Mini Countryman

WHILE car buyers lapped up the previous MINI Countryman, hardcore enthusiasts saw it as another chance to have a dig at the reborn British icon

- Lawrence Allan

They claimed its sheer size and cost were totally at odds with MINI’s history of building small, light and low-cost city cars.

Those enthusiasts are unlikely to be won over by the new model, either, because it’s the biggest and one of the most expensive models the brand has ever produced. That’s unlikely to stop buyers, though; the outgoing Countryman continues to sell well, despite being the oldest car in MINI’s range.

Still, the march of progress brings along this second-generation car, which finally adopts the UKL2 platform found underneath the likes of the Clubman estate and BMW X1. This architecture means the Countryman is 200mm longer and 30mm wider than the old one – making it larger than an Audi Q2.

The extra girth is immediately apparent from the outside, as are MINI’s efforts to create a more rugged SUV look with squared off haunches, roof rails, a long bonnet and chunky surfaces. You can decide for yourself whether it’s successful – but to our eyes, it looks more awkward than the outgoing car.