Larger, with minimalist styling and using recycled supplies inside and outside, the Mini Countryman is the primary of the agency’s new technology of autos to land in South Africa. Whereas Mini appeals to a sure sort of particular person, the Countryman’s dimension places it within the crosshairs of stiff competitors. Kyle Kock drove it in Mpumalanga.
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Mini Countryman S ALL4 Quick Information
- Worth: R795 074.00
- Engine: 2.0-litre, turbopetrol, four-cylinder
- Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch
- Energy: 160 kW
- Torque: 360 N.m
- 0-100 km/h: 7.4 seconds
- High pace: 228 km/h
- Gasoline consumption: 6.8 L/100 km
- Emissions: 155 g/km
What are we driving and why is it important?
As worldwide tendencies dictate, downsizing and carbon neutrality are the secret. Mini, who as soon as had a seven-strong mannequin line-up that included the common three-door Cooper, a convertible model thereof, a lowered-roofline mannequin within the type of the coupé/roadster siblings, the Clubman station wagon with rear barn doorways, the Paceman crossover SUV coupé, and the Countryman crossover SUV, has additionally needed to buck to world calls for. Whereas each single a type of fashions embodied what made the Mini marque stand out as a alternative at a time when the motoring lots had been nonetheless scooping up boutique fashions, the monetary pressure of creating new physique types versus what was being offered meant that the BMW subsidiary was pressured to section out its extra radical designs in favour of what strikes off showroom flooring.
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Reflecting on what I’ve talked about about tendencies, the primary of the new-generation Minis to reach in South Africa is the Countryman, a staple within the lineup since its native introduction in 2011. Mini’s clean-up programme begins with its identify. It should now be referred to as Countryman, as an alternative of Cooper Countryman, breaking a 16-year naming conference.
What does the Mini Countryman price?
Though solely the bottom Countryman C and Countryman S can be found on the time of hitting publish on this text, the raucous John Cooper Works Countryman will likely be launched later this month, and the all-electric Countryman E can even arrive in direction of the top of 2024.
- Countryman C – R724 819.70
- Countryman S – R795 074.00
- Countryman JCW – R965 767.80
- Countryman E – R1 086 000
The Mini Countryman comes normal with a 5-year/100 000 km upkeep plan.
What are the Mini Countryman’s rivals?
At a beginning value of slightly below R800 000, the Mini Countryman S I spent two days driving round Mpumalanga is up towards the benchmark for minimalist design inside and outside; the Volvo XC40 B4, which additionally makes use of a turbopetrol four-cylinder motor with 145 kW and 300 N.m. Then there’s the trendy Alfa Romeo Tonale, powered by a 118 kW/240 N.m 1.5-litre turbopetrol inline-four. Its in-house rival is BMW’s wonderful X1 sDrive18i xLine with a 115 kW/230 N.m 1.5-litre three-cylinder.
What’s new on the Mini Countryman?
Design-wise, fanatics will nonetheless be capable to determine the U25 Countryman as a Mini, however for individuals who should look a bit of tougher, it’s bigger than earlier than: 130 mm longer and 80 mm taller precisely. Extra apparent is that the Mini design crew has adopted a minimalist method to the brand new mannequin. As a substitute of being rounded, the Coutryman’s headlamps are angular and the grille now integrates a part of the entrance bumper. Black plastic cladding camouflages the three decrease vents, the center of which is markedly bigger than the earlier technology mannequin
Alongside its profile, the badging has been moved from the entrance fenders and doorways to the C Pillar, and the contrasting faux-alloy trim on the facet skirts matches related objects on the entrance and rear aprons. There’s a alternative of alloy wheel designs, however extra importantly, these are all milled from recycled aluminium. The mannequin I drove on the native launch was fitted with the smallest wheels obtainable within the vary: six-spoke rims lined with 225/55 Hankook tyres. Patrons may go for bigger 19-inchers in a unique type (with 245/45 Pirelli P Zero boots) and if the JCW trim choice is ticked then the wheel alternative strikes as much as distinctive 20-inch objects with Michelin 245/40 R20 rubber.
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On the rear, the minimalist styling is much more evident, with the recess for the registration plate moved from the tailgate to the bumper and the exhaust system now sits flush with the rear apron. The taillights, rear fog lamps and shark fin aerial are additionally sleeker than earlier than. I, for one, will miss the visible drama that twin tailpipes added to the Minis of S designation.
Inside, there’s been some extra tidying up. Rectangular spokes change the rounded ones on the Countryman’s predecessor, the devices have all been moved to the central show (there’s a pop-up HUD that relays some vitals to the driving force nevertheless) and the local weather management switches have additionally been built-in into the central show. The toggles that used to take a seat beneath the local weather management switches have been moved greater and now make room for a wi-fi cellphone charging pad and a bigger recess beneath the pad for storing small objects.
The higher sections of the door automobiles and the dashboard are lined in recycled plastic, which feels extra like a premium cloth to the contact, and the color adjustments from the rear of the cabin to the entrance. The fake leather-based seats additionally contribute to the change in distinction.
The largest information is that the brand new Countryman sports activities the biggest spherical OLED display on the automotive market, measuring 240 mm in diameter. Flipping the drive expertise toggle adjustments the temper, color and font, with the go-kart mode in black and purple, an eco mode in shades of inexperienced, and timeless mode in basic tan with black lettering. The driving mild patterns entrance and rear additionally change based on the chosen drive mode.
What’s the Mini Countryman S prefer to drive?
As talked about earlier on this article, the S I drove was fitted with the smallest wheels doable. The chunky sidewalls of the Hankook flattered the Mini’s UKL2 platform, which it shares with the BMW X1 and different group merchandise, and the entire common charms we’ve been accustomed to with Mini’s status for dynamic prowess are current. It handles nicely, turns in attentively and eats up massive distances whereas remaining poised, although it not has such a major edge over its competitors on this regard as they’ve all caught up.
The completely different driving modes are a hoot, nevertheless, and regardless of my enthusiastic driving method, the Mini’s common gas consumption hovered round 7.9 L/100 km after a spherical journey of 800 km.
Verdict
Though Mini’s tapered down on the extroverted styling cues inside and outside that made the likes of the Countryman and its brethren stand out so clearly from the gang they had been surrounded by, there’s a maturity in the best way the most recent product from the model has been put collectively. Paired with a bit of social and environmental accountability, the Mini Countryman is, due to this fact, higher than ever.
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