First Drive: Mini’s Countryman Electric could be the ideal everyday EV

What is it?

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Mini, like so many other car companies, is looking to quickly electrify its line-up of cars. We’ve already seen that with the new Cooper, while the upcoming Aceman crossover will be battery-powered first and foremost. Sitting at the top, however, is this – the Countryman Electric.

It’s a plug-in version of Mini’s latest Countryman, which is the brand’s largest and most spacious vehicle it currently offers. We’ve already been impressed by the petrol-powered Countryman, but what can electric power do to the whole package? We’ve been finding out.

What’s new?

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From the outside at least, it doesn’t appear that an awful lot has changed. Compared to the standard petrol Countryman, this electric version hardly appears night-and-day different. There are some bright yellow badges on ‘S’ models, but aside from this, it’s quite reassuringly similar to the regular car. That’ll be a bonus for drivers who don’t like an EV which ‘shouts’ about its plug-in powertrain – the Countryman will easily slip under the radar in this regard.

As with all Mini models, there’s plenty of scope for customisation on this electric Countryman. All versions get a contrast roof to begin with, but from there you’ve got plenty of exterior colours to choose from, including a standout British Racing Green which looks particularly good – though you can’t get it on entry-level ‘Classic’ versions, sadly.

What’s under the bonnet?

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The Countryman comes in two flavours – E and SE All4. The former uses a single electric motor, while the latter gains an additional one to deliver all-wheel-drive, though both are linked to the same 64.6kWh battery. You’ll want the standard E if you’re after the best-possible range, however, as this version should deliver a claimed 275 miles between trips to the plug, besting the 251 miles you’ll get from the SE by a decent margin.

Performance on the SE version that we’re driving is more than adequate, with 0-60mph coming in 5.4 seconds – compared with the 8.4 seconds you’ll get from the E – but you’ll need to think long and hard about whether you want some added zip away from the line or extra miles from the battery, depending on which version you opt for. In terms of charging, a maximum rate of 130kW could see a 10 to 80 per cent charge completed in half an hour, while a full charge via a 7kW home wallbox will take 10 hours.

What’s it like to drive?

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As almost a reflection of the exterior design, driving the Countryman Electric is remarkably similar to the experience you get from the petrol-powered version and that’s not a bad thing in the slightest. Having the instant delivery of torque from the electric motor means that this Countryman feels a little more urgent from a standing start, but around town and at greater speeds it’s refined, comfortable and remarkably un-electric feeling.

Compared with other electric vehicles on sale today the Countryman isn’t as blisteringly quick, but that makes it a far easier car to drive day to day. It is considerably larger than the previous-generation car, mind you, so while that car felt like a ‘normal’ Mini raised up, this is a fully-fledged SUV and one which does require a little extra consideration in terms of parking and moving about at low speeds. Fortunately, pleasant steering helps to make positioning the Countryman easy.

How does it look?

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As we’ve touched upon, this electric Countryman isn’t all that distinguished from its petrol-powered stablemate. Physically it’s a much larger car than before – now 4429mm long and 1613mm high compared with the older car’s 4298mm and 1557mm respective sizings – but coupled with larger-than-life styling touches like the enlarged headlights and massive grille area, it’s a considerably chunkier-looking Countryman than we’ve been used to.

Entry-level ‘Classic’ cars get 17-inch alloy wheels as standard, whereas higher-spec Exclusive and Sport versions ride on larger, more intricate wheels. Regardless of specification, the Countryman does have a lot of presence, mind you.

What’s it like inside?

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The new Countryman utilises the same cabin architecture that we’ve seen put to good use in the regular Cooper hatchback. That means it’s all clean and button-free, with many of the controls centralised on the main screen. You do get some handy physical switches for elements like the volume, however, and it’s good to have these as quick access points while you’re on the move.

Space, as you might expect in a car of this size, is good overall. Rear-seat headroom is excellent owing to the Countryman’s boxy design and the whole cabin is pleasantly airy and spacious overall. You also get 460 litres of boot space as standard – rising to 1,450 litres with the rear seats folded flat – and the good news is that those figures are identical between electric and petrol versions, so there’s no space penalty if you fancy the battery-powered version.

What’s the spec like?

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Prices for the Mini Countryman Electric kick off from £42,080 for an ‘E’ in entry-level Classic specification. Compared with the petrol version there’s quite a considerable increase – that car starts at £29,350 – but then you do need to think about the potential for fuel savings over the next few years with the car.

That said, you do get a lot of equipment as standard on this electric version. Front and rear LED lights kick things off, while the headline 24cm OLED display in the middle isn’t a paid-for option – it’s standard on all models and is easily one of the best-looking and most responsive systems about at the moment. Two-zone climate control, cruise control and full Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration systems are all included off the bat, too.

Verdict

This electric Countryman feels like a good addition to Mini’s latest SUV range. While it does command quite a premium over the petrol version – and you’ll need to think about how you’ll charge it at home – what it does is bridge the gap between EVs and combustion-engined Minis well, delivering the kind of experience from behind the wheel that we’d expect from this brand – just with the absence of an engine.

Throw in some unaffected spaciousness and practicality and the Countryman Electric quickly becomes a battery-powered car that could easily slip into day-to-day life with very few drawbacks.