At the Geneva Auto Show recently, Mini showcased the new Countryman which is its production version of the biggest Mini ever. in terms of size, it is 161.3 inches long which means it is over 5 inches longer than the Clubman and more than 15 inches longer than the Cooper. This of course would mean that Mini is looking to give you more space as this is typically a 5 seater vehicle.
As with most Mini range, the Cooper S Countryman would be a great choice that is equipped with a 1.6 liter 4 cylinder engine that comes with Valvetronic Variable Valve Lift System made famous by BMW that gets you up to 181 horsepower at 5,550rpm and 177 lb-ft of torque through its 6 speed manual transmission gearbox. You can also opt for the automatic transmission gearbox that comes with paddle shifters behind the steering wheel if you like to power up its front-wheel drive engine.
The Valvetronic system will not be available for the standard Countryman that comes with the standard 1.6 liter Mini engine with a power output of 121 horsepower. On the Cooper S is where you also get a All-Wheel Drive mode which they term it as ALL4. This is where you get that extra stability and of course handling whenever you need to hold the car to the ground which is very much targeted to countries where snow and slippery roads are a norm. Other standards here are the 17 inch rims where you can go for the bigger ones if you like, while iPod and smartphones too have been mentioned. Having said that, the internals still look pretty ‘Mini’ with the standard middle of the car-dash meters and the knobs and buttons all not making any new changes. Otherwise, this crossover can be quite a joy to drive and more space to enjoy.
