Out-of-the-box wonders: extravagant features on the Mini Countryman

The BMW-owned Mini brand has long been a cult classic, and Mr Bean’s iconic classic Mini is sure to bring out the kid in you. Since then, the brand has diversified into the SUV department with its Countryman, which debuted in 2010. The current base variant is on sale for $32,650 and goes up to $48,300 for the John Cooper Works edition with its more than 300 hp in the Relatively small but spacious package.

The Mini Cooper has always been a sporty, small, urban vehicle, making it the perfect choice for Italian work, but what most people don’t know about is the character and attention to detail that goes into this car. Here we will explore some quirks and features of the Mini Countryman. If you can get more than 5 of them right, you probably have one.

10.A quirk of the Mini Countryman: circular infotainment screen

If you’ve ever set foot inside a Mini, you’ve probably been struck by the circular infotainment screen in the center. A distinctive feature of the Mini is the shape of this screen and the light strip that surrounds it. Although it’s difficult to achieve a circular form factor, Mini has managed to pack a lot of character and information here.

The Mini Countryman’s infotainment screen is just 6.5 inches, but the circular light around it handles a lot of communication, for example indicating volume, fan speed and climate temperature when raised or lowered. It also gives the car an ambient color that you can easily change depending on your mood, i.e. red for sport, obviously.

Feature 9.A Mini Countryman: 1.5 liter 3-cylinder engine

The Mini Cooper is smaller than the Countryman, but the Countryman is still a small car. It may be surprising to see that the base model Countryman still has a 1.5-liter twin-turbo 3-cylinder engine that makes 135 horsepower and 162 pound-feet of torque. The 3,500-pound car barely hits 60 mph in less than 10 seconds, which is a little slow by our standards.

At the other end of the spectrum is the Mini Cooper Countryman John Cooper Works ALL4, which has a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder twin-turbo engine that has more than twice the power of the base variant with its 300 hp, similar to the 0-El 60 mph time halved to 4.9 seconds, now that’s more befitting a small sporty crossover

8.A quirk of the Mini Countryman: toggle switches and door handles

The Mini Cooper S Countryman John Cooper Works has one big distinguishing feature: instead of fancy touch keys, it has buttons. These include everything from the engine start and stop to the sunroof, making you feel like you’re on a rocket ready to reach the stars.

In line with the elegant curves are the door handles, which combine locking and opening functions in an elegant semi-circular design that is unique but integrates with the interior of the car. The design required quite a bit of engineering, but it turned out to be a great feature that you’ll hardly find in any other car.

7.A Mini Countryman Feature: The Uncharted Edition

The latest version of the Mini Countryman is an all-new edition known as the Uncharted Edition. Some notable features of this edition include the two-tone paint and the orange stripe that runs from the front bumper to the rear, rounded off nicely by uncharted badging around the exterior.

In terms of specifications, the Mini Cooper S Countryman ALL4 Uncharted Edition has a 4-cylinder TwinPower Turbo engine for sporty fun thanks to its 178 hp power and all-wheel drive. Inside you’ll notice black leather seats and bright trim with Uncharted’s signature orange on the steering wheel and doors. The Mini Countryman is more versatile than ever on any terrain thanks to these Uncharted improvements.

6.A peculiarity of the Mini Countryman: cold lights

What is noticeable in all the Minis is the external light design that gives it an attractive look. The LED daytime running lights are circular, like the interior equipment, and are surrounded by a chrome surround that shines in the sun. The large hexagonal grille accentuates them, making the front of the car a pleasure to look at.

 An interesting quirk here is that the headlights stay fixed in place when you lift the hood, leaving two eye-shaped holes. Another quirk you may notice when looking from behind is that the taillights have turn signals with arrows pointing towards them, albeit in opposite directions to the side itself, but it’s still an interesting feature to see in action as long as you don’t get confused. in which direction the driver is about to turn

5.A feature of the Mini Countryman: memory seats

The Mini Countryman has electric seat adjustment with memory that remembers your seating position, so you can set it instantly when you get in the car. The same goes for another driver who may be using your Mini Countryman, they can occupy 2 seating positions. The seats are made of luxurious Alcantara, as are the headrests, and even the rear seats.

Surprisingly, the Mini Cooper S John Cooper Works has no memory or power seats, which is likely a weight-saving feature even though the car still has a hefty curb weight of 3,688 pounds. But no matter which Mini Countryman you choose, there will be 4 doors and seating for 5 people, that’s a promise.4.A peculiarity of the Mini Countryman: made for camping

One difference between the Mini Cooper and the Countryman is that the latter has roof bars. Thanks to this, you can set up your own tent on the roof and go camping whenever you want, without inhibitions due to the interior space of the vehicle. When you think of the Mini, camping usually doesn’t come to mind.

The AUTOHOME rooftop tent is a great choice for 2 people who want to camp in the wild, weighing 128 pounds and having an interior height of 37 inches. It comes with a folding aluminum ladder and its own mattress, as well as 2 windows to be in contact with nature.

3.A feature of the Mini Countryman: space for days

Although the car appears limited on the outside, it offers plenty of luggage space, the trunk measuring 17.6 cubic feet and rising to 47.6 cubic feet when you fold the seats. An added bonus is the 40/20/40 folding rear seat, which means you can have more flexibility for your passengers and cargo.

The 105.1 wheelbase means there is room for 5 people with plenty of legroom. The hatchback-style opening also allows you to load things in and out of the car easily. And when you’re short on space, you can always load the roof using the included roof rack. All this means you can take the Mini out for days without needing to stop for supplies – true independence.

2.A peculiarity of the Mini Countryman: additional internal components

Once you set foot inside the Mini Countryman, you’ll notice a few things that illustrate the manufacturer’s attention to detail. An example is the Mini Countryman JCW’s speedometer, which has a checkered flag after 120 mph encouraging you to go fast. Or the bright red automatic shift lever that makes you feel like you’re in a fast compact SUV.

Like many cars, the Mini Countryman has microphones that allow you to talk on the phone while driving, but if you look at the roof you will see the cutout in the shape of a microphone symbol. A similar emphasis on detail is found on your phone’s wireless charging, to prevent it from sliding around it has a fixable slider that keeps it in place.

1.A feature of the Mini Countryman: a 221 HP PHEV option

For $42,700 you can get a hybrid version of the Mini Countryman! It features the same 1.5-liter 3-cylinder engine as the base Countryman, but now with an eDrive electric motor that adds 87 hp, bringing the Countryman SE’s total to 221 hp. This reduces 0-60 mph to 6.5 seconds, and the Countryman SE still achieves an excellent 73 MPGe. The only downside is that the car weighs close to 4,000 pounds, but it does not undergo any significant changes in terms of storage space. In 2025, the Mini Countryman SE will debut as an all-electric SUV that will draw attention to the Tesla Model Y with its 308 hp and an estimated range of 280 miles for a price that will be less than the Model Y, stay tuned.