Some people question whether it should be called a Mini at all; the Countryman, launched in South Africa this week, is more than four metres long, with four doors and a tailgate, four or five seats plus (and this would really have raised the eyebrows of original Mini designer Alec Issigonis) it's available with all-wheel drive.
The original Countryman was a 1960's variant of the classic Mini that had a (slightly) longer rear overhang, a miniature station-wagon body with a pair of van doors at the rear and an external wooden frame. It was cute, cramped, slow, as agile as a terrier after a rat and well-nigh indestructible. I know, my sister had one.
But this is now, and the new Countryman is very much a car of its time, as was my sister's. The classic Mini design language is still there, albeit a bit chunkified, but this Countryman stands tall on 17” (or 18” or even 19”) rims, carries the obligatory black plastic armour that signifies “urban warrior” and takes the celebrated Mini versatility to a whole new dimension - including a level of electronic integration that would have had Issigonis shaking his head in disbelief.
It's available in South Africa with the familiar Mini menu of two 1.6-litre petrol engines (actually one engine, with or without a hairdryer), each subtly tweaked to comply with the EU5 exhaust gas standard in Europe and the ULEV II standard in the US.
The Cooper version now has variable valve management based on BMW's proven Valvetronic system and is rated at 90kW at 6000rpm with 160Nm available at 4250rpm. BMW quotes 0-100 in 10.5sec and a top end of 190km/h at an average cost of 6.5 litres/100km and 152g/km of CO2.
The Cooper S uses a twin-scroll turbocharger, direct injection and wobbly camshafts to boost that to 135kW at 5500rpm and 240Nm from 1600-5000rpm (260 with overboost) - good enough, says the maker, for 0-100 in 7.6sec and 215km/h. EU-rated fuel consumption, it says, is 6.6 litres/100km and CO2 emissions, 154 g/km.
Standard equipment in each case is a six-speed manual 'box; a six-speed Steptronic auto transmission is available (for an extra R16 100) on any model.
The All4 permanent all-wheel drive system (available only with the Cooper S engine at a whopping R48 000 premium) uses an electromagnetic centre differential on the final drive to vary the distribution of power seamlessly between front and rear axles. In normal driving conditions up to 50 percent of the drive is sent to the rear wheels, in extreme situations as much as 100 percent.
The suspension has been revised to suit with Macpherson spring struts and forged track control arms at front, multi-link rear suspension and electromechanical power steering system. There's no spare wheel; runflat tyres are standard.
Dynamic stability control is standard across the range, traction control is optional on the Cooper and standard on the S, and an electronically lockable front-axle differential is an option on all Countrymen.
The Countryman comes standard with a three-seat bench in the rear or - as a no-cost option - two individual seats. The rear seats slide fore-and-aft individually or in a 60:40 split (three-seat bench), the angle of the backrests can be adjusted, and the backrests can be folded down either individually or in a 40:20:40 split (three-seat bench) to increase luggage capacity from 350 to 1170 litres.
Instead of a conventional centre console the Countryman has a pair of centre rails, extending to the back of the front seats in five-seat versions or all the way to the rear seats in four-seat versions.
Into these rails can be clipped all manner of storage boxes, cup holders and flexible mountings for iPods, cellphones and other gadgetry, in any order or position to suit the needs of that day or that trip.
The Mini has always been positioned as a premium (that means expensive, Cyril) model, despite its miniature dimensions, but that means you get a lot of standard kit, including aircon and a radio/CD player, plus a huge range of customisation options, such as paint, trim elements, interior colours and upholstery options exclusive to the Countryman.
Also available are upmarket audio and navigation systems, cellphone connectivity with full integration for smartphones, and the new Mini Connected system, which includes the news (via RSS feeds), Twitter and web-radio functions.
The list of extra-cost option goes on to include a large sunroof, adaptive xenon headlights, a heatable windscreen, special alloy rims up to 19” in diameter, sports suspension (which lowers the ride height by 10mm) and John Cooper Works go-fast components.
PRICES
Cooper Countryman - R287 500
Cooper Countryman a/t - R303 600
Cooper S Countryman - R345 000
Cooper S Countryman a/t - R361 100
Cooper S Countryman All4 - R393 000
Cooper S Countryman All4 a/t - R409 100