Mini Cooper SE Countryman ALL4 test: PHEV SUV with DGT label 0 and good average consumption

But how well the Mini Countryman has passed the time, which looks like Sofia Loren herself! And it is that the second generation of the SUV of British origin has been on the market since 2016, although the latter is not that it varied much in design compared to its predecessor. With slight aesthetic touches received in 2020, as I imagine the Italian actress will have done, she continues to show a fresh image like the first day -perhaps saying that in ‘La Loren’ is going too far-.

Now I have to try what, let’s say, is the last variant that completed the range, the Mini Cooper SE Countryman ALL4, the plug-in hybrid. This PHEV yields 220 CV and has an official autonomy in electric mode of 51 kilometers.

design and interior

The good thing is that Mini has managed to maintain the exterior design of the successful reinterpretation that it launched in 2002. Also in other larger bodies such as the extinct Paceman or the one we are testing today, the Countryman.

It was in 2020 when it underwent a slight update in which the grill was somewhat larger, the bumpers, newly made -the front ones with vertical air intakes-; and the pilots adopted the Union Jack flag. For its part, the headlights, which maintained their shape, incorporated LED technology -Matrix LED optional- as standard.

That on the outside, because on the inside, the modifications are less substantial: new buttons for the steering wheel, which, as I told you in the 5-door Mini Cooper test, offer an image, at least for me, poorer than the old ones. previous; and a 5″ digital instrument panel that gives it a modern touch, but it is not configurable and the information it gives is not extensive.

This is complemented with an 8.8″ screen that shows graphics, like those of the browser, that are not up to date. I like that it is touch-sensitive, but that it can also be controlled from the rotary control on the center console. It is also Of course, that the most important functions can be controlled from the physical buttons. Message to the rest of the brands: do you see how you can be chic without having to do without them? And speaking of buttons: how do you get off the typical metal ones? for its resemblance to those of an airplane!

What I did not like is that the inductive charging system, which is hidden in the armrest, has an extendable platform on which my mobile, a Samsung Galaxy S21, does not fit.

And being Mini, the good materials, as well as the very good perceived and tactile quality, could not be missing.

Accommodated in the rear seats I find a space for the head of four fingers (I measure 1.78 m) and one quite loose for the knees. For its part, the cargo is quite good for a plug-in hybrid car: 405 liters.

engine and performance

The Mini Countryman is only available with diesel and gasoline engines ranging from 136 to 306 hp in the sporty John Cooper Works version. Of course, one of the gasoline ones is supported by a 95 CV electric motor that working together adds 220 CV, 4 less than the one prior to the update.

This is the one in the test, the Mini Cooper SE Countryman ALL4, which is equipped with a 1,499 cc three-cylinder in-line engine that produces a power of 125 CV between 5,000 and 5,500 rpm and delivers a maximum torque of 220 Nm at 1,500 and up to 3,800rpm.

And as its name indicates, it has four-wheel drive: those on the front axle are moved by the combustion block and those on the rear, the electric one.

It equips an automatic change of six relationships, with a continuous variator, which is faster when upshifting than when going down. If I miss a little more speed and, above all, paddles on the steering wheel.

With all this and with its 1,790 kg, it accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 6.8″, without a doubt, a good figure. It also reaches a maximum speed of 196 km/h -135 km/h in fully electric mode -.

Behaviour

This hybrid SUV offers a very pleasant drive due to its outstanding soundproofing and its good ride quality. In addition, you can modulate its behavior thanks to the driving profiles: Sport, Mid and Green, in which the behavior of the steering, gearbox, power delivery and climate control system are adjusted.

There are also electrical system modes: Max eDrive, for fully electric driving with reduced power and speed; Auto eDrive, hybrid; and Save, which reserves part of the load to, for example, enter an LEZ.

You can circulate in a calm, calm way, but when you ask for war, it gives it to you thanks to its 220 CV. And it is that she has an excellent thrust from well below, and all this with a sound that convinces.

It also behaves well in curves despite its high weight because the suspension, which filters the irregularities of the road well, keeps the body quite firm, achieving quick support changes. Yes, when making turns at high speed, it is difficult for him to enter, but I have the feeling that his tires are to blame: Pirelli Cinturato P7.

For its part, the steering is hard, and for this reason I like it, especially on a mountain road, but when stopped, regardless of the driving mode chosen, it seems to me that it is too heavy, and more so for a hybrid version that does not have the surnames John Cooper Works.

And as for the brakes, they do their job, but, as with the vast majority of hybrid and electric cars, the first part of the journey they do not act, and when the action comes it is a bit abrupt.

During the test of the Mini Cooper SE Countryman ALL4, consumption has been around 7.5 liters and electric autonomy has never exceeded 40 kilometers -51 are the official ones-. It took me between 3 hours and 30 minutes and 4 hours to charge it, since it is only possible to do it at a maximum of 3.7 kW -others can do it at 22-.

Factors to decide the purchase and price

It is a car in which quality is appreciated, both in its rolling and in the materials that equip the interior -the leather seats are excellent-. In addition, consumption is moderate, both with and without load.

Likewise, as a plug-in hybrid that it is, on the moon it sports the DGT label 0, with all the advantages that it brings, something that no other member of the range has. During the week of testing with the Mini Cooper SE Countryman ALL4 it has been a joy to move around the city center without worrying about accessing restricted areas and parking for free in the regulated parking area.

But now it depends on whether you want or can pay the 47,110 euros that it costs with the access finish, the Essential, which comes standard with LED headlights, cruise control, touch screen and air conditioning as outstanding elements.