MINI Countryman Electric Review 2024

If you want your electric family crossover to stand out from the crowd then the MINI Countryman Electric is probably the one to do it – at least until everyone else has one too, though MINI’s level of personalisation means your neighbour would have to try pretty hard to buy one that looked the same. The new Countryman Electric ticks all the desirability boxes but it’s practical enough too, and while it doesn’t offer the most range for the money, it’s certainly the most usable MINI-badged EV yet.

There are two powertrains in the Countryman Electric range: E and SE. So far we’ve only tried the latter, and the 313PS unit is shared with that in the BMW iX1 and iX2 xDrive30 models. The more potent version does require spending a little more up front as you’d expect – upwards of £47,180 rather than £42,080 – but on the plus side that’s barely more than a basic BMW iX1 in Sport trim for a car of similar size, greater performance, and a more inviting cabin. If you don’t need the SE’s extra performance and all-wheel drive, we suspect the lower-priced E will be even more appealing.

In terms of mechanical similarity then the MINI Countryman Electric’s closest relation is the BMW iX1, which uses the same platform, motors and battery packs. Against the iX1’s pricing though the Countryman seems a bit of a bargain, starting at around £4000 less.

In contrast, it’s a little more expensive than the slightly larger Nissan Ariya, which also goes further on a charge, and only a little less than the starting price of the Ford Mustang Mach-E, which is bigger still, quicker than the Countryman E and offers similar range. It’s an increasingly busy segment though, and the MINI’s pricing puts it into contention with everything from the Hyundai Ioniq 5 to the Tesla Model Y.

As well as being a joy to look at, the Countryman’s interior is also a pleasure to interact with. We’ve mentioned the fabric surfaces feeling a little rough (think more hessian bag-for-life than knitted training shoe) but it still beats plastic, and gives the impression it’ll last for a good while. The synthetic leather feels great too, as soft as the real deal, and where there’s bog-standard plastic even that seems sturdy, just as the last few generations of Mini have been.

It’s nicely finished outside too, with tight shutlines and eyecatching design details that give the Countryman a chunky, quality, high-tech look from every angle. The ability to change the front and rear light signatures is great too, and adds a layer of personalisation we’ve not yet seen in other cars.

Even more so than most modern cars, the Countryman’s infotainment display is probably one of its defining features. Taking centre stage on the dashboard is a completely round 240mm (about 9.4 inches, or only a little smaller than the wheels on a classic Mini) OLED display, which MINI proudly states is an automotive industry first. While it runs on MINI’s (well, BMW’s) ninth generation software, in the Countryman it’s all been configured in such a way that each layout suits the round display.

The shape doesn’t really change the function of course, though nor does it make certain functions, such as the heating and ventilation, any easier to use on the move than a rectangular screen would. Still, it’s quick to respond to most prompts and MINI has taken advantage of the shape to give most of the information displayed there enough space to breathe.

Perhaps the most interesting feature accessed through the screen (or via a small switch on a bank below, alongside the starter switch) is the MINI’s ‘Experience Modes’. There are too many to go into detail here, but essentially when you select the sporty Go-Kart mode, the retro-themed Timeless mode, the music-based Vivid mode, or the five others (Core, Green, Balance, Personal, and Trail), the theme of the screen, head-up display, and ambient lighting changes accordingly.

This means different colours and graphics (Go-Kart gets a sporty red and black theme, Timeless a parchment-style colour like the dials in a classic Mini), and several modes are accompanied by different driving sounds in the Countryman Electric too. Inevitably most people will settle on one they like (and actually changing between them is probably the slowest function on the touchscreen) but as a means of personalising the interior, it’s pretty flash.

Then there’s the MINI Intelligent Personal Assistant, which can be accessed by saying “Hey MINI”, bringing up either a stylised Countryman on the screen or Spike, a little cartoon dog, with voice control for various functions. Like Google and other personal assistants, it can also suggest certain routes or functions based on previous instructions.

While the Countryman has grown there’s only been a modest increase in boot space, going from 450 litres with the seats up in the old car to 460 in the new one, and seats-folded capacity increasing from 1390 litres to 1450 litres. Still, an increase is an increase and the Countryman’s relatively upright shape gives a sensibly squared-off space for luggage. The rear seats don’t fold completely flat but do split three ways.

