Mini Countryman SE: first driving impression

Top Gear recently drove the new electric Mini Countryman SE. You can read the full test report in our April issue (in stores at the end of March); now the important things.

Test topic: Little citizen
Performance: SE All4
Location: Cascais and surroundings
Weather: sunny and around 18 degrees

This mini is very maxi…

Beats. That’s kind of the idea behind it. The Countryman, just as it was before the mid-size four-door crossover, is a fun alternative to the (technically identical) BMW X1 and X2. And now it’s also available as an all-electric E and a faster SE. We run the latter here.

Is it as smooth as a Mini should be?

Just sayin’: it goes from 0 to 100 in 5.6 seconds. That’s just 0.2 seconds slower than the 300 hp petrol Countryman JCW. And it costs tens of thousands of euros less…

Is it well connected?

Indeed. The interior is decorated with fine details and the friendly body shape gives you plenty of headroom in the back. Its infotainment (on a large round screen) runs on the new OS9 system, further improved with no less than eight Experience Modes for things like driving behaviour, graphics and mood lighting. Which you can use two, but still.

How does it run?

Well, he is cheerful. That already says a lot. The seat is reasonably high (you can’t buy a free crossover), but the weight is definitely lower in the body. So it goes through the bends enthusiastically and with a lot of grip, but the effect of tilting on your inner ear is very strong, which makes the riding of the impulse refreshing and giving it character. The latter is sometimes lacking in EVs, so good job, Mini. Depending on driving conditions, it also makes a lot of noise through the speakers, but luckily that can also be turned off.

What does the Mini Countryman SE cost?

Just under 50 years old. That’s a lot of money, yes – but it’s 10 percent less than you’d pay for an iX1 with the same drivetrain. If you don’t have to go very fast, there’s also a Countryman E for around 43k.

Read our full test drive of the Mini Countryman SE in Top Gear Magazine 226, in stores from March 28!