Last week, MINI Malaysia unveiled the next-generation F60 MINI Countryman across the country on the 14th of April. It replaces the old Countryman that had been on the road for nearly 7 years. The new Countryman comes with two variants just like the Clubman, namely the Cooper Countryman and the Cooper S Countryman.
Left: Cooper Countryman, Right: Cooper S Countryman
Both variants will only come with front-wheel drive, as most people don't tend to drive this mid-range compact SUV off-road. But the good thing about them is both of them gets two new engines according to its trim line, which replace the Prince powertrain that can be found in most Peugeots back in the day. Before I explain the whole scene of the car, let me give my full blown opinion first.
I still remember the day when I took a test drive of the R60 Countryman back in 2014, and it was really a big size Mini at that time. But when it comes to the present day, it has surpassed its maturity age, and it grows bigger, taller, and sexy compared to its predecessor! I mean, look at it. Try imagine that the new one parked beside the old one, and you can tell that it is more rugged and no longer child-looking. To explain this mathematically, the new Countryman is 8.5 inches longer and an inch wider than the old one. But does it hard to park? You will know about it when you scroll down to the Test Drive section.
What's new on the outside?
Look how big they are! All grown-up.
Speaking of the design elements, we all know that a MINI is always a MINI. The styling cues are not really sacrificed much, but on the other hand, it gets more lines and curves around the side of the car. With these design features, the Countryman will be a hype to someone's vision when they look at it.
The only downside of the design is the tailgate. Arguably speaking, the R60 rear hatch is relatively clean and more bulky look compared to this conventional Mini Hatch look. RIP Mini logo boot release.
However, for the first time in Mini lineup, the Countryman has an electric tailgate, either you open it up with a key, or waving your legs below the rear bumper. To close it back, press the tailgate button at the bottom of the hatch and it will close for you, slowly and gently.
As for the wheels, the Countryman comes equipped with 18" Pin Spoke alloys for the normal Countryman, while the sporty version has the 19" MINI Yours Masterpiece wheels with black accents. Now, let's move along to the interior and get some new car smell, shall we?
19" MINI Yours Masterpiece alloys
Mmmm..New car smell..
The new Countryman now has a better interior image and patterns over the roundish old Mini look. It might has the same accents like the Clubman, but this one on the other hand is more of a Mini and SUV-ish fusion-esque style. It also has an ambient lighting all around and can be configured based on your mood. The base model only comes with fabric seats while the top range gets a full black leather upholstery. As for entertainment and visuals, it has a standard 6.5" Radio MINI Visual Boost System, but you can opt for a bigger 8.8" touch screen unit which includes more functionalities with iDrive-like control on the center console behind the gear shifter. It also comes with a back-up camera for better parking guidelines. Rear passengers will be rejoice with reclining rear seats as well as rear air-cond vents too cool your face after facing a boiling hot weather at this season. And the best part is, you can now playing music via Bluetooth, unlike the old Countryman which only uses for calling.
Now let's pop up the hood to see what's inside the engine bay.
Bonus! :
Underneath the trunk, you will find something cushy. Flip it out, and you have a bench cushion for you to sit while relaxing at the beach or park.
inline-4 turbo'ed BMW B48 engine
As for the normal counterpart, it gets a 3-cylinder turbocharged BMW B38 engine that exerts 136 hp at 4400 rpm, with 220 Nm of torque at 1250 rpm.
Both Countryman and Countryman S come standardly equipped with a 6-speed and 8-speed slushbox respectively from Aisin.
Now you all have seen the whole details of the Countryman, and what's most important to do next is test drive!
Buckle up, and hit the Start button!
Like the predecessor, the Countryman is surprisingly to be one of the coolest thing to drive on the road, despite that it sacrifices a little bit of sportiness, namely the handling. The most crucial change to it is specifically the power steering system which now electric-assisted over the old-school hydraulic power steering system. Even though the steering turns are softer than the old one, the handling dynamic is more superb and direct. It handles well on corners and no signs of harshness while driving in a sharp corners. Did I just say, zero harshness? Yes! This is because Mini makes the Countryman to be focus as a family car too, not just a sporty crossover.
Power-wise is really a swift over the old one. With the aid of an 8-speed automatic transmission, the acceleration is a 0.4 seconds quicker than the R60 in a century sprint. Judging with the new engine, it gets better fuel consumption too! Not to mention is an available idle stop system to cut off your engine while in a traffic light stop.
Besides that, parking is actually an ease although it is relatively large and wide. With multiple sensors and a backup camera, the Countryman is a finger snap to park. Therefore, drivers will not have to worry about the blind spots around them.
Overall, driving the new Countryman S is really an exquisite experience when it comes to comfort, power and technology.
Conclusion
To sum this up, the Countryman is another head turner from Mini, despite it has a little sporty driving feel over the old one. As the new one is already a grown-up car, potential owners and passengers will no longer worry about comfort. The new Mini Countryman will only costs RM 239,888, while the Countryman S only costs RM 269,888. Mini buyers will also get a 4-year warranty with unlimited mileage and 4 years of free service based on the required parts to be replaced.
To find out more about the new Countryman, you can have a look here to find out more.
*Special thanks to Mini Glenmarie for letting me to test drive and review the new Countryman S
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