MINI Malaysia has finally bringing their first plug-in hybrid vehicle in our shores since Thursday with the locally-assembled (CKD) Mini Cooper S E Countryman Plug-in Hybrid ALL4. This crossover replaces the base model Countryman 1.5 which is already available since the launch of the CBU Countryman last year. Although it retains the 1.5 litre 3-cylinder engine, the Countryman gains an electric motor at the rear to gain more power and all-wheel drive.
With a price tag of RM 255,888 without insurance, the Countryman Plug-in Hybrid is positioned below the Countryman John Cooper Works Edition and above the newly-launched Countryman Sports.
The first thing you need to know about this plug-in hybrid crossover is that the overall appearance is not really much different from the Cooper S Countryman except for the yellow Mini Electric badge at the front fenders and the back, and a yellow S badge at the front grille and the hatch. The ALL4 styling kit and the 19" Mini Yours Masterpiece wheels are retained from the CBU Cooper S.
If you think that the badge is just for show. On the left fender, it is actually a charging port which is a Type-2 compliant port which can be plugged in with a proprietary 3.6 kW wallbox or a normal house socket. Charging the Countryman PHEV takes 5 hours with the normal socket, and 3 hours and 15 minutes with the wallbox.
Like any typical hybrid vehicles, the Countryman's trunk space is obviously cut down to a little amount of storage especially under the trunk mat, resulting in 405 litres of space, and it's just 45 litre difference over the normal Countryman. This is because it needs to make a room for the 7.6 kWh battery. Additionally, it also sacrifices the rear seats whereby it is no longer sliding forward or back, but reclining the seats are fully untouched. In contrast, sitting in the back is no fuzz based on my experience, albeit the seat height is a little high due to the battery, and I have no complaints about the head room.
At least the Picnic Bench is still there.
Speaking of powertrain, the Countryman PHEV has a 3-cylinder turbocharged BMW B38 engine that utilizes 134 hp and 220 Nm of torque, mated with the 6-speed Steptronic automatic transmission which sends to the front wheels. At the rear axle, it has an electric motor with the 7.6 kWh battery which squeezes out 87 hp and 165 Nm of torque, coupled with a two-stage single speed transmission. The battery is also said to have a 42 km electric range, but on average drive in KL according to some testers, the battery can only last between 30-35 km of range. Combining both powertrains, the Countryman becomes a 4-wheel drive crossover and claimed to have an average fuel consumption of 2.1 litre/100 km and a top speed of 198 km/h. If you think it's really slow, then you may go for the Cooper S Countryman Sports which is 26 km/h faster than the PHEV sibling.
Single-exhaust, cuz three-banger.
Meanwhile on the interior, you will find a Mini Yours Piano Black Illuminated interior around the dashboard and a 'Walknappa' leather-wrapped steering with an oval black-and-white Union Jack badge at the bottom of the steering wheel. The 6.5" center screen is intact, but it is now a touch screen with a new interface by the Radio Mini Navigation System (including the Mini Excitement package). The interface itself is much more friendlier and easier to use either with the touch screen or the i-Drive-like control. Suffice to say, I personally prefer to use the basic controls over the touch screen because it's already a main thing from Mini since the F56 hatch. The instrument binnacle's tachometer has been replaced by the e-Boost gauge to monitor the battery usage, and it's a little bit difficult to play with the manual mode without it unless you are good in listening the engine's behavior.
The Countryman PHEV also comes standard with dual-zone climate controls and rear vents, Chrome Line interior pack, powered driver seats with memory function, Cross Punch leather upholstery in Carbon Black, Picnic Bench, LED headlights, Mini Driving Modes, park assist, power tailgate, and Comfort Access with Easy Opener.
The start/stop toggle is now yellow, because hybrid.
The Drive
Before mentioning about the drive, there's one feature that you might like it known as the e-Drive menu. The e-Drive menu is basically monitoring the car's behavior whether you are driving with both powertrains or one of them, and even tells you that the battery is charging especially when you brake the Countryman (it has regenerative braking too) or your car is coasting without touching the pedal.
Now moving on to the drive, the Countryman drives like a mad man with a century sprint of 6.8 seconds, and it's faster than the Cooper S Countryman thanks to the electric motor especially in Sport mode. However, this will eat up a lot of battery power and eventually moves into a standard 1.5 litre engine and become a front-wheel drive after it runs out of juice. If you really worry about the battery range, you can save it by toggling the eDrive switch to Save mode, thus preserving the battery and let the engine do the job. This mode is pretty useful in a normal highway driving or relaxing drive at the beach, or at the suburbs. Switching it to Auto eDrive will turn back on the electric motor and gains back the power to the rear wheels.
The Countryman PHEV is also a heavy car compared to the Cooper S Countryman, which leads to a heavy power-to-weight ratio. There is still a case of body roll during sharp turns although the car is a little grip in all four corners, and a lack of steering feedback due to the electric power steering system just like the petrol equivalent. After all, the comfort is not compromised to most drivers and passengers in any driving situation.
Playing with the manual mode is a little bit tough especially for beginners, as there's no tachometer in the instrument binnacle. Unless they understand the engine noise just like the old times whereby most cars don't really have tachometers.
Last Verdict
The Countryman PHEV is really an unmistakable hybrid car that I've ever driven over the other hybrid cars. It is really quick and enjoyable on any roads, but it still needs a minor improvement on cornering by eliminating the body roll. Speaking of ownership, it is best to have a wallbox to fully charge the car quickly and get the juice to the max level, especially when you're a heavy footer.
And again, the Mini Cooper S E Countryman PHEV only costs RM 258,888 without insurance, including a 4-year unlimited mileage warranty and 60,000 km of free service, a 6-year/100,000 km battery warranty, a 5-year roadside assistance, and a free one-year subscription to unlimited charging at any 270 ChargeEV charging stations in Malaysia.
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