We compare the electric and petrol variants of the all-new MINI Countryman U25 generation.
Most MINI purists will never see the point behind an SUV take of their favourite brand, but the rest of the market seems to love the Countryman. Last year, the Countryman was the best-selling vehicle for MINI Malaysia and there’s no reason to think the trend change any time soon.
The regular MINI Cooper may be a little too small for most family-oriented buyers to think about, but the Countryman manages to retain the charm of the MINI design language while being just about large enough to fit a family of 2 adults and 3 children. While the previous generation toyed with the availability of both petrol and plug-in hybrid variants, this time around the strategy has shifted slightly.
This generation of BMW Group products have been engineered from the ground up to be flexible enough to be configured for both pure electric and pure combustion engine use, and there’s some room in the middle for hybrids too.
In Malaysia, we first got the all-electric Countryman SE ALL4, which was then followed by a fully-imported mild hybrid version called the Countryman S ALL4.
This Countryman S ALL4 then got locally-assembled with a pure petrol engine powertrain, perhaps for cost and to meet local customer preferences. Whatever the reasons might be, that’s the one we found ourselves stuck in this week – a 2.0L turbocharged petrol powered MINI Countryman S ALL4. Fortunately we still had our drive notes and photos from an earlier drive with the all-electric MINI Countryman SE ALL4, so a comparison is in order.
Design
I think the way these new “U25” generation MINI Countryman models look on the inside is a good place to start. In Malaysia, they are both identically specified and seem to be available with the same exterior paint options and interior upholstery options too.
Our electric model was painted in Melting Silver and had Vintage Brown upholstery.
The petrol model was finished in Blazing Blue with Dark Petrol (blue-green) upholstery.
What’s interesting to note is the door cards and dashboards of both variants come covered with a thick woven material that blends from Vintage Brown to Dark Petrol, so both upholstery options work perfectly here.
The centrepiece of this generation of MINI products is a 9.4″ circular OLED screen.
This serves as the only digital interface, with an additional Heads-Up Display (HUD) serving as a supplementary instrument cluster.
The display is utterly unique in the segment. OLEDs themselves are pretty rare even in the premium segment. And for MINI to go all-in on CIRCULAR OLED screens… well, that represents a double leap in perceived tech, in our eyes.
Regardless of which powertrain you opt for, you get access to a number of ‘Experiences’.
These double as both Driving Modes and Visual Themes for the car, changing throttle input, animations, fonts, and even some aspects of the sound design. Here’s a sample of what the Experiences look like in the electric Countryman:
These ‘Experiences’ also change the way the HUD displays information, though the changes are pretty basic. I suspect most users will simply leave it on ‘Core’ and have it output Apple Carplay, which strangely enough, feel well integrated with the circular theme at all
While MINI’s approach here is pretty high-tech, we do think there’s room for improvement when it comes to the little things.
For one, having turn signal indicators show up here would be extremely useful, as they’re off to the side of the driver on the circular OLED by default.
The rest of the interior? Well, it’s love it or hate it, essentially. They’ve taken a pretty bold approach to the design, opting for the aesthetics of a living room rather than a conventional car cabin.
Because of that you have various straps, fabrics, meshes, and lighting signatures to occupy your attention for days on end. There are also lots of shelves, compartments, cubby holes, and even a wireless charging tray – enough to accomodate your smartphone, SmarTag, coffee cups, keys, keycards, wallet, purse, etc.
Personally, I think it’s a fresh approach to cabin design and it certainly does feel a little more homely than your typical car.
Unfortunately, it’s also a bit of a mixed bag in terms of real world practicality. Some parts look good but don’t feel that great. Plastics around the window switches feel particularly scratchy, and there’s the rough feel of the textile itself that not everyone will feel good about.
Just look at that door handle and think about the baffling ergonomics of it. In case you don’t see what we mean, it’s a rear-hinged handle that doesn’t take fingers coming in from the top. So your right hand would have to be facing the other way around to move the latch. What were they smoking with this design?
There are aspects to the digital design that need some attention as well. Putting the turn signal indicators at eye-level (in the HUD, for instance) and dealing with the clashing rectangular cutouts of Apple CarPlay and the reverse camera layout, are some of the areas that could see fixing in an OTA update if MINI decide it’s worth paying attention to.
As a ‘family-sized’ MINI though, it’s hard to complain. The U25 is designed to accommodate a family of 4 but can take 5 in a pinch.
