Mini Cooper S Countryman: Big deal if you’re a family man

SINGAPORE — Having a family probably excludes you from jumping on a last-minute flight to Bangkok for a spontaneous shopping binge, but it should not keep you from driving a Mini.

That is the basic premise of the new Countryman, the brand’s biggest car ever, and one that is on sale here this week.

The previous model already had enough room to seat five people, but this one can seat them comfortably. Most of that is due to a massive growth spurt.

The new Countryman is a good 20cm longer than before, and 3cm wider. Its wheelbase (the length between the front and rear axles) gets 7.5cm of the car’s added length, and now stretches to 267cm, the same as that of the BMW X1.

That is no coincidence, because the two cars are sisters under the skin, and share the same basic underpinnings.

In that sense, you could think of this as the BMW of Minis. The cabin’s plastics have undergone an enormous upgrade, and some posh features have snuck in. For instance, electric motors, rather than your muscles, adjust the front seats now.

Two versions are available, with the standard 1.5-litre Cooper priced at S$165,000 and a more powerful, 2.0-litre Cooper S going for S$21,000 more.

Apart from quicker acceleration, the Cooper S offers GPS navigation, a touchscreen entertainment system (with a bigger display), bigger wheels as well as a number of other frills.

In either version, the seating in the rear has become positively palatial. Essentially, this is the first Mini that will keep your kids from whining about feeling cramped.

The seats in the rear slide and recline too, allowing you to adjust the division of space between the cabin and boot. Speaking of which, cargo room has grown by 100 litres to a 450-litre capacity, and you can have 1,309 litres by folding the rear seats. That gives you more load-lugging ability than, say, Audi’s new Q2.

Does it still drive like a Mini? Not particularly. To keep the tall body from lurching sloppily around corners, the suspension is pretty firm, but the car never quite displays the kart-like character of the smaller Minis.

If you can do without the extra features, then the 1.5-litre Cooper is the one to go for. It still feels decently perky, and will haul you and your family along without straining.

That is not to say the new Countryman is devoid of fun or personality. It still has playful features all over the place, from chunky toggle switches to colourful lighting effects.

Then of course, there is the car’s styling, which is still unmistakable. Upright tail lamps, large headlamps and a helmet-like roof mean you can tell what car this is from a mile away.

All of which means the new Mini may be maxi enough to be a real family car now. Leow Ju-Len

Mini Cooper S Countryman ALL4

Engine: 1,499cc, turbo in-line three, 136hp, 220Nm

Performance: 200kmh, 0-100kmh: 9.6s, 6.0L/100km, 138g/km CO2

Price: S$165,000 with COE

On Sale: Now