Mini has revealed the new Countryman, which sports an updated exterior, upgraded technology and cleaner, more efficient engines.
The design has been lightly fettled, with a new rear bumper and a front bumper that’s now fully painted in the car’s body colour, while the redesigned grille gets the typical Mini hexagonal look and a slim, one-piece chrome frame.
LED headlights are now included as standard, complementing the LED rear lights that are shaped like the Union Jack. The rounded headlights are framed by a band of light that acts as the daytime running lights but doubles up as the indicator, while LED fog lamps are also standard. Adaptive LED headlights are now an optional upgrade for the Countryman.
Still popular, but no longer a class leader
The Mini Countryman remains a distinctive and left-field choice in a field of conventional family hatchbacks. Its styling remains divisive, however, and its retro-themed design focus can sometimes come at the expense of practicality and usefulness.
According to our unique Expert Rating system, the Countryman currently holds an Expert Rating of 73%, based on 27 reviews that we have analysed to date. That’s a reasonable score, but still a long way behind a number of similarly-priced alternatives.
Stuart Masson, Editor
Inside, not much has changed in the overall design, while split-folding rear seats open up boot space from 450 to a maximum of 1,390 litres. There are a couple of new leather upholstery options, piano black interior surfaces are now standard, and a new silver surface upgrade is now offered.
The range of engines has been developed to lower emissions, with particulate filters for petrol engines and AdBlue injection for diesel engines meaning all powertrains now meet Euro 6d regulations.
All-wheel-drive is available on four of the engines, and it’s standard-fit for the plug-in hybrid model, which makes 220hp and has an electric-only range of up to 38 miles.
Order books for the new Mini Countryman are open now.