The Countryman Electric has an under-floor storage area for stashing the charging cables, and there are a few cubbies dotted around the cabin for the benefit of passengers too. The door bins are better for storing bottles than they are documents (both front and rear), and for front seat passengers, there are two smartphone-sized cubbies below the dash, a pair of cupholders, and then a neat centre cubby with a fabric pull strap to open it. There’s a tray behind that and another cubby under the armrest, so you’ll never be short of places to lose precious items.

The new Countryman Electric is available in Countryman E and Countryman SE forms, with the former getting a 204PS motor at the front wheels and the latter an all-wheel drive setup, using a motor at each end for a combined 313PS. Both get the same battery pack with 64.6kWh of usable capacity, and both offer brisk performance: 0-62mph in 8.6 seconds in the E, and 5.6 seconds in the SE.

We’ve tried the Countryman SE so far, whose performance matches that of the BMW iX2 xDrive30, which sits on the same platform, and is just a little slower than the 5.4-second 0-62mph time of the petrol Countryman John Cooper Works. The SE feels good for its claimed mid-5s acceleration time, but understandably not quite as rapid as some other electric cars on the market – which is more a sign of just how quick some cars have become, rather than the Countryman feeling slow.

That said, you’ll want to select the Go-Kart ‘Experience Mode’ to feel the Countryman at its strongest. Acceleration is broadly similar in all modes but Green definitely mellows things out whereas Go-Kart feels as responsive as you’d expect of an EV, and as each Experience Mode gets its own sound, the accompanying noises are just a little more exciting in the sportiest mode. Flick the drive switch to B and you get enough regenerative braking for one-pedal driving, too.

Having just the one battery pack across the Countryman Electric range keeps things simple, but with different power outputs and drivetrain options, there’s still a difference in how far each model can go down the road.

Furthest is the front-wheel drive Countryman E, with a claimed 267-286 miles in Classic trim, while the Countryman SE, with its all-wheel drive and extra power, drops slightly to 251-266 miles. Those figures will of course be in relatively favourable conditions, and the roughly 3 miles/kWh we saw during our drive (which involved some brisk driving on twisty roads) suggests at least 200 miles is a realistic real-world estimate. In gentler driving, and with more opportunities to regenerate energy, we’d expect comfortably over 200 miles in mild weather.

No real surprises here, as the MINI Countryman Electric is hushed at almost any speed. The upright pillars seem to generate a rustle of wind at motorway speeds but not enough to be distracting, and the only other notable noises are the artificially generated ones the car plays when you accelerate. Given you can turn those off, they can’t really be criticised. Despite the firm ride, the Countryman does a good job of isolating you from road noises too, though we suspect some UK surfaces may still cause rumbles and resonances.

The MINI Countryman hasn’t yet been crash-tested in its current form but we’d be surprised if it’s anything less than a strong performer – partly as it’s similar under the skin to the current BMW X1, which received a five-star rating from Euro NCAP. Standard safety and convenience kit includes lane keep assist, forward collision warning, speed limit assist, a 360-degree parking camera and trailer assist, the latter to help when parking with a trailer. Optional features include steering assist and semi-automated driving at lower speeds.

The MINI Countryman Electric is a little too new to have an idea about its long-term reliability, so we’re sure to hear over the next few years how it holds up. The existing Countryman hasn’t been too problematic though outside of a few isolated issues, though the brand as a whole has some way to go for overall customer satisfaction, finishing 25th from 29 brands in the 2023 Honest John Customer Satisfaction Index.

MINI hasn’t yet published insurance group ratings for the Countryman Electric. The outgoing Countryman was rated in groups 15-26, but electric cars tend to have higher ratings, and the closest parallel is probably the mechanically similar BMW iX1, which sits in groups 29-38.

If insurance might be a little expensive, then at least VED or ‘road tax’ won’t be. Like all EVs, the MINI Countryman Electric is currently free to tax, both in its first year when the car is registered, and thereafter. This is likely to change in future, though EVs will likely still be cheaper to tax than combustion-engined cars.

In MINI Countryman E and SE Classic form you get LED front and rear lights, alloy wheels, that fancy circular OLED display with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, ambient lighting, climate control, 11kW AC charging and 130kW DC charging (22kW AC is optional), cruise control, an automatic tailgate, and electrically adjustable and heated door mirrors. Classic trim also includes a black/blue textile dash design, Vescin artificial leather seats, a heated sports steering wheel, and a black grille surround.

Exclusive trim gets sports seats with perforated Vescin trim, a dark headliner, and silver exterior accents, while Sport features a look inspired by the petrol John Cooper Works variant, with 19-inch JCW alloy wheels, a black and red interior colour theme, and an optional red contrast roof.