Rush to that recreational activity on the outskirts of town in this outsized MINI.
Crossovers never cross rivers and clamber over obstacles, so they don’t really need four-wheel drive. Even Land Rover and Jeep, the bastions of 4×4 motoring, now offer front-drive models. So, for the MINI Cooper S Countryman to sport All4 (MINI’s 4wd system) in a place without a real countryside is like wearing Wellingtons to play badminton.
Hot hatch players will also appreciate the lower weight and higher performance of the MINI Cooper S Countryman 2wd. The 70kg saved is equivalent to dropping off an adult passenger, thereby enabling the 184bhp turbo car to accelerate away even more enthusiastically.
The century sprint has dipped under 8 seconds (it’s 8.3sec for the All4 variant), although a new penchant for front wheelspin can waste a bit of time if your lack of self-control is “greater” than the traction control. Fuel economy has also been improved, but screeching down the road at every opportunity will burn off the mileage gains.
The last time we tested a MINI Cooper S Countryman (for our March 2011 issue), it came as a four-seater – an oddball carryall. The latest example you see here is configured as a five-seater, which makes the “groovy Golf” proposition more practical.
But this does nothing for the maxi-MINI outlook, which is neither cute nor rugged, and the cabin is interesting rather than groundbreaking. By the way, the test car suffered mysterious creaks on the move, suggesting inconsistent build quality, but this could be an anomaly.
Less unexpected is the substantial $10,000 discount when you order a MINI Cooper S Countryman with 2wd instead of 4wd. Quicker, lighter and cheaper – what more can a city man ask for from a high-class hillbilly?
MINI Cooper S Countryman 1.6 (A)
ENGINE 1598cc, 16-valves, inline-4, turbocharged
MAX POWER 184bhp at 5500rpm
MAX TORQUE 240Nm at 1600-5000rpm
GEARBOX 6-speed automatic with manual select
0-100KM/H 7.9 seconds
TOP SPEED 210km/h
CONSUMPTION 14.1km/L (combined)
PRICE INCL. COE $183,900 (as of November 2011)
Check out the latest MINI Countryman
Audi Q2 and MINI Cooper Countryman are unexpected encounters
