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New Mini Countryman is a bit of a head-scratcher. The badge on the bonnet says Mini, which of course means tiny and compact, but this car isn’t small by any stretch of the imagination. Yes, it has all the Mini design cues – the grumpy grille, the big headlights and the pugnacious stance. And this Cooper S even gets racing stripes. But, unlike the…
New Mini Countryman is a bit of a head-scratcher. The badge on the bonnet says Mini, which of course means tiny and compact, but this car isn’t small by any stretch of the imagination. Yes, it has all the Mini design cues – the grumpy grille, the big headlights and the pugnacious stance. And this Cooper S even gets racing stripes. But, unlike the earlier mini cooper S Countryman sd that at least tried to look compact, this one stretches the tape at 4.3m. And along with size comes bulk; it weighs in at 1.5 tonnes.
So, does it still drive like a Mini? Does it still feel athletic from behind the wheel? Will it dart terrier-like into corners? There’s a suitable road only a few kilometres away, and since traffic is thin this early in the morning, that’s where I head.
First impressions are very strong. There’s a sense of agility you don’t expect from a car of this size, and while turn-in isn’t as aggressive as the earlier Countryman, it still feels very poised and neat in corners. There’s plenty of grip from the front wheels, there’s almost no understeer and, almost miraculously, themini cooper S Countryman sd doesn’t feel big and unwieldy at all in back-to-back corners.
Even the steering is beautifully weighted with plenty of real feel. And unlike some cars that fall apart in corners once you up the pace, the harder I drive the Countryman, the more compact and agile it feels. Wow in Used Mini Cooper for sale.
That fundamental Mini-ness, the ability to rise to the occasion and deliver a fantastic driving experience, it’s all here, in spades. It may not quite have the go-kart-like feel of the two-door hatch, but it comes oh so close; there’s still plenty of driving pleasure to be had here.
Underneath the new mini cooper S Countryman sd sits Mini’s UKL2 front-wheel-drive platform –the same one that underpins the BMW X1. Lift up the bonnet and you see a transversely located engine, with power going to the front wheels only. Mini has four-wheel-drive cars, known as ALL4 in other markets, but, here in India, we only get front-wheel-drive versions in mini cooper S Countryman sd.
What’s also uplifts the fun factor here is the presence of a zesty petrol engine. Putting out a strong 192hp, the 2.0-litre TwinPower turbo has near-instant responses post 1,800rpm, a lusty mid-range and even a strong top end. This makes exiting corners thrilling. Yes, the front wheels do struggle a bit to put the power down, especially when one of the wheels is ‘unloaded’ in a tight corner, so you need to wait until weight distribution settles down.
But once the mini cooper S Countryman sd is sort of straight-and-level, you can just plant your right foot and rocket out of corners. And when exiting tight corners, that strong turbocharged mid-range feels just great. Even flat-out performance is strong, despite the weight, 0 to 100kph comes up in a claimed 7.5sec; plenty of performance for a car of this size.
So, despite the extra bulk, it still drives like a Mini. What’s not so nice, however, is that in ‘Sport’, you hear an artificial snarl from the speakers of the car. And then the gearbox is slow. It’s alright for everyday driving; it’s relatively smooth and jerk-free and responds well at lower speeds, but start ‘enjoying’ the Mini – driving it hard, like you should – and it often takes its own sweet time to deliver that downshift in mini cooper S Countryman sd.
So the Countryman is now both much nicer to drive and much nicer to sit in; job done. Space and comfort have taken a clear step forward, the cabin is now built of much better materials, and, just as before, Mini’s blend of timeless retro-cool just works. Sure, the steering isn’t as sharp as the earlier car’s and low-speed ride isn’t as good as it should be, but this big SUV mini cooper S Countryman sd still feels like a Mini from behind the wheel.
It’s agile, it’s plenty of fun to hurl around corners, and then the peppy petrol engine adds yet another dimension.