If you want an electric MINI, no longer are you limited to the three-door Hatch; now the subsidiary of BMW is expanding its zero-emission drivetrains to other product lines and the first to benefit is the most practical of them all, the Countryman. Tested here in dual-motor SE format, does this version make the most sense in the wider line-up of the new Countryman, and indeed further afield among similar electric crossovers of the same type?
In the metal
The latest MINI Countryman is all at once obviously a fresh design, and yet comfortingly familiar if you're a fan of the biggest model in the company's range. Various details, such as squared-off daytime running lamp signatures in the headlights, a smoother-looking tailgate and that floating C-pillar detail just behind the back doors immediately identify it as the new one, although the general 'estate-on-stilts'-like shape of it harks back to the previous two generations of modern-era MINI Countryman models.
For the electric variants, a few yellow exterior details give the game away, this more powerful twin-motor SE All4 gaining bright little 'S' emblems in what would once have been its radiator grille and on the rear hatch next to the widely spaced 'Countryman' lettering. You might also spot the lack of any tailpipes jutting out underneath the rear bumper, or the flat-faced 20-inch alloy wheels which are not only aerodynamically swish, but they are also made of 70 per cent recycled aluminium for maximum eco-goodness. Speaking of which, a coefficient of drag of just 0.26 makes this MINI a slippery customer for cutting efficiently through the air.
The electric cars (do we call them 'Countrymans'? 'Countrymen'?) also have different LED light signatures in the rear clusters, although there are three designs selectable which can match to other, petrol-powered Countryman models elsewhere in the line-up. Anyway, the Countryman SE All4 looks good on the outside, particularly in our test car's Slate Blue paint with contrasting light-gold flourishes for the roof, side sills, front and rear skid plates, mirror caps, and front 'grille' surround. There's something very classy and appealing about this combination.
Inside, it's a high-quality interior with the central 9.4-inch, round, OLED touchscreen being the focal point of the Countryman's fascia. Aside from various specific trim pieces and upholsteries, there's not a lot to tell you that you're sat in the electric Countryman but that's no bad thing. It's not perfect inside, mind - the interior door handles look great yet feel a tad flimsy, while there are certain areas where your fingertips may discern a slight cutting of cost-related corners when it comes to plastics, but broadly it's a high-quality ambience.
It's practical, too, because this is the biggest MINI of them all so far - it's 130mm longer and 60mm taller than the previous version, blessing the Countryman with easily the most commodious example of second-row seating yet seen in any car from MINI. There's also a useful 460-litre boot at the back of the SE All4, so no longer do you have to have an electric MINI which you might as well consider as a two-seater. This thing is more than capable of carrying a family of four and most of their stuff around with ease.
Driving it
The MINI Countryman electric vehicles (EVs) share much with the recently launched BMW iX2, which is a good car to be associated with. There's availability of a single-motor, front-wheel-drive Countryman E, with 204hp and a range of around 462km from its 64.8kWh battery pack, but what we're driving here is the SE All4. This puts a 140kW (190hp) electric motor on each axle of the crossover, giving it four-wheel drive (hence 'All4') and peak outputs of 313hp and 494Nm. Using the same battery pack as the E, there's a slight range sacrifice to be made, but 433km from the SE still seems generous enough.
Immediately, we're happy to say the Countryman SE All4 is the obvious pick of the launch options for this MINI, of which there are four split into two petrol and two electric. It's a similar thing to what we found with the BMW X2 and iX2, in that the chassis of this Countryman seems to have been set up to be as comfortable, as quiet and as refined as it can be, at the cost of outright driver engagement. To that end, a cultured electric drivetrain suits the car better than trying to seek out dynamic brilliance with the 300hp John Cooper Works.
MINI's engineers have calibrated the SE All4's power delivery beautifully, too, so while it will surge forward strongly if you want to unleash all its torque, it never feels snappy nor does that trick of smashing an unwitting head backwards into the seat's restraints. It just doles out its reserves in a smooth, unflustered fashion and is all the better for it. Word of advice, though: the Countryman SE All4 doesn't make 313hp and 494Nm permanently. Those figures are only available on a time-limited overboost phase, with the car running more like 272hp in regular operation. That's still more than enough oomph, though.
What isn't quite so MINI-like is the handling, although we're happy to go on record as saying the Countryman SE All4 has better steering than the iX2 xDrive30 to which it is related. There's a pleasing weight and directness about the MINI's set-up, but it doesn't link the driver to a surprisingly talented EV chassis. The Countryman will corner quickly and corner well, but when it runs out of grip then the weight of the car becomes evident, and the handling gets a bit scruffy.
But it is incredibly refined, with impressively cushioned ride quality and a general absence of annoying exterior contributors to cabin noise. In short, for an electric crossover, MINI has the dynamic set-up of this SE All4 spot on. It even looks capable of delivering a good slug of its official range, with 320km likely to be easily achievable to each charge without having to hypermile it or turn off all the electrical ancillaries within the passenger compartment.
One final word to the eight onboard 'Experiences,' selected using a switch in the row of five toggles below the main OLED display. They're called Go-Kart, Core, Green, Vivid, Timeless, Balance, Personal and Trail, and they basically all change the graphics on the screen and in the head-up display, as well as allowing the illumination on the dashboard to be altered according to each setting, and - in every mode but Green - broadcasting a variety of weird electric noises into the cabin while the MINI is in motion. But only Go-Kart, Core and Green actually vary response to the accelerator and the steering; and Go-Kart activates with a corny 'Wa-HOO!' sound every time. You can switch it off in the menus. Do that.
Oh, and Trail is specific to the electric Countryman. When the new zero-emission MINI Hatch arrives, it will have just the other seven modes listed above, as Trail has various crossover-related data in it such as tilt angles and so on.
What you get for your money
Emboldening us in calling the SE All4 the pick of the new Countryman range, MINI has priced it here in Ireland in a way that makes it relatively affordable to the models around it. Part of that is to do with the VRT benefit of emitting 0g/km, sure, but the fact that the 313hp EV is €13,230 less than the similar-performance John Cooper Works is a huge bonus.
Standard equipment is also generous on the Countryman SE, including dynamic cruise control, dual-zone climate and the 9.4-inch infotainment system, among more, while the MINI electric should also be economical to run if you can charge it from home regularly. To that end, it'll take approaching nine hours to fully juice it up on a typical 7.4kW wallbox, but it's compatible with 11kW AC charging as standard, too, with an option to upgrade to 22kW AC. That 0-100 per cent battery time comes down to six hours at 11kW, or three hours on the 22kW upgrade, while the maximum DC rate for the SE is 130kW - which will potentially take the power pack from 10-80 per cent charge in just 29 minutes.
Summary
The new MINI Countryman has grown, and it has grown up in outlook. The chassis isn't quite as sharp and involving as it once was, but the payoff for that slight blunting of its handling is that it's a refined and sophisticated crossover to travel in. And the best way to make the most of that overarching character is to fit it with a silky electric powertrain, which is why the SE All4 is the shining star of the launch line-up. As compact, high-riding EVs go, the latest Countryman is easily among the better machines in its class.
