Mini Countryman Cooper S ALL4 Road Test
Feature added: July 29, 2010
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Love the original 1959 Mini? You might want to look away now. Everyone else on the other hand can lean forward and pay close attention. Mini the brand is at it again, with the fourth (and not the last) body style to be spun off the hatchback, designed to push the same buttons but offering a little bit more in the process. Say hello to the Mini Countryman.
Spotters will recognise in Countryman another name to come from the Austin bloodline. The original Mini Countryman was to all intents and purposes, a Mini estate, bringing more practicality to a familiar small car. So it is with the new Countryman, and the most obvious point of note is that it is pushing the boundaries of what can be called a small car. At 4,110mm long it’s just 12cm shorter than a BMW 1-Series, and a full 41cm longer than a regular Mini hatchback.
This XXL Mini is therefore quite different in terms of cabin space and appearance. Looks-wise the Countryman certainly fits into the crossover camp: choose a Cooper S ALL4 such as this and the high-riding stance, general visual toughness and chunky detailing suggest the ability to cope with pretty much anything. It remains however unmistakably a Mini, even though it pushes the boundaries of the dimensions which its name suggests.
You will have already decided whether or not the looks get the thumbs up, but what will almost universally be met with approval is the resulting extra room. Up front there’s a pleasingly upright dashboard and seating position with decent head and legroom, but step into the back seats and there’s the kind of space that will push the Countryman on to many more shopping lists. There’s a choice of a regular bench or a neat two-seat rear arrangement, both of which come with a neat centre storage rail and allow numerous tilt, slide and fold options. Either way, rear-seat head and legroom is good enough even for the irritatingly lanky.
Spotters will recognise in Countryman another name to come from the Austin bloodline. The original Mini Countryman was to all intents and purposes, a Mini estate, bringing more practicality to a familiar small car. So it is with the new Countryman, and the most obvious point of note is that it is pushing the boundaries of what can be called a small car. At 4,110mm long it’s just 12cm shorter than a BMW 1-Series, and a full 41cm longer than a regular Mini hatchback.
This XXL Mini is therefore quite different in terms of cabin space and appearance. Looks-wise the Countryman certainly fits into the crossover camp: choose a Cooper S ALL4 such as this and the high-riding stance, general visual toughness and chunky detailing suggest the ability to cope with pretty much anything. It remains however unmistakably a Mini, even though it pushes the boundaries of the dimensions which its name suggests.
You will have already decided whether or not the looks get the thumbs up, but what will almost universally be met with approval is the resulting extra room. Up front there’s a pleasingly upright dashboard and seating position with decent head and legroom, but step into the back seats and there’s the kind of space that will push the Countryman on to many more shopping lists. There’s a choice of a regular bench or a neat two-seat rear arrangement, both of which come with a neat centre storage rail and allow numerous tilt, slide and fold options. Either way, rear-seat head and legroom is good enough even for the irritatingly lanky.
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