The brand new MINI Countryman SE ALL4 Electrical provides 432km of vary, 460L boot area, and 0–100km/h in 5.6 seconds.
Grown dimensions and good packaging make it appropriate for households or adventure-ready singles.
Loaded with tech like a round OLED show, adaptive cruise management, and 4 USB-C ports throughout all trims.
The very identify MINI has performed the model no favours when making an attempt to persuade Australian drivers that its largest providing is definitely… nicely, not mini in any respect.
The brand new MINI Countryman has grown considerably from its predecessors. MINI’s advertising staff now faces the automotive equal of convincing those that Vegemite tastes good on avocado toast; it could be true.
Nonetheless, you’ve acquired to beat years of ingrained notion. Including to the problem is that arguably probably the most compelling choices within the Countryman lineup are the brand new front-wheel drive E and all-wheel drive SE battery-electric fashions.
So let’s get this proper. I’m right here to inform you that the Countryman is just not solely large enough to be a sensible automobile for energetic singles and younger households right here in Australia, however you also needs to go for the EV model.
Effectively, sure, I’m. And after spending per week with the Countryman SE ALL4 electrical, I’ve come armed with the chilly, exhausting numbers that show this MINI is extra maxi than you’d count on.
The Progress Spurt: MINI Goes Massive
First, let’s tackle the elephant within the room, or reasonably, the not-so-mini MINI within the driveway. The brand new Countryman has had a severe progress spurt, stretching 147mm longer, 21mm wider, and sitting 60mm taller than its predecessor. It’s greater than any Bondi residence.
With a wheelbase prolonged by 22mm, it’s now over 4.4m lengthy. For the avoidance of doubt, that’s considerably bigger than the unique Countryman and locations it firmly within the small SUV phase alongside the Volvo XC40 and Mercedes EQA.
In real-world phrases, the Countryman has morphed from a barely roomier Cooper or Clubman to a bona fide compact SUV. It’s much less ‘fun-sized’ and shutting in on household worth, or, for the unattached, able to swallow a weekend’s value of mates and journey gear.
However the perfect factor is it’s nonetheless very recognisably MINI in design language. Albeit with sufficient substance to be taken critically.
Maths That Truly Add Up
For folks, automobiles might be geometry issues wrapped in steel: will the pram match? Can we pack sufficient for a weekend? Will the children complain about legroom?
The brand new era Countryman SE ALL4 Electrical ‘s boot area is a decent 460 litres with the rear seats up (sufficient for a full-sized pram plus buying baggage). It expands to 1450 litres with the seats folded. That’s correctly usable area, not theoretical quantity that solely works for those who’re transporting ping-pong balls.
For comparability’s sake, it edges out the Volvo XC40 Recharge’s 452L, the Kia Niro EV’s 451L, and the Renault Megane E-Tech’s 440L. Petrol Countryman fashions ship much more area. The MINI Countryman line-up wins this explicit numbers recreation.
There are three seat belts throughout the second row, some MINIs solely provided two prior to now. And these rear seats supply sufficient legroom for adults, not simply youngsters. The actual-world legroom is likely one of the real surprises of the Countryman — a correct feat in a automobile that maintains comparatively compact exterior dimensions.
For folks, there are two ISOFIX factors and three prime tethers for little one seats. The rear doorways open vast sufficient to make the child-seat set up much less of a contortionist’s problem. The cabin additionally options 4 USB-C ports for gadget charging—a quantity that any guardian or common street tripper (it’s not solely youngsters who need POWWWWEEERRRR!!!) will recognise as simply sufficient for contemporary peace-keeping operations.
Go Kart Nonetheless Issues
Efficiency is a MINI staple. Happily, the Countryman delivers, boasting some spectacular statistics, significantly within the all-electric dual-motor SE ALL4 variant. With 230kW of energy (over 300hp in outdated cash) and almost 500Nm of torque obtainable immediately, this MINI hits 100km/h in simply 5.6 seconds. For context, that’s faster than a Volkswagen Golf GTI.
The all-wheel-drive SE’s dual-motor setup means it places energy down successfully in all circumstances—from city rainswept roads to the occasional gravel monitor resulting in that secluded tenting spot. It’ll maintain the ski bunnies completely satisfied, too.
