The MINI Countryman is not exactly small. The crossover SUV is one of the biggest Minis built and the 2017 Mini Countryman gets even bigger. And with the new generation comes a slew of additions to the feature list and engine options including a plug-in hybrid slated to arrive later.
The looks, like always, are signature Mini with the round headlamps and a moustache-like front grille. The three part air dam makes it look meaner and also gets the fog lamps. The profile is typical Mini with the two-tone paint scheme and also gets peripheral cladding to give it the SUV feel. The rear is again typical Mini with the vertical tail lamps jutting out. The Mini design does an excellent job of hiding its bulk and it will be difficult to make out the 200mm increase in length and 60mm increase in width for the naked eye.
You will certainly feel the increase in length when you get inside the cabin, especially in case of the legroom in the back. The increased wheelbase by 75mm has resulted in extra legroom and has also opened up 100 litres more of boot space. The interior continues with the essential round theme with the large dial of a screen for the centre console and the signature billet switches. Leather upholstery and a modern feature list make the cabin feel rich and can be customised with the innumerable options offered by Mini.
It gets a new set of engines – two petrols and a diesel. The 1.5-litre three cylinder turbocharged petrol from BMW will pump out 134bhp of power while the inline four 2.0-litre mill will belt out 189bhp of power for the Countryman S. The 2.0-litre diesel should ideally come with the more powerful 141bhp setup to India rather than the current 110bhp in the current state of tune. Globally it will get the ALL4 four-wheel-drive option with driving modes on all trims. For better performance, you can get the adaptive suspension setup or wait for the John Cooper Works car that will expectedly give out at least 228bhp of power.
With its increased size and capacity, the Mini Countryman will now get into the league of the Mercedes GLA, the BMW X1 and the Audi Q2 in the global markets staking its claim as a proper crossover SUV and also looking cute at the same time.