Seating ergonomics at the rear is adequate for children, teenagers and smaller adults.
You even get rear air cond vents and a couple of USB-C charging ports here.
The Countryman has a powered tailgate, regardless of variant.
There are some dissimilarities though, the fully-imported electric Countryman has a bit of netting for a first aid kid. The locally-assembled model has omitted this.
Both boots have underfloor storage, but the electric version’s is slightly smaller with some dividers while the petrol model’s is large and open.
Performance
Both are all-wheel drive, but there’s a huge difference in power output. The electric version has an output of 313hp and 494Nm of torque while the petrol model has an output 201hp and 300Nm of torque.
There is a stark difference in performance both on paper and in practice. It’s almost too much of a difference to stomach considering the fact that they’re both priced exactly the same.
The electric model gets from 0-100km/h much quicker – in just 5.6 seconds while the petrol model gets there in 7.4 seconds. However once up to speed, the electric model runs out of steam pretty quickly while the petrol one just seems to go and go and go relentlessly.
Behind the wheel it’s kind of the same story – the electric model is nippy and effortless while the petrol model needs to be worked at for power.
It’s more rewarding and engaging to drive the ICE-powered Countryman but the EV is an overall ‘nicer’ and easier experience.
Personally, I think the electric Countryman is the car I’d much rather be in for the daily commute. The petrol model only shines when you have a nice stretch of road to carve up and even then it doesn’t feel punchy enough to satisfy a true petrol head. It’s clearly not ‘entry-level’ in terms of performance, but it’s nothing to write home about, especially in the electrified age.
That being said, I think the public sentiment seems to side the traditional petrol-powered Countryman in Malaysia. Just looking at the registration numbers it’s clear that many customers were waiting for a petrol model.
This probably shows that there’s a general acceptance of this new look from MINI, but some skepticism on adopting an electric Countryman as a full-time replacement car.
And I fully understand that. A Countryman is a family-oriented MINI. Why put your family through the burdens of EV range anxiety? 430+km is about enough for town use but you’ll need to schedule multiple stops on cross-country treks. On top of that, many Malaysian Countryman owners probably experienced the PHEV model of the outgoing generation and realised they weren’t a fan of charging the car up.
All this could have played some part in the decision making process and it’s likely the 3-door Cooper is the more popular electric vehicle choice of the two given its narrow, uncontested niche in our market.
Value
Priced identically at RM258,888, the MINI Countryman ALL4 models present an interesting dilemma for those considering what ‘value’ entails in the premium segment in the electric age. On the one hand, the electric model is completely free of excise duties and import taxes. Very little of what you pay goes back into the government’s coffers. For some, that alone is enough of a reason for a product to scream “GOOD VALUE!”. EVs also present other value-oriented challenges, such as Chinese alternatives at half the price, historically poor resale value and the possibility of having to pay for a replacement battery once the lengthy warranty is up.
On the other hand, MINI Malaysia managed to bring the price of a pure petrol car down to that of an all-electric, tax-free car while not making it feel like it’s lacking in any meaningful equipment or features. A MINI Countryman with petrol power is at this point a little ‘ancient’ when you think about it. But to many customers, familiar territory presents peace of mind and the kind of value you can’t put a price on. Clearly BMW Group want to use this opportunity to really get some hard data on what the Malaysian premium car customer will choose when all else is kept constant – electric or ICE. You can’t really go wrong either way, but know that one of these cars is infinitely quieter, nippier and cleaner than the other.
MINI Countryman S ALL4 Specifications
Engine: Inline-4, 16-Valve, DOHC, Turbocharged Petrol
Capacity: 1998cc
Gearbox: 8-speed Steptronic Sports Automatic, all-wheel drive
Max power: 201hp @ 5000rpm
Max torque: 300Nm @ 1500rpm
Top Speed: 228km/h
0-100 km/h: 7.4 seconds
Price: RM258,888
MINI Countryman SE ALL4 Specifications
Engine: Dual Motor
Battery Capacity: 66.5kWh lithium ion
Range: 432km (WLTP)
Max power: 313hp
Max torque: 494Nm
Top Speed: 180km/h
0-100 km/h: 5.6seconds
Price: RM258,888
*Editor’s Note: The MINI Countryman S petrol was shot on an older camera, hence the grain in low light.
