Thursday, 5 May 2011 at 12:08, Bloomberg
The 2011 Mini Cooper S Countryman is a big Mini. Big, of course, is relative in this case, but this new four-door’s size rankles purists, who point to the name of the brand itself. You can’t have a super-size Mini. Yes, BMW says, you can.
The Mini family, owned by BMW, now includes the various Cooper models, the larger Clubman and the all-new Countryman, which has been described as Mini’s SUV. The base starts at $22,350; $27,650 for the all-wheel-drive S model.
Despite vigorous claims to the contrary, Americans are still stuck on big cars. So it makes absolute sense for the company to expand what a Mini can be. The Countryman is a mega Mini, but only in a Lilliputian world. It’s a mere 13.48 feet long.
To put that in perspective, a Chevy Suburban is 18.5 feet, a Ford Explorer 16.4 and a Mazda 3 sedan more than 15. It is big next to a 8.8-foot Smart, but sales of that tyke are lousy.
The original Mark I Mini was released in 1959 (10 feet). Its iconic status was cemented when three Cooper S’s were filmed gamboling down outdoor church steps in the 1969 movie “The Italian Job.”
BMW introduced the “new” Mini Cooper in 2001 (12 feet), and it soon gained its own revered status (and a turn in an updated “Italian Job”). People love them. I’ve never got an ugly look for piloting a Mini.
There’s no mistaking the Countryman for anything but a Mini. It remains true to its overall dimensions, as if a Cooper had been ballooned with extra air. Yet the overall look is tougher, the exterior details more rugged.
The Countryman seats four in bucket seats, and it’s comfortable in the rear with good headroom. There’s a metal rail running down the center of the cockpit, designed for clip-on accessories like a specialised sunglass case or drink holders. Overall cargo space with the back seats down is an ample 41.3 cubic feet.
The turbocharged 1.6-litre 4-cylinder engine has more elasticity than a bungee cord.
This is the first model to be offered with AWD system option, but it overwhelmingly runs in front-wheel-drive mode anyhow, only transferring torque to the rear when it senses slippage. And will not engage at high speeds.
Attractive to those in the snow belt perhaps, but the added weight means that the front-wheel-drive-only S model is actually 3/10ths of a second quicker to 60 mph, taking seven seconds.
The Countryman’s added height and weight conspire to work against the go-kart handling that the brand is famous for. The Countryman is still maneuverable, just less so.
The mega Mini does mean trading in a few Mini-like characteristics. But for many customers, the extra space inside is worth the car’s growing pains.
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