The electric Countryman SE ALL4 SUV is a maxi MINI livewire personality
It’s hard to wipe the grin off my face as I sit at the helm of the MINI Countryman SE ALL4, the all-electric dual-motor iteration of the chunky Countryman “SUV”, especially in the demo-car's Smokey Green body colour with its subtle "Vibrant Silver" brushed gold accents.
There’s a shiny, happy vibe that envelopes you and sparks joy the moment you slide into the cabin.
The choice of materials used, cabin lighting, digitalised graphics, tasteful contrasting colours and thoughtful details add to the ambience in a funky fashion only MINI can get away with.
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For any other brand, it would come across as pretentious.
Rolls-Royce, Porsche, Ferrari and MINI. These brands operate in a rarefied niche sector where their personalities are larger-than-life and transcend individual models. Regardless of model, you’ll know it will embody the salient attributes of the brand.
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MINI is a potent case-study in point, especially since it has effectively grown in size and portfolio from what technically started as a mono-product range.
Bold, vivacious, young-at-heart, fun, funky and most importantly, endowed with suitably entertaining driving dynamics. Best of all, the one thing MINI does not do is to take itself too seriously.
You want a MINI because it’s an emotional decision that tugs at your heart, as opposed to an empirical one that “makes sense”.
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There’s a lot of passion for the brand, and heads turned to follow its passing as we drove by, especially with the fun-sized Countryman’s rugged charm, chunky silhouette, wide wheel arches and distinct light signature of the head-lamps.
Believe it or not, the Countryman even achieves a rather slippery 0.26Cd in spite of its proportions and design.
At 4433mm x 1843mm x 1656mm, MINI’s all-rounder has grown in size, especially with a loading capacity that can be expanded from 460-litres to 1450-litres with the rear seats folded-flat.
Despite its useful 2692mm wheelbase, the Countryman features short overhangs in true Mini tradition, so it cuts a purposeful, dynamic stance at standstill and in motion.
There’s good space in the second row for three, with only the mildest of centre bumps so it isn’t that uncomfortable for the middle passenger.
A peek into the front cockpit shows the major elements remain mostly unchanged, except there is more digitalisation, especially with the luscious, oversized 240mm round OLED touchscreen meter taking pride of place in the centre fascia – it used to be an oversized analogue meter when the original New MINI was first launched.
There’s now a bank of switchgear with transmission shifter, start/stop and “Experience” selector, in addition to the volume knob and parking brake.
This keeps the centre area clear for that really cool storage bin.
We like the rah-rah overture the moment you slide in and power up the car, especially the rousing "Woohoo!" that eggs you on when you engage "Go-Kart" mode.
'Drive modes are now called “Experiences” that you can toggle between, with a different driving profile, unique ditty, ambient lighting and graphics accompanying each “mood”.
It’s a huge barrel of fun – and that’s even before you start driving! – especially when you interact with Spike, who incidentally has morphed from the original British Bulldog into a more contemporary, stylised caricature of one.
He doubles as both mascot and digital assistant that is triggered by one’s voice, but his cutesy shenanigans are far more endearing than MS-Word’s smug-looking paperclip assistant used to be.
We’re old-school MINI-acs and left it in “Go-Kart” mode for the most part so as to live up to the iconic marque’s legendary reputation. This doesn’t just engage the motorsports aesthetic within the cockpit, but also sharpens up the steering and accelerator for more incisive responses.
Not that any EV needs any added prod, because the full 313hp/494Nm hit is available the moment you hit the “go” pedal from a standstill. It’s zippy enough for use on Singapore streets and the steering, while light, delivers quick responses to helm inputs.
The soundtrack is particularly emotive and changes tone and pitch in response to how much angle you've applied to the accelerator pedal. It even subsides into a snotty, mumbly grumble when you lift-off, as though it's disappointed you've gone off-the-boil! Flat-out, it will erupt into a strident overture that provides a fitting stimulus to one's go-faster efforts.
The SE is a real rabble-rouser, with a rowdy side to its personality that sees it rebel against the establishment that thinks it isn’t possible to be fun and functional at the same time.
At the same time, the ALL4 all-wheel drivetrain endows the SE with secure plantedness in slippery conditions, so there’s ample grip everywhere, everytime.
The S$249,888 Countryman SE competes in the same segment as the EQA, iX1 and Q4 e-tron, but in reality, operates in a class of its own – for what it's worth, there's also a lower-powered Countryman E that starts from S$235,888.
There’s an effortless cool to the Countryman SE ALL4 that leaves you feeling warm and fuzzy, as opposed to cringey.
All in, it is a chunky chill pill that is easy to swallow and helps you take away the bitter sting of adulting.
MINI COUNTRYMAN SE ALL4
Battery 66.5kWh (Gross), 400V
Power 313hp
Maximum torque 494Nm
0–100km/h 5.6secs
Top Speed 180km/h
WLTP range (combined) 433km
Kerbweight est. 2-tonnes
Price S$249,888
