Mini’s Countryman might not have initially appealed to the brand’s purists when it arrived in 2010, but there’s no denying just how popular this model has become.
As Mini’s only SUV, and its roomiest car, it’s gone down a treat with families and, even next to more fierce competition, is able to hold its own.
But Mini is now readying a new, third-generation Countryman, which will arrive before the end of the year as part of an onslaught of new Minis – including the new Cooper hatch and smaller Aceman crossover.
Let’s take a look at what you can expect from the 2024 Mini Countryman.
More space
While the Countryman is a far larger choice than a standard Mini hatch, the firm acknowledges that it’s currently losing customers by not having a spacious enough vehicle.
This new Countryman aims to address that, and as a result, it grows in size by 13cm to 4.43m in length, while it’s also 6cm taller, now standing 1.61m in height. It now has almost identical dimensions to a Nissan Qashqai, rather than the smaller Juke like its predecessor. Much of this goes into giving the Countryman a far roomier interior than its predecessor, particularly when it comes to rear legroom.
Electric model
The latest Countryman shares a platform with the latest BMW X1 (pictured above), and as a result, it means customers will be able to have this Mini SUV as an EV for the first time.
There will be two versions available – the 188bhp ‘Countryman E’ and the 309bhp ‘Countryman SE’. It’s this latter version that we know the most about it, as it will be all-wheel-drive and use a 64.7kWh battery. Mini says you can expect an ‘estimated range of around 450km (280 miles).
The first Mini to be made in Germany
While Mini is known to produce its smaller Hatch in the UK at its plant in Oxford, the Countryman has always been manufactured overseas, with the first-generation being built in Austria and the second in The Netherlands.
But this new Countryman will be the first that’s manufactured in Germany at a plant in Leipzig, Saxony. It will also be the first Mini to be produced in the same factory as a BMW.
New design language
While the new Countryman’s design is still firmly under wraps, there are several things that can be worked out through the car’s camouflage.
For starters, it is set to have a squarer front end than the current car, along with new LED lights with a ‘line’ signature, rather than the previous round design. The Union Jack rear lights of the existing model may also be no longer used for the new model.
New touchscreen and technology
Mini is ready to introduce a next-generation interior layout, which will be rolled out across its future products. The highlight will be the new circular touchscreen in the middle, which will be an OLED display that is especially thin.
This is set to replace virtually all physical buttons and really help to modernise the current Countryman’s interior (pictured above), which is just starting to feel a touch dated on the outgoing model.
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