mReview: MINI Countryman SE ALL4 – Stand Out From The Crowd

The new Countryman is physically the least mini MINI ever made, but does it still have the MINI spirit? 

The new era of MINI began with the death of the Clubman, the birth of the Aceman, and the redesigning of all surviving MINI models, including this, the all-new Countryman. The Countryman is now available in Singapore in a variety of flavours, with the car on test today taking the form of the higher-specced, electric Countryman SE.

Like many other cars, the new Countryman has grown taller, wider, and longer than its predecessor, which translates into loads of room for passengers and cargo alike. It’s also got a very modern, boxy design that manages to be fresh while still retaining markedly-MINI design cues like the front grille. 

These new 20-inch rims are quite the flashy fitting.

While it may share its platform and several other parts with the BMW X1, the Countryman is much more than just a reskinned Beemer. The biggest difference comes in the interior, where MINI has had a field day putting their zany efforts into the design. 

The dashboard and doorcards are lined with a recycled textile material and have the ambient lighting projected onto them, instead of having a visible LED strip. The airplane-style toggle switches have been updated to a newer design not dissimilar to what you’d find in Anakin Skywalker’s podracer. 

The textile dashboard is clean and mostly uninterrupted.

MINI's signature circular display still features front and centre on the dashboard, but the UI has been updated to make full use of the circle’s real estate, instead of the rectangle-screen-within-a-round-housing type screen found on previous MINI generations. 

This new OLED infotainment display is well laid out and easy to use and read. It houses the controls for all major car functions and the aesthetic of it changes depending on which MINI Experience Mode you’re in. 

My two personal favourite Experience Modes are Go-Kart which turns everything red and dials up the throttle and steering response and Timeless which makes the centre display look like an old timey gauge cluster. 

While the main display works great, the dash-mounted heads-up display is much less functional. As it’s not the kind that’s projected onto the windshield, I found that in many driving positions, including mine, the steering wheel completely obscures your view of the HUD and renders it totally useless. Good thing the main display shows you your speed and crucial driving information anyway. 

As the higher spec of the two available electric Countrymans (Countrymen?), the SE comes in ALL4, dual-motor, all-wheel drive trim with 230kW (308hp) and 493Nm of torque. It’s a peppy powertrain with a 0-100km/h time of 5.6 seconds and enough shove to flit through traffic as if it were a much smaller car. 

Makes you feel like a podracer every time you use these switches. 

The steering is light and direct, if rather numb, a hallmark of modern-day BMW steering systems. However, though not a true performance vehicle, the Countryman SE would be able to hold its own on some light B-road driving and the light steering makes it a cinch to drive around town.

It’s 66.5kWh battery is also decently sized and can get you a claimed 433km of range on a single charge. In my testing, I averaged 16.2kWh/100km which would equate to just over 410km of range, not far off the official claim at all and quite impressive considering the Countryman’s all-wheel drive and squarish, aerodynamically-unfriendly shape. 

The 460 litre boot is cavernous, with up to 1,450 litres of space with the rear seats folded.

However draggy its body may be though, the Countryman SE is undeniably full of the vibes that give MINI its characteristic cheeriness. It’s a fun, whimsical alternative to its far more serious, business-like competitors, not unlike that one friend who’s always in a floral shirt, standing out amongst a sea of Uniqlo Airism. 

The MINI Countryman SE may be the largest MINI yet, but its still every bit a MINI in its heart. 

Read More: mReview: MINI Cooper Convertible – A Designer Handbag With Wheels

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