The all-new MINI Countryman has been launched, and like before, comes in two variants of MINI Cooper Countryman and MINI Cooper S Countryman.

Let’s start with the size, and it has gone larger. The new Countryman is 20cm longer than before and three centimetres wider. What this means is that there’s more room inside, in addition to an extended ground clearance and raised seating position.

For the first time ever, the Countryman is equipped with auto LED Headlamps with Cornering Lights. But that’s just the beginning of ‘new things’ for the car, also in the list is the automatic tailgate with foot-activated sensor to open and close the tailgate without having to press any button. While this feature is present in both variants, the Cooper S also includes Comfort Access or MINI talk for keyless entry.

Another first for the model is the Picnic Bench that folds out of the booth to provide a comfy seat on the luggage compartment lid.

When all five seats are in use, the luggage compartment has a volume of 450 litres. With 40:20:40 rear seat split, it allows the load volume to be increased up to 1,390 litres.

In the areas of infotainment, communication and driving experience, the All-New MINI Countryman is further enhanced with MINI Connected which offers an extensive range of in-car smartphones integration on a 6.5” high-resolution screen. It even offers direct Spotify access by installing the app direct to the car.

Another big change is the choice of TwinPower Turbo engine: the MINI Cooper Countryman comes with a 1.5-litre 3-cylinder inline engine that’s good for 136hp/220Nm. The Cooper S, meanwhile, has a 2-litre 4-cyl engine that produces 192hp and 280Nm. 0-100kph is achieved in 7.4 seconds, which is 2.2 seconds faster than its 3-cyl sibling. Fuel efficiency? That’ll be 6.5 litres/100km and 6.0-litres/100km respectively.

The two cars come with different gearboxes too – a six speed auto for the Cooper and an 8-speed for the Cooper S.

In terms of wheel options, the All-New MINI Cooper Countryman offers 18” Light Alloy Wheels while the MINI Cooper S Countryman offers 19” MINI Yours Light Alloy Wheels. Both variants are equipped with run-flat tyres as standard.

Prices are as below:
MINI Cooper Countryman – RM239,888
MINI Cooper S Countryman – RM269,888

Those interested will be happy to learn that the MINI Cooper Countryman and MINI Cooper S Countryman will be available for test drive over the weekend of 15-16 April at The International Gallery at Alya Kuala Lumpur – adjacent to TPC Kuala Lumpur (formerly KLGCC).