New electric Countryman hits the road

THIS time next year, MINI dealers will be preparing themselves for an onslaught of all-new models coming in the space of just 12 months. Before electric and petrol Coopers replace the MINI Hatch range and the five-door electric Aceman turns up, a new Countryman arrives, and we've been for a ride in the first all-electric model

- Steve Fowler

The car we're in has been testing in the south of France and Sweden, and now we're in snowy Austria alongside Countryman driving dynamics engineer Simon Krüger.

Swinging open the passenger door and climbing inside the heavily disguised car, we're struck by how much more space there is. The car has grown 130mm in length and 60mm in height; it's easier to get in and out.

But hidden under the cloth covers is a more upmarket, tech-laden interior, still with a traditional MINI sense of fun. That extends to the driving characteristics, with everyone at MINI referencing the go-kart feel. In fact, that's one of the driving modes selected by a hidden toggle switch sitting below a circular nine-inch touchscreen. This is also hiding behind a disguise, but it means far fewer buttons and switches in the cabin.

Krüger prods the throttle and the four-wheel-drive SE ALL4 darts forward, shoving us back into a new, slightly wider (yet even more comfortable) seat. In Go-Kart mode, swift acceleration is accompanied by one of the most fun synthesised sounds we've heard in a car - a sort of growl with what sound like pops when he eventually lifts off.