Electric Mini Countryman review: Big on size, bigger on performance

“That’s not a Mini,” one of my usual automotive torturers exclaimed, “it’s too bloody big.” 

Part of life in this gig is the regular interlocutors whose expertise on the subject is boundless and whose opinions – they believe – are something you cannot possibly survive without.

When the new Mini Countryman arrived chez Colley, there was a sudden flood of them wishing to impart their thoughts on the newest version of what always was the biggest Mini in the range.

“God, it’s like a bus – it’s huge. Is it a Mini bus? 

Ha, ha, ha,” another intoned, humoured by his own comic genius.

Amid a welter of such weighted judgement, one’s ears can do a passable imitation of those of a waxwork dummy in a raging blaze and simply melt.

While often getting the feeling that some people are inclined to think that you’re incapable of forming any sort of coherent opinion – on anything, not to mind cars – it is sometimes nearly impossible to retain your composure or even refrain from abusing them from the high heavens.

But you do have to swallow your rapier tongue in order to prevent blood being spilled and to allow those whose opinions you could not possibly survive without believe they have somehow bent you into submitting to their profound expertise.

Sure, and there’s no denying it really, this new Countryman is absolutely enormous, by Mini standards. But then, that’s a fact your humble correspondent could never have ascertained without outside help.

A simple glance at the new Countryman will tell you it has grown considerably by comparison with the old one – in girth, height and length. It is now on a par with SUV standard bearers such as the Kia Sportage, the Peugeot 3008, the Nissan Qashqai and their ilk.

But – unsurprising this given its BMW lineage – it has more quality on offer than most and is a far better driving prospect than the majority of them. Its size might be masked on open road driving, but its big-ness – it is over two metres wide, after all – will be felt in urban environments where it is a lot less wieldy than a regular Mini hatch.

For all that, though, it still has a cutesy demeanour and that means it will certainly attract the sort of buyer who likes to stand out from the crowd, but also demands levels of practicality that lesser marques offer, as well as those who like their driving experiences to have a touch of zip.

While there are – thus far – only two petrol choices, a 1.5 three pot and a two litre, four-cylinder (which gets boosted in the John Cooper Works version), there is also an electric version and this is the one we test this week.

The BMW connection is terribly important when it comes to this car as it now shares the fifth-generation BMW e-Drive motors, batteries and controllers with such as the BMW iX1 SUV and the iX2 SUV Coupe, both of which are among the best EVs in the business in their segments.

The tester also was outfitted with the JCW clothing and kit in SE form and it was further endowed with Mini’s ALL4 four-wheel-drive system, making it somewhat more than the sum of its impressive parts.

That those parts include a package which offers an output of 302 bhp (a tad more than the petrol JCW version), a 5.6 second 0-100 km/h time, a top speed of 180 km/h, a WLTP range of 402 km and an urban range of 494 km makes this, on paper, a thing of significant prowess.

That prowess does extend much further than the paper potential because it is truly quick, relatively economic (but very honest, which is hugely important with EVs) and drives really well – characteristics which most certainly are not common to everything in the genre.

A little look under the skin tells us that there are twin motors – one on each axle – doing the donkey work and they provide a combined 230kW and a whopping 494 Nm of torque. AC charging on a 7kW wallbox will take ten hours, give or take, while on a decent charger you will get boosted from 10 to 80% in just under half-an-hour.

There is a single speed transmission utilised here and between that and the torque on offer – and despite the car’s two tonne weight – make it a responsive beast, but the engineering instilled in it means it’s not a neck-snapper like so many electrics.

The ride is top drawer and the handling too and if the steering is a little numb, it is certainly quick, making this a joy to drive cross-country and a solid performer on the motorway. Turn-in is fast and grip levels, unsurprisingly, are awesome.

The interior features cloth-like material (recycled, natch, and which is becoming a thing across the industry right now) across the dash and the door trims and it is a little strange at first, but you get used to it, although are led to wonder how it will cope with sticky-fingered smallies.

There is also a huge, circular, central screen which is quite unique and controls all the infotainment carry-on as well as the climate. But, after considerable exposure to the system, I found the touchscreen climate controls to be awkward and not easy to get to grips with, much like those which heaped much criticism on Volkswagen.

That aside, the interior is excellent, the seats comfortable and supportive and the boot generous. Despite the size of the car, you will find it to be uncomfortable for three large adults in the back seats – two are more easily accommodated.

The tester featured many JCW-themed specification items, such as the steering wheel, the 20” two tone alloys, sport seats, the sporty ‘Chilli red’ stripes (contrasting with the Legend Grey overcoat, which actually looked black to me), roof and mirror caps.

Stuff like the panoramic roof, adaptive LED headlights, high beam assist, Harmon/Kardon sound system, the head-up display and front heated seats came with the tester and added around three grand to the total price.

While there have been hybrid versions of the Countryman thus far, as the first electric version this one is excellent and while there are some gripes – the big-ness, the garish colourschemes and the button-less climate arrangement – the overall car itself is definitely a winner simply for its driver engagement, road manners and practicality.

Throw in the top class build quality and the fact that the EV experience is as good as is out there at this point in time and you’ve a package which is hard to quibble with. Even in a marketplace where the stock of EVs has fallen dramatically, this is a car that you’ve have to back to garner a lot of sales right from the get-go.