The Mini Countryman is a nice car, but shame about the price
The original idea of Sir Alec Issigonis’ Mini was as a ‘people’s car’ in the same way as the Beetle, as envisaged by Hitler and brought to reality by Ferdinand Porsche, under the umbrella handle Volkswagen as a car for the ranks of idealised National Socialists and their families.
Both vehicles more than fulfilled their brief as a cheap and effective form of transportation for the masses.
Both the Mini and the Beetle survived for generations on the back of their broad appeal and the fact they were a pretty economic choice for those who either owned them from new or second-hand.
For the modern era, both cars have been re-imagined not as family orientated workaday cars, but as desirable, stylised wannabe icons.
Nothing wrong with that, of course, but they have gestated into something which neither Messrs Porsche nor Issigonis could ever have envisaged and now in our modern world represent something which is very far removed from original principles.
And, with Mini in particular, the car has gone from populist runabout into a complete brand encompassing a broad range of individual vehicles.
There are now a multitude of variants of Mini and the biggest of them is the Countryman model which has just been developed into a thing which is even bigger than before and breaks the brand into new and uncharted territory as a competitor for the big-selling flag-bearers of the SUV craze such as the Hyundai Tuscon and the Nissan Qashqai.
But Mini — in all its many guises — is a premium product and that fact is underlined by the lofty price being asked for the cars and it has to be said that even the most supportive fan of the brand may well blanche at an amount of money which for the test car — which admittedly included pretty much every imaginable bell and whistle on the option list — comes very close to an astonishing €60,000.
Now, while the new Countryman fulfils family needs in a manner which no other Mini has come close previously, is beautifully built, very decent to drive and a wonderful thing to be driven around in, you would have to wonder just how many people out there have that sort of cash to splash about on their transport needs. Time will tell on that one.
The test car — a Countryman Cooper SD with the All4 four-wheel drive system — is a very impressive thing to look at and even those familiar with the car’s predecessor were apt to comment on how much the car has grown.
With some 200 mm having been added to its length, 75mm to the wheelbase and increases in width and height as well, it is a much more formidable thing in the flesh than the previous one.
MUCH work has been done too to polish up the exterior look of the car and despite the bulking-up, the designers have managed to keep the cutesy elements which have made Minis so appealing across the board. But they have also stamped it with a solidity and purpose which may not have been there in the past.
The interior is quite a place to be and is beautifully built with a variety of components which are noteworthy for the level of quality which has been achieved.
Certainly, however, many people will be able to live their lives without the addition of the almost €7,000 John Cooper Works Chilli Pack which gives all sorts of interior and exterior aesthetic upgrades (mood adjustable ambient lighting anyone?)
There may be room (just) for five adults and their luggage — no more than three golf bags, please — and the seating is impressively comfortable, but you have to ask if your life would be completely demeaned without the Leather Lounge Carbon Black upholstery (€1,500) or the Melting Silver paint job (€1,800). Even the black bonnet stripes come as an extra for €180.
Useful stuff like navigation systems and connect systems will add still more to the bottom line (more than €1,400), but at least those are useful things and not simple decorative additions.
In terms of the nuts and bolts of driving the Countryman Cooper SD, the two litre turbodiesel engine has plenty of muscle (190 bhp, 7.4 second 0-100 kph and a top speed of 218 kph) and reasonable economy and emissions (5.1 l/100 km and 133 g/km) and is a very admirable companion, while the eight speed auto ’box is very intuitive and easy to live with.
On the road, the ride is not really helped by those abominable run-flat tyres, but the go-karty handling feel of the Mini brand has not entirely been lost despite the considerable addition of weight and bulk.
The 4WD system is very front-oriented, but the Countryman is still a very tidy handler which will please those of us who like a grippy, nippy feel from their cars.
In this regard the Mini is a much more compelling on-road companion than many of the soggy offerings in the SUV segment and as such will certainly find a niche among those drivers for whom tidy handling characteristics are an imperative.
The wonder in all of this, however, is how the Countryman will fit into the broad church which is the growing SUV segment.
I mean, when you look as such recent additions as the Seat Ateca or the Skoda Kodiaq, both of which are every bit as capable and as satisfying to drive as the Mini and a whole heap cheaper, then you’d have to wonder where the sales are going to come from.
Sure there is a constituency for this car, but I fear it may not be as broad as Mini would like it to be and that is very easy to explain.
When you have a range that starts at around €33,000 (with the Cooper SD range starting at €10,000 more) and yet you can end up with something which cost nearly €60,000, you can see why people might look elsewhere.
This is a very complete machine and one which will deliver a lot of driving satisfaction for those who invest, but it is most certainly at the upper end of the scale for a majority of drivers and because of that its appeal is going to be quite limited.
Colley’s Verdict
- range starts from €33,580 - €59,040 as tested
- excellent two-litre turbodiesel
- standard kit is good, but once you start ticking the options boxes, things can get out of hand quickly
- nice car, but a pricey option
