes with two powertrain choices – a 201bhp front-wheel-drive version badged Countryman E or the 299bhp all-wheel-drive SE.

Both use the same 64.6kWh battery (also found in the BMW iX2) and come with 130kW charging. In the most efficient E models it returns an official 286 miles of range. In the range-topping SE that drops to 258 miles.

Of course, that’s because it’s got all-wheel-drive and a chunk more power. Enough, in fact, to get it from 0-62mph in just 5.6 seconds if you engage the ‘boost’ mode which briefly unlocks an extra 10bhp. If you choose, you’ll be accompanied by an electronic whoosing noise that’s lifted straight from BMW’s soundscape but sounds strangely jarring in the Mini.

Being so much bigger than the Cooper, you can’t expect the Countryman to handle like a ‘proper’ Mini but it makes a decent stab at it. From the wheel it feels big and you’re aware of its two-tonne kerb weight and its height as it leans a little into corners. But it does feel more composed and controlled than many similar sized cars, with direct handling and sharp steering that let it cut along a country road quite nicely while riding far better than its three-door brethren.

Price and specifications

Mini has always been positioned as a premium product that costs a bit more than mainstream alternatives. But the Countryman takes that to a new level. The SE All4 car I drove came in at a whopping £56,200 thanks to a starting price of £47,180 and a couple of extravagant options packs and some fancier wheels.

To put that in context, many more spacious C-segment electric SUVs start in the low-to-mid-£40,000s. A top-spec Ford Explorer is £49,000 and a 335bhp Skoda Enyaq vRS is £53,000.

Of course, Mini would tell you that the Countryman isn’t competing against such mass-market fare, it’s going for the Mercedes EQA, BMW iX1 and Volvo XC40, all of which cost similar amounts. And that’s fair enough, but the idea of a £56k Mini did give me pause for thought.

You can cut the cost by skipping the £5,300 Level 3 options pack which has a panoramic sunroof and a Harman/Kardon stereo amongst other gadgets. And delete the Sport pack, which adds all the John Cooper Works styling, to save another £3,700.

You can shave off another £5,000 by going for the single-motor version, but that also takes a hint on the equipment levels.

All SE models come with the Level 1 option package as standard, so you’ll already get adaptive LED lights, a powered tailgate, heated seats, two-zone climate control, keyless entry, built-in navigation and smartphone mirroring, plus the usual swathe of driver assistance.

Verdict

So, if you’re happy to sacrifice space for status and part with north of £45k, is the Mini Countryman SE the one to for?

Quite possibly. Certainly compared to the EQA or iX1, it’s better looking and has a far more interesting and engaging interior without giving much away in terms of space.

The performance from the all-wheel-drive powertrain is remarkably punchy, too, and it handles well for an SUV, although less so for a Mini. If you don’t need Porsche levels of acceleration, you might be tempted to go for the marginally more sedate Countryman E, which offers the same family-friendly approach with a more wallet-friendly price tag.