MINI COUNTRYMAN CROSSES INTO SOUTH AFRICA

MINI have just added another derivative to its ever-growing list of body shapes. The new Countryman is now being sold in South Africa with two engine choices. I got to drive it for a while and came out impressed. But in the end, it’s nothing like the MINI you know and love.

What is the thing about the Countryman? Well, noticeably, it stands taller than a normal MINI. Ground clearance is 14.9cm. Not exactly X5 levels but still, quite higher than what we have become used to in terms of this brand. Compare that to the X1’s 19.4cm ground clearance and you notice how closely matched these two are in terms of potential bundu bashing credits. MINI’s ALL4 all-wheel-drive system puts power into both axles and can vary it between front and rear at up to 100% to the rear in some instances. Under normal driving it is a 50:50 split. ALL4 is a slightly modified AWD platform based on BMW’s xDrive. Cars without the ALL4 option will still pull through the front wheels.

Here’s the other major thing. This MINI has five doors. Yes. Unlike the three-door model we see running around on our roads at the moment, and the Clubman with its extended seating arrangement, the Countryman can actually sit five people. Adults too. Here’s another dimension to think about. The Countryman is just over 4 metres long and feels very spacious from the minute one enters the cockpit. And it’s quite an unusual feeling to sit this high inside a MINI. Some observers have remarked that perhaps this one should be called the MAXI, rather than a MINI.

Stylewise you cannot miss that bubbly hexagonal front grille with those big eyes, wide wheels arches, vertical light clusters, a large tailgate and wrap-around windows. While a lot of it looks barky, the bite is more like a baby suckling on her mama’s boobs than a shot at the doctor’s.

The engineers really tried to keep its primal spirit alive by installing driver assist systems that ensure good stability on both gravel and tar. MacPherson spring struts with anti-dive control rule the front end, while a multi-link axle with trailing arms forms the backbone of the rear suspension system. For all the gadgets and toys like these and others such as Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) with Brake Assist and Hill Assist, as well as Dynamic Traction Control, the Countryman would surely have lost at least some of its MINIness. And it has.

Whether this is a good or a bad thing is entirely up to the buyer. I know of people who have so far, since the return of the MINI in 2001, said they would never buy one simply because it has no rear space to speak of and has two fewer doors. Now they can go and buy with no fear. On the other hand, most buyers have not been too interested in space issues, believing that if you want a spacious car a MINI is not the place you should be looking at. Now there’s both.

That goes to how a MINI handles, or is expected to handle. The current hatch is applauded for offering diving performance pleasure in straight lines and even higher nirvana around curves and bends. Drivers who experience the Countryman will get a decidedly different feeling. Yes you can still throw its weight around, but of course to a degree. Now what you need to keep in mind is that this is an SUV or a crossover as they would call it in the US, albeit a very small one. One just cannot defy the rules of physics.

On our drive I had plenty of fun taking bends and testing the suspension and the handling. The gravel sections were a little harsh on the bum and back, but I guess that could be a function of driver speed rather than of build.

Two engines are sold for the Mzansi customer. The first and weakest is the 1.6-litre naturally aspirated in-line four-cylinder with 90kW at 6000rpm and peak torque of 160Nm at 4250rpm as used by the Cooper model. Being a Gauteng resident this motor felt more like 75kW than 90kW. What you need is extra boost and the turbocharged Cooper S provides just that. Unlike current hatch, Convertible and Clubman versions, the Countryman digs a little deeper into its underbelly to come up with 135kW at 5500 rpm. Peak torque is still 240Nm (with a 20Nm overboost) made between 1600rpm and 5000rpm. What joy it brings!

MINI says the Cooper 6-speed manual will sprint from 0 – 100km/h in 10.5 seconds, while its automatic brethren will do the same in 11.6 seconds. Top speeds are 190km/h and 182km/h respectively. In terms of average fuel consumption, the Cooper is claimed to return 6.5 litres per 100km and the Cooper S averages 7.6 litres per 100km.

Occupants can be treated to as many, or as few comfort creatures as budget allows. However, included in the standard package are air conditioning, and a CD player/ radio combo. Options could be things like a large panoramic sunroof, adaptive headlights, sports suspension which lowers the ride height by 1cm and John Cooper Works components. Of course this being a MINI, buyers will have sheets of paper to tick as far as customisation options are concerned.

I must admit, I liked the MINI Countryman. Yet I couldn’t help but wonder if, and where it would all stop in terms of sizing this car up. Next year we’ll see the MINI Coupe and Roadster being launched, cars that in my opinion, truly enhance the spirit of what a MINI should be. While it’s true that people often complain about how small these cars are, to which I often reply “then buy something else”, I’m not quite sure that a MINI should be the size of a 1 Series hatch.

MINI Cooper Countryman Pricing

Cooper Countryman manual (R287 500)

Cooper S Countryman manual (R345 000)

Cooper Countryman automatic (R303 600)

Cooper S Countryman automatic (R361 100)

Cooper Countryman ALL4 automatic (R393 000)

Cooper S Countryman ALL4 automatic (R409 100)