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MINI Countryman Cooper SD All4 | Test Drive
As the name suggests, the Countryman winks at an even wider use than usual and therefore, although it feels perfectly at ease through the city, the secondary roads are its ultimate playground.
Words Andrea Balti / Photos Daniél Rikkard
Restyling fresh, the least “mini” MINI of them all undergoes slight updates for a model that never as in recent years shows that combining several aspects in a single car represents the ideal move to answer to the increasingly demanding requests of the market. Then add the emotional factor that binds Mini owners to the brand and it is really hard to find a reason to give up what the Countryman can offer, especially if approached with what I think represents the ideal compromise in terms of mileage and performance. But why call it a compromise, when it actually is the ideal option?! In fact, the Countryman ranges from just over 100 horsepower to the 306 hp JCW in the dense list that sees it proposing itself with diesel, hybrid or petrol-only engines. In between a plethora of variants that make it available with a manual gearbox, or three automatic options – one exclusively dedicated to the Hybrid unit – including the 8-speed Steptronic that equips the All4 all-wheel drive (not permanent), just the one of our test.
Countryman, but specifically it is a Cooper SD, the most powerful diesel engine available, an in-line 4-cylinder 2-liters with 190 horsepower, which compared to the 150’s model allows you to take advantage of a more consistent acceleration and 50 Nm of extra torque and therefore 400 instead of 350. But let’s talk about this one, because in this case the “D” next to the sporty “S” does not penalize at all the behavior of the huge Countryman, able to accommodate up to five people on board with their respective luggage, without letting you perceive the real dimensions of a body 430 cm long and 182 wide. The driving position is in fact quite advanced and despite the central portion of the dashboard is specific for this model, after a few hours behind the wheel you could almost forget that you are on the maxi Mini par excellence.
As the name suggests, the Countryman winks at an even wider use than usual and therefore, although it feels perfectly at ease through the city, where I just feel the lack of a rear view camera, the secondary roads are its ultimate playground. The All4 facilitates driving on slippery surfaces, snow or dirt, delivering power to the rear wheels only when needed. It is in this way that an interesting added value is achieved, without having to face an increase in fuel consumption, as in the case of a car with permanent all-wheel drive. The gearbox is an automatic and works so well that it will never be necessary to act on the lever itself, or on the plastic paddles on the steering wheel, at least if you use Green and Mid driving modes. By selecting Sport, on the other hand, the car prefers to use the total rpm range at disposal, leading the driver to use the paddles when there is no need to pull by the neck the 190 horsepower available.
Comfortable over long distances and fitted with a navigation and multimedia system that refines its status of perfection, our Countryman also has a fully digital display in front of the driver, which is basically divided into three small quadrants, allowing you to keep an eye on everything that is important while on the move. It is a mature car, perfectly capable of satisfying any type of customer and not only for the many possibilities of customization and engines through which to pick, but because it guarantees the proverbial Mini driving dynamics, albeit in a less intense way than the previous and the less voluminous models. There really doesn’t seem to be any reason why you shouldn’t choose a Countryman, if you intend to park in your garage a car with style, tradition and a soul that doesn’t know what it means to go out of fashion.
The city and the motorway are crunched in complete nonchalance, until it is time to climb on the narrow road that leads to Monte Beigua, right above the Ligurian sea. Thanks to a decent height from the ground and tires with a shoulder capable of not intimidating the 18-inch alloy wheels, we proceed along a road afflicted by the harsh winter season that has now ended, and then continue and immerse ourselves through the woods discovering that the love for outdoor life is widely celebrated by the ideal Mini for the job. The 4-cylinder is never too noisy and when driving, especially when you press the throttle with confidence, it seems to be at the wheel of a petrol engine, however, noting that the 400 Nm of torque allow you to move through the curves as you would not expect, at least not concerning a model that does not have performance as its main objective.
The Cooper SD takes 7.6 seconds to accelerate from 0 to 100 kph, but for the vast majority of the day it is driven with peace of mind and in complete relaxation, marking an average consumption declared in 4.7 l/100 km in the mixed cycle, perfectly achievable figures if you decide to prefer torque, rather than pure power. Aesthetically, it does not change much compared to the pre-facelift version: we find new details for bumpers and headlights, now full LED. It is on the whole that the changes are most perceived. How much does it cost then? The Countryman starts at € 25,800, but in the case of the Cooper SD All4 it goes up to at least € 40,600. In this case, however, you will find a complete piece of kit, with more than interesting specs, automatic transmission, reduced consumption and brilliant performance. In short, the ideal bit of the lot, truly for everyone.
The shape of the Countryman is unmistakable and maintains that desire to discover new roads, without fear of getting its wheels dirty, with the awareness of knowing how to behave well on asphalt, as on dirt roads. In short, I like it and I think it is an even less unusual choice than the equally versatile Clubman, with which at least for the moment I don’t feel able to make comparisons, since we driven the 306 horsepower JCW and in that case – you can imagine – the involvement factor played a major role in the falling in love phase. The second generation Countryman is a car that knows how to wear the clothes of an SUV, as well as those of a hatchback, taking the most significant features of both and pouring them into a single container ready to face the city, the countryside, the mountains, the woods, everything in Mini style. Impossible not to have a soft spot.
MINI COUNTRYMAN COOPER SD ALL4
Engine 4 cylinder Turbo Diesel, 1.995 cc Power 190 hp @ 4.000 rpm Torque 400 Nm @ 1.750 rpm
Traction All-Wheel-Drive Transmission 8-speed Automatic Gearbox Weight 1.675 kg
0-100 kph 7,6 sec Top Speed 224 kph Price from €40.600
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