► Life with a Mini Countryman JCW
► It’s the biggest, fattest Mini yet
► Can it still be fun, as well as practical?
Controversy is never far away from the Mini Countryman. Bigger than ever, this latest version isn’t even built in Britain, this being the first Mini to roll off a production line in Germany. That sound you can hear is Basil Fawlty choking on his cornflakes.
Now in its third generation, the first BMW-era Mini Countryman appeared in 2010, and since then has consistently been the car that gets chewed by fans of the traditional Mini. Will those complaints fade away over the period of our long-term test?
It certainly has an appealing amount of punch. Being a John Cooper Works model, it’s the most powerful available, with a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine providing 296bhp and 295lb ft. It defaults to front-wheel drive but can flip to all-wheel drive when needed, via a propshaft and rear Haldex clutch controlled by the DSC electronics.
Countryman JCW prices start at £41,575; the new VW Golf GTI is likely to be around the same price. Our car has £5800 of optional extras – the Legend Grey paint is £600 while the remainder is made up of the Level 3 pack, involving upgraded 20-inch wheels, an electric massage seat for the driver, adaptive LED headlights, JCW performance brakes, sliding rear seats, and on and on. It’s one hell of a list, but even without it the Countryman JCW gets enough kit.
The interior is dominated by the circular infotainment. I’m yet to really get to grips with all the finer points. Being circular gives it a distinctive design USP but also means the rectangular Apple CarPlay display sits awkwardly in the middle; round hole, square peg.
On the move, it disguises its size well. Despite weighing 1735kg it turns in with vigour, feeling sharp like all the best recent Minis. The flipside is you get bounced around quite a lot.
What’s odd is that it’s not gone down especially well in the school car park. I would have thought this Countryman would be peak Mini – the car for young families who love what the brand stands for but in a size that means they can get the cricket kit in the boot. But it doesn’t seem to resonate with them as a Mini.
Maybe it’s just too big for what they think a Mini should be, but not big enough to displace the default Defender from their affections. It’s Mini’s Usyk to Land Rover’s Fury.
Logbook: Mini Countryman JCW
Price £41,575 (£47,375 as tested)
Performance 1998cc turbocharged four-cylinder, 296bhp, 5.4sec 0-62mph, 155mph
Efficiency 35.3mpg (official), 33.0mpg (tested), 180g/km CO2
Energy cost 21.0p per mile
Miles this month 565
Total miles 3507