Mini is known for making fashionable cars which are a bit different from others. The Countryman has been the biggest Mini and also one of the best sellers for them for obvious reasons being an SUV of sorts. This though is much bigger than what you expect from a Mini and this is also fully electric. Meet the new Countryman electric which starts from Rs 54 lakh and while that is more expensive over the last gen, it is now a proper luxury SUV. It also looks much bigger now because it actually is while the design is less funky but we think is also less 'Mini'. But the new Countryman looks cool still with its octagonal front grille plus the sharp headlamps. It is quite long and is more like a crossover from the side. Other highlights include the fact that you can select light signatures.
Inside though it is way better than the earlier Countryman in terms of quality or details. It is now on par with the X1 in terms of quality but the design is very much on the funky side. There is no instrument cluster because everything is bundled into the huge OLED touchscreen. That said, you do get a heads-up display which shows the basic info. The OLED display is brilliant to use and looks amazing with its display while there is plenty to go through with the various experience modes having their own design theme and linked with ambient lighting. There is even a DJ Mode where you can do DJ like scratches and more! Mini has packed in a lot in this display which needs getting used to but it is cool.
There is a lot of use of textured surfaces including recycled materials, textiles and a gradual colour change across the cabin which again is different. We do like that everything you touch and reel is different from your usual luxury SUV at this price. There is a leather free interior and there is more space too, at the back and at the front with more storage as well. Other features include electric seats at the front, a panoramic sunroof, ambient lighting and more. On the tech front, there is a new voice assistant and an app plus 3D navigation.
The 66.4 kWh battery pack is the same as the electric BMW iX1 and the power on offer via a single motor is 204 bp and 280Nm. These are not electrifying figures but acceleration is decent as 0-100 km/h takes place in 8.6 seconds. While it is quick, it is not the go-kart Mini that you expect while a dual motor version would have made things a lot more fun. That said, it rides much better than the earlier Mini and performance is adequate. There are drive modes but you choose the quickest one at the expense of range. Speaking of which, the official figure is 462km while the real world figure will hover around 350km. It does feel compact and fun but compared to the earlier Countryman it feels big.
The Countryman EV is now a much better car with more features, space and more presence but it is a little less Mini we think, however for the price it is an EV SUV which stands out.
