Driven, MINI Countryman An Evolution Of The British Iconic Marque

It is mid-winter and the English countryside is bleak. The days are short and the air is permanently cold and damp. I sit snugly at the wheels of the latest MINI Countryman, positioned high enough to feel in control of the slippery roads, happy with the knowledge that should one of these country lanes turn into deep mud, the car’s off-road functions will help guide me to safety.

Having stepped out to take some photographs, I find myself deep in mud. This is when an unassuming new feature comes handy. For this latest compact crossover, MINI has introduced an optional fold down ‘picnic bench’ at the rear. The new electric tailgate control is touch-free now so it takes a few seconds to open the boot, pull out the bench, hop on top and remove my muddy shoes. It may not seem like the most technological advanced idea, yet sometimes these simple solutions can make all the difference. For me it is such quirks that defines the MINI marque.

MINI has a storied past. Born in 1959 to the British Motor Corporation, the original Alec Issigonis car remains one of the most enduring designs in the history of the motor car. Styling and engineering combined were simply genius. Here was a vehicle so small and nimble yet spacious thanks to the clever transverse engine front-wheel drive layout. The frivolously fun go-kart handling won the hearts of the rebellious sixties youth as the MINI came to define the era, immortalized by the iconic car chase scene in the 1969 Italian Job. My parents owned a handsome midnight blue MINI then; my father taught my mother to drive in one, courting her as she learnt to navigate London’s notorious Hyde Park Corner.

This new Countryman is the largest, most versatile and expensive MINI model to be launched by BMW in its 16-year stewardship of the marque. This is an entirely redesigned model, lengthened by 20cm with a 7.5cm extended wheelbase. The exterior explores the familiar MINI design theme – floating roof, oversized headlamps, hexagonal radiator grille – evolved here to express the car’s on-and off-road abilities for large wheel arches, short overhangs and new standard-fit roof rails. Inside is visibly more considered and sophisticated than the previous model with more premium material and trim choices, as well as a cleaner, clearer and more connected interface. Furthermore, the Countryman debuts MINI's flagship 8.8-inch display with touchscreen multimedia and navigation control.

BMW decided a little while ago to reposition the MINI marque to be more premium, more grown-up, by reducing some of the cutesy elements for a cleaner design language. The focus with this generation is on customization, encouraging owners to let loose their imagination by offering a healthy menu of color and trim options. Creating your own MINI, after all, is half the fun of owning one.

The Countryman I have on test is a Cooper S with the ALL4 all-wheel drive system and an eight-speed automatic gearbox. The sporty 2.0-liter turbocharged petrol engine is smooth offering a decent 189bhp which can be made to sound racier in Sports mode. For the first time, MINI is offering a plug-in hybrid model with the new Cooper S E Countryman ALL4. It will be propelled by a turbocharged petrol engine and an electric motor, reducing fuel consumption to 134.5 mpg yet also enabling a 0-62 mph time of just 6.9 seconds. This, I’m excited to try when it is launched later in the year.

It was always going to be polarizing to see a German manufacture handle such a loved British icon and BMW has worked hard to first re-invent and then continue to evolve the MINI marque growing the family from the original 2001 hatch to include a convertible, a small estate, a sports coupé and roadster and this crossover.

Not all were successful – the coupé and roadster had to go – but the reality is that a car company cannot survive on a single model alone. The new family of MINIs may not be for the Issigonis purists, yet driving the Countryman it is clear the marque has evolved to meet the demands of twenty-first century drivers. Today, I can see myself navigating the now much more complex and congested Hyde Park Corner in a new MINI – perhaps one of the sustainable hybrid models on sale later in the year.