Crossover has expanded to Nissan Qashqai size for its third generation but promises to be a truer Mini than before
JAMES ATTWOOD @atters_j
TESTED 7.2.24, LISBON, PORTUGAL ON SALE NOW PRICE £40,425
The new Mini Countryman is emphatically not mini. It’s the biggest Mini yet, in fact, and it looks it. It’s more like a Maxi Countryman. With that established, prepare yourself for an angry missive about how the brand has scandalously veered away from its roots and heritage.
Except… well, it turns out that size really isn’t everything. Because in how well it embodies the renewed spirit and ethos of the Mini brand, building on its past and a sense of upbeat, optimistic fun, this car totally feels like a Mini.
This is the third-generation Countryman, and the SUV has grown notably from the Mk2, which in turn grew notably from the Mk1. At 4433mm, it is 120mm longer than the 2016 car and more than a third of a metre longer than the 2010 car.
It’s the first car in a revamped line-up as Mini accelerates its transition to being fully electric, and its growth makes room for the new, electric-only Aceman crossover. Also coming are the all-new electric three-door Cooper hatchback and heavily updated versions of the three- and five-door ICE Coopers.
The growth also moves the Countryman up into a lucrative class: while previous versions had SUV styling but really competed with family hatchbacks, it has now firmly entered Nissan Qashqai territory.
It continues to use the same multi-powertrain BMW Group UKL2 platform as the BMW X1 and X2, and it’s now being built beside those crossovers at BMW’s Leipzig plant, making it the first Mini to be made in Germany.
The Countryman will be sold in both electric and petrol forms. It will be a few weeks before we can talk about the EVs, though. Our first outing instead comes in the range-topping John Cooper Works, which uses a 2.0-litre turbo four that offers 296bhp and 295lb ft. If you’re after a more sensible engine, there’s also a 1.5-litre turbo triple offered with front- or four-wheel drive.
The challenge in creating a modern Mini is designing something that looks modern but also clearly evokes the 1959 original. The Countryman is a job well done, at least to these eyes, although it does mean that when you first see it in the metal, it looks even bigger than you expect, due to the chunky C-pillars and boxy rear roofline.
The JCW features a host of extra exterior styling details, including a bespoke grille