The true MINI character shines by the Countryman’s eight selectable Expertise Modes. Core provides you the usual balanced setup, whereas Inexperienced optimises for effectivity.
However the Go-Kart mode brings the largest grin—sharpening throttle response, including weight to the steering, and piping in some cheeky artificial engine sounds by the audio system. The opposite modes (Private, Timeless, Vivid, Stability, and Path) every rework not simply the driving dynamics but additionally the ambient lighting and the central show’s look. It’s correctly theatrical in the absolute best method.
The weekend warrior will recognize the boot’s sq. form and flat ground. As famous above, excellent for journey gear. I managed to suit two full-size street bikes in with the seats folded (entrance wheels eliminated). A great-quality roof pod or racks will likely be a wise addition for a lot of.
Vary nervousness? The Countryman SE ALL4’s 432km WLTP vary interprets to about 380km in real-world combined driving. Sufficient for a weekend escape from Sydney to the Hunter Valley or Melbourne to the surf with confidence.
The 130kW DC quick charging functionality isn’t world-beating however interprets to a 29-minute espresso break taking the SE from 10-80% battery.
Tech Worth Equations
The electrical MINI Countryman fashions ship spectacular tech to the phase, beginning with the placing, now-signature, 9.4-inch round OLED central show.
Wi-fi Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wi-fi cellphone charging, a head-up show, consolation entry for keyless entry, and a heated steering wheel are normal throughout all three trim ranges (core, Traditional, and Favoured).
The Traditional trim ($67,990 for the E, $72,990 for the SE ALL4) provides tech that everybody will recognize: adaptive cruise management, Parking Assistant Plus with Encompass View, Computerized Pace Restrict Assistant, and Steering and Lane Management Assistant.
I’m not totally satisfied of the have to be logged in by way of the MINI smartphone app to correctly use full performance (and keep linked to CarPlay), however this will likely swimsuit homeowners higher than ring-in reviewers.
The MINI stacks up nicely whenever you evaluate what you get in your cash in opposition to European opponents. From the identical broad household, the BMW iX1 with related specs will set you again considerably extra, whereas the MINI brings a lot of the identical tech and a extra partaking driving expertise.
Operational Economics
Working prices are the place the Countryman battery electrical fashions make their case even stronger. A median dwelling charging session prices roughly $15-20 for a full cost (relying in your electrical energy price), in comparison with the $60-80 you’d spend on petrol for the same vary. And when you have photo voltaic, it’s basically free…
The scheduled upkeep follows primary condition-based servicing with four-year capped value servicing obtainable from round $1500. Guarantee protection extends to 5 years with limitless kilometres, whereas the battery itself is roofed for eight years or 160,000km.
Maybe most importantly for the budget-conscious, each the Countryman E and Countryman SE ALL4 sneak in beneath the Luxurious Automobile Tax threshold for fuel-efficient autos, offering a big value benefit over some opponents. Novated leasing might make it much more enticing if that’s an choice for you.
The Verdict: MINI by Identify, Not by Nature
After residing with the MINI Countryman SE ALL4 for per week or so, I’m barely smitten. I raced a JCW Cooper a decade or so in the past, and there’s positively a transparent lineage or DNA. It’s a enjoyable drive: Go Kart mode and the whacky digital soundtrack are particularly value making an attempt (in small doses).
Higher nonetheless, the numbers again up the Countryman E and SE: these are surprisingly sensible autos that occur to put on MINI badges reasonably than compromised mini-SUVs making an attempt to play within the area.
For households, the MINI Countryman provides real on a regular basis usability. It has sufficient area, expertise, and vary to deal with the varsity run, weekend sports activities, and occasional street journeys with out requiring the footprint of a standard giant SUV. For energetic singles, it delivers efficiency that’ll put a smile in your face, sensible area for life-style gear, and a particular character that stands out from the more and more homogeneous electrical SUV crowd.
The MINI Countryman Electrical’s greatest problem isn’t its precise dimensions, nevertheless. These are genuinely aggressive. It’s overcoming the notion that something carrying a MINI badge should be, nicely, mini.
However numbers don’t lie, and these ones make a compelling case that the Countryman deserves consideration… It’s a correct full-fat, full-caffeine, full-sized compact SUV—and one which occurs to be a bit extra enjoyable than most.
