Mini – the British offshoot of the Bavarian engine manufacturer – is known for a lot: driving fun, design and lifestyle are always part of it. But when many were still talking about electronics, the British Bavarians had a lot to offer. Now the Mini Cooper SE Countryman is happy about a facelift.
Not much has happened outside. New lights, nice details here and paired with a little more chic. Much more important, however, is the increased range of the plug-in hybrid. While the combination of the 1.5-liter three-cylinder turbo and the electric rear axle with a total output of 162 kW/220 PS remained unchanged, the hybrid compact SUV has increased its range significantly. If you use the accelerator carefully, you can travel around 60 kilometers on electric power. The driver behind the wheel does not have to practice complete abstinence, because even with purely electric driving, short intermediate sprints are no problem and the top speed on the autobahn or main road is at least 135 km/h before the combustion engine steps in indignantly. The standard consumption is 1.7 liters, which corresponds to CO2 emissions of 40 grams of CO2 per kilometer. No record; but always a solid value. The lithium-ion battery in the rear of the Mini Cooper SE Countryman All4 can be restored to maximum performance in two and a half hours with the wallbox.
As before, in the hybrid Countryman, the 92 kW/125 PS/220 Nm three-cylinder alone drives the front axle via a six-speed automatic. The electric motor, installed compactly under the cargo area, provides an additional 70 kW/95 PS and 165 Nm, which in the package with 220 PS and 385 Nm of torque ensure extremely fast propulsion. The combination of both drives makes the Countryman an electric all-wheel drive vehicle that is extremely economical in normal operation, but also extremely fast if desired. The battery pack is installed invisibly in the under-body in front of the rear axle and, with a capacity of 10 kWh, consists of a total of 16 intelligently networked battery cells. Unfortunately, that costs a lot of tank volume and so the petrol tank only holds a manageable 36 liters. Well, that it looks better one floor higher in the luggage compartment next to the electric rear door. Here, the normal load space with its 405 liters can be expanded to up to 1,275 liters by folding down the 40:20:40 divisible rear seat.
The 4.30-meter-long Mini Countryman plug-in hybrid has three different driving modes, which are controlled via the central switch strip in the center console. When starting, it starts in the so-called Auto-eDrive mode, in which the Countryman is driven purely electrically up to 80 km/h via the rear axle. If you press the gas harder when driving onto the autobahn, you automatically get help from the combustion engine, which switches on more discreetly than before in the background. In Max-eDrive mode, the hybrid Mini is on its own in electric mode, up to 135 km/h. If you want, you can also charge the battery pack while driving at the push of a button – not very efficient, but useful for being able to travel purely electrically in the city center if necessary. The top speed of the Mini Cooper SE PHEV is 196 km/h.
What has remained are pleasant details such as the solid space, the precise steering and an emphatically stiff chassis that is fun, but could be more comfortable on poor roads. There are unfortunately no variably adjustable dampers in the Mini Countryman with hybrid drive and it could well need them.
On the other hand, the Mini Cooper SE Countryman All4, which costs at least 38,016 euros, comes as standard with automatic air conditioning, stationary air conditioning, LED headlights and a good navigation system with an 8.8-inch touchscreen that is as flat as it is, but is also getting on in years like the manageable number of driver assistance systems. Good: in addition to the touch function and corresponding voice control, the driver and front passenger can still scroll through the menu using the rotary push button. This is fun and easier than most other systems.