Safer, faster, cooler. The biggest MINI gets with the program.
The all-new MINI Countryman, a car that Australia has been waiting for eagerly, has finally been detailed by MINI Australia today. “The new MINI Countryman introduces the excitement of the MINI range into the premium compact segment,” MINI Australia general manager Tony Sesto said.
Dubbed as “the perfect car for families to enjoy an active lifestyle,” the biggest enhancements to the Countryman are the inclusion of active safety features as standard across the range. With prices starting at $39,900, active driver assistance (ADAS) systems like active cruise control, autonomous emergency braking, forward collision warning, park distance control, and speed-limit readout features will be bundled with even the base Countryman Cooper, and will likely see the big MINI endear itself quickly with young families.
The range will kick off with the Countryman Cooper (at $39,900), and will feature standard kit like ADAS systems, six-speed automatic gearbox, a reversing camera, DAB digital radio, 18-inch alloys, and an electric tailgate among others. Stepping up to the 110kW/330Nm Cooper D (at $43,900) bags the same kit from the base Cooper but adds the 8-speed automatic first seen in the MINI Clubman.
Next up the range is the Cooper S (at $46.500), which employees a 2.0-litre turbocharged unit from the hatch. This power plant is good for 141kW and 280Nm, and will rocket the Countryman from rest to 100km/h in a brisk 7.4-seconds. Eight-speed automatic is employed here. The Countryman Cooper SD All4 tops the standard range of MINIs, and sees a 140kW/400Nm turbodiesel shuttle the MINI from 0-100km/h in just 7.4-seconds, identical to its petrol counterpart. Power goes through all four wheels though, ensuring ‘maximum go-kart feel’ through all conditions.
All Countryman variants will be available from late March, and will take the fight on to other premium competitors like the Mercedes-Benz GLA and the incoming Audi Q2, as well as the BMW 2-Series Active Tourer (which the MINI Countryman shares its underpinnings with). It’s a stylish crossover that’s as safe as houses, what’s not to like?
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