The new Mini Countryman: E-mobility for road testing
Tests of the new electric Mini Countryman E and SE All4 2024: driving impressions, price, autonomy and charging time
From compact SUVs to midsize SUVs, the new Mini Countryman is no longer just a Minona, but a larger, more practical, and versatile Mini. With an increase of 6 cm in height and 13 cm in length (444.5 cm in total), it has made a huge leap forward in its positioning on the market, and the Minona character of the first Countryman will be replaced by the versatile ace Mini Aceman. Available with petrol, diesel and electric engines, front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, today I am testing the version for charging at a charging station.
新款 Mini Countryman SE ALL4，路试
style and interior
The excellent Lorenzo has already tried the gasoline Mini Countryman, I invite you to read his tests and detailed descriptions so as not to repeat yourself, I will now tell you how I feel and what I tested with the electric version, with two and four-wheel drive. I prefer it
The tail of the new Countryman is both primitive and sharp. I liked the side with fewer sides, taller and not too slim, and the front with square headlights, which were clean and without a frame and blended in with the shape of the body. But, for me, the Mini had to have round headlights, better and miniaturized.
On board, I like the clean and minimalist interior style, with the flat dashboard covered in fabric: I like to know that inside I find eco-sustainable materials, but the recycled polyester fabric that covers the dashboard and doors is very coarse, and the base of the plastic windshield doesn't seem to be of much premium. The flat dashboard is punctuated only by vertical air vents, a small head-up display in front of the pilot, and a 24-centimeter circular screen in the center of the dashboard. The round OLED screen ensures excellent visibility, and the navigation between the menus of the mini OS version 9 is very pleasant: it almost always happens that it is necessary to know where to find the information at the beginning, but you will find it very quickly. Make friends.
新款 Mini Countryman SE ALL4、方向盘和信息娱乐系统
New commandTo adjust the temperature of the air conditioner, I don't need to go into complicated submenus, I just click on the responsive virtual button. The essence of the first generation Mini was well developed, which was also emphasized by the small round console with buttons and joysticks under the screen. Here I found the handbrake button, the lever to select the gear and experience, the volume knob, and the key-shaped ignition. Underneath the joystick, five basic buttons are integrated into the console frame: automatic parking, ADAS, hazard and quick defrosting of the windshield and rear window.
Do not call them driving modes On the new Mini, Countryman or other models, there is no driving mode, but experience, in this case seven worlds, which in this case involves the driving settings, but also the graphics of the circular screen, the interior lighting, the position of the sunshade, the sound, and the seat massage can also be activated. Even when switching from kart mode to eternity mode, little has changed while driving, but the graphics are pleasant and mini-style.
drive
If you're thinking about moving to 100% electric vehicles, the new Countryman offers two options. Equipped with a single motor of 204 hp and 250 Nm, the Mini Countryman E can reach a top speed of 170 km/h with just the front wheels and 0-100 km/h in just 8.6 seconds. The Mini Countryman SE ALL4, with one engine on each axle, delivers 313 hp and 494 Nm with all-wheel drive, with a 0-100 km/h acceleration time of 5.6 seconds and a maximum of 180 km/h. The battery is the same, providing 66.45 kWh of rechargeable power, up to 22 kW AC and 130 kW DC, and can be charged from 10% to 80% in 30 minutes. The WLTP cycle of E has an autonomous driving range of 462 km and the SE ALL4 has a range of 433 km.
新款电动 Mini Countryman 正在充电
The ergonomic dimensions have increased, the interior space has increased, and the sense of space I feel when I sit behind the wheel has also increased, thanks to the new dimensions and the minimalist and non-intrusive dashboard. The circular screen is fully detached from the dashboard and within reach, so you don't need to stretch out to reach the controls, which facilitates precise clicks. The relationship between the steering wheel, seat, and pedals is always good, and even if the manually adjustable seat provides unstable seat adjustment via levers, there is a risk of not finding a 100% preferred position. I like to turn the key to open (or boot the system, like when I boot up my computer?). Mini Countryman, but now it's almost forgotten about that. Even the leverage for choosing gears is not at all comfortable. The head-up display clearly displays key information such as speed on a small vertical screen, but it is not available in entry-level Countryman.
Driving impressions Charging anxiety aside, driving an electric car is pleasant, quiet, and agile, better than those rough and noisy internal combustion engine cars. From this point of view, the only competitor is a high-performance engine, perhaps a multi-stage engine, and with a satisfying sound. The Mini Countryman E is no exception, thanks to electric and silent thrust, it's nimble and effortless, at least at moderate speeds. The body is well insulated and the rolling noise of the tires is also controlled, but some aerodynamic noises (possibly from the mirrors) can slightly disturb the electrical silence. But overall, its ride comfort seems to have been the designer's guideline: the size is not so miniature, and there is a little less go-kart feel when driving in favor of comfort. Starting with an electric motor with progressive thrust instead of a brutal motor like many electric motors, even though I chose to experience go-kart. In this mode, the sound changes, and when I press the throttle, it reminds me of Mario Kart.
新款 Mini Countryman SE ALL4，仪表板
The choice of suitable shoe comfort is also reflected in the calibration of the suspension, which is soft and a far cry from the setup of the first Hyundai Mini. Probably too soft considering the weight of the electric Countryman: 1,865 tonnes for the single-engine, single-wheel drive E and 2 tonnes for the twin-engine, all-wheel drive SE. I prefer a stiffer suspension for better weight control during fast maneuvers. Also because the Countryman retains a feature of the mini go-kart feel, the steering response is quite quick as soon as the steering wheel moves, and as a result, the setting is immediately stimulated. I tried the 18-inch rims and the E with 55 shoulders (as standard, there are 17-inch wheels with a size of 205/65 that are more focused on consumption), the high shoulders emphasize the floating feel, the 20-inch rims have lower shoulders and better, on the one hand, make the reaction to the steering wheel movement more pronounced, but the contact with the asphalt is more direct.
In the real world, we're talking about the typical charging anxiety of electric vehicles. When the battery is 100%, I see a range of 250 to 320 km on the magical round screen. When I tested it, the average power consumption from the BMW Italia headquarters in San Donato, a suburb of Milan, to the NOI TechPark in Bolzano, was about 20 kWh/100 km, and a few kilowatt hours more when going deeper, so be a little more careful when you stay. Whoever enters NOI will find that the ramp leading to the underground parking lot is decorated by Luca Font, whose design is reminiscent of NOI's structure and Mini colors, and is protected by the Urban Shield designed and created by Emotitech at NOI, in addition to protecting the pigment, reducing pollutants PM10, PM25, nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides.
How much does it cost?
The base Mini Countryman E starts at $40,700, but three tiers are also available: Classic, Favorite, and JCW. The Countryman SE 4ALL also has the same setup, with prices ranging from €46,900 to €54,380. Essential is really important, even in the choice of color: gray or black. It's best to upgrade to the Classic version for a full range of color options, a less spartan finish, and the included XS kit, which also includes the experience as well as heated seats and wireless charging for smartphones. All upgrades are carried out through add-on packages, from sizes XS to XL, and have minimal equipment including a head-up display, LED headlights, keyless, heated and foldable mirrors, and electrochromic left mirrors for an additional €3,100. XL packages go up to €10,200.