It’s hard to imagine the words India, practicality and Mini in the same sentence. Sure, the Mini Cooper is practical to a certain extent, but you buy the sporty hatchback for its individualism and fun quotient rather than its versatility. However Mini does have a practical car, rather, SUV up its sleeve and it’s called the Countryman.
The British carmaker recently launched the third-generation Countryman in India that too in EV guise. Brought in via the CBU route, the mid-size SUV is priced bang in the middle of other sizeable EV competitors like the BMW iX1, Hyundai Ioniq5, Mercedes-Benz EQA and both the Volvo XC40 Recharge and C40 Recharge. While the Mini Countryman Electric does have the upper hand in individualism here, does the EV powertrain enhance the niche SUV’s practicality or take away from it?
Despite moving away from the traditional ICE powertrain the Countryman Electric is still instantly recognisable as a Mini. Dimension-wise it has grown and now makes the Mini nomenclature feel like an oxymoron, being larger than the Hyundai Creta. For 2024, the Countryman gets a complete redesign with a new face that’s less conspicuous and more leaning towards an urban look.
There is a hint of ruggedness in the design owing to the optional 19-inch wheels (17-inch as standard), front and rear skid plates and black cladding all around. British influence can be seen in the LED tail lamp that lights up in the shape of the Union Jack. What’s more interesting is the use of copper accents instead of traditional chrome or brushed silver, which make it look more niche and premium.
It’s even more impressive on the inside with a cabin that not only stands apart from the competition but, in my opinion, is the coolest one of the lot. The dashboard is wrapped in a recycled knitted blue fabric that changes to brown on the door pads. The interiors too get copper accents along with unique touches like vertical door handles, slim AC vents with integrated metal knobs to control and direct airflow, a fabric third spoke on the steering wheel, a stacked centre console and a cute-looking storage box between the front seats.
Of course, Mini-specific bits are retained, like the toggle switches for the gear and mode selectors and the circular 9.4-inch colour OLED touchscreen centre console. It highly impresses with its brightness and sharp display besides having eight unique themes (called moods) and cool animations. Other features include a panoramic sunroof, wireless smartphone charging, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and a crisp-sounding Harman Kardon audio setup. A fresh feature that the kids will love is the personal digital assistant, an animated dog called Spike and an app called ‘Let’s Celebrate’ which is a short, animated video featuring Spike and showing different facets of the Mini.
Kids aside, parents will appreciate the space inside. There is plenty of headroom, knee room and shoulder room for five personnel. It gets lots of storage inside the cabin besides which the boot is large too, offering 460-litres of space. Surprisingly though, there is no frunk as the space is taken up by the electric motor upfront.
The Countryman Electric shares its EV platform with the BMW iX1. However, unlike the iX1’s dual-motor AWD layout, it gets a single-motor front-wheel-drive layout. Mini does offer a dual-motor setup for the Countryman Electric abroad. Power outputs are a modest-for-its-segment 204PS and 250Nm. Claimed 0-100kmph acceleration time is 8.6 seconds while top speed is 170kmph. The Countryman Electric is quick where it matters though — at city speeds, thanks to instantaneous torque at idling speeds which makes traffic getaways swift and effortless. You can control regen levels too, via the paddles on the steering wheel.
Of course, it’s foolhardy to expect aural pleasure from an electric vehicle but the Countryman Electric gets synthesized sounds replete with pops and bangs which make the drive experience all the more lively. While it is not as powerful as its competitors, the Countryman Electric is fairly quick, just not as quick as a JCW. Is it as fun to drive as a Mini? Yes, it is!
It handles like a Mini too. It features a lively front end complemented by a quick and communicative steering wheel. The Countryman handles like a Mini should, like a go-kart albeit an oversized one. While the ride quality is on the firmer side, it retains the sophistication of a luxury SUV and keeps you insulated from road judders. It also has ample ground clearance to scale the worst of our speed breakers without scraping – the small joys of platform sharing.
Another benefit of platform sharing is the range. It gets a larger 66.5kWh battery pack. Also, unlike the BMW iX1, the Mini runs a single-motor setup which further extends the claimed WLTP range of 462km. You can realistically expect a range of around 420km. Besides supporting home charging, the Countryman EV supports DC charging up to 130kW which allows for a 10 to 80 percent charging time of just 28 minutes.
The Mini Countryman Electric comes to India via the CBU route yet it’s quite well-priced at `54.90 lakh onwards ex-showroom. However, while it is practical, most of the competition offers more value in terms of space, comfort and performance. What sets the Mini apart is emotional value. It endears itself to you and goes beyond being a mere mode of transportation. It is for people who love alternative bands, the idea of standing apart from the (elite) crowd. As a brand the Mini has this rare ability to combine luxury with emotions, to tug at your heartstrings and the Countryman EV does too.
