A plug-in hybrid, all-wheel drive MINI SUV makes a lot of environmentally-responsible sense
There’s plenty to like about the first electrified MINI – the MINI Countryman PHEV – since it combines plug-in hybrid power and efficiency with the practicality of a small SUV. But here are the best bits.
Look at me
Few car-makers have done the retro thing as well as BMW with its reborn MINI.
Right from the third-millennium MINI’s Australian debut in 2002, the tribute to Alex Issigionis’s original Morris mini 850 was eagerly lapped-up by a nostalgia-prone public.
If there was a problem, it was how long the new wunderkind could hold that initial sales momentum. Surely, this very niche product wouldn’t take long to reach a point of saturation.
Simply, that never happened. 18 years later, the problem of keeping the MINI fresh doesn’t seem to have bothered BMW. It easily out-sells anything else in its segment.
Through a series of developments off the original MINI concept that included convertibles, wagons, SUVs and even a relatively short-lived coupe, the surprisingly diverse MINI range has mixed distinct individuality with a readily identifiable styling motif.
Simplistic electric eccentricity
For a compact, already fuel-thrifty car, the idea of a hybrid version might sound like overkill.
But the petrol-electric, plug-in MINI Countryman PHEV brings a bit more than fuel economy to the table: Because of the hybrid system’s configuration, it also happens to offer all-wheel drive as part of the package.
The MINI’s ALL4 AWD system is a crafty arrangement that splits power delivery between the regular petrol engine and the electric motor: The former, in concert with regular MINI practices, looks after the front end, while the latter takes care of the rear.
There’s no weighty, physical connection between the systems, just electronic signalling to advise the rear wheels when it’s necessary to kick in.
Punching on
It’s claimed the MINI Countryman PHEV’s performance, what with 100kW/200Nm and 65kW/165Nm contributed by the petrol engine and electric motor respectively, is pretty much the same as its conventionally-driven equivalent. In fact, according to the figures, it’s actually more accelerative.
The hybrid’s combined power adds up to a solid 165kW, while accumulated torque is quoted at 385Nm, way more than the 2.0-litre turbo Cooper S figures of 141kW/280Nm.
So while you get the seamless transition from petrol to electric, or a combination of both, you also get a mildly-rorty experience on the road. And the three-cylinder turbo (seen in the one-step-down MINI Cooper) is as endearingly aural as ever.
There are environmental and running-cost gains too: Although it’s unlikely many MINI Countryman hybrid owners will achieve the officially-claimed thirst of 2.5L/100km, if you don’t run comfortably within the 6L/100km mark, you are probably being a little too eager with the accelerator pedal. The same applies to the super-low CO2 emissions of just 56g/km.
Corner carving
The prerequisite MINI penchant for go-kart style handling is paid attention as well.
The MINI Countryman PHEV feels tight and responsive, yet it’s quite cosseting when it comes to absorbing the bumps and lumps on the road.
Although it’s actually bigger and quite a bit heavier than many small SUVs, it feels taut and light on its feet. The steering is close to perfectly weighted, quick-responding and in harmony with the sizeable 225/50R18 run-flat tyres (the battery pack under the boot floor precludes the provision of a spare wheel).
Load it up
The MINI Countryman PHEV is hardly mini in terms of its load capacity or, for that matter, its people capacity.
There’s ample head, shoulder and leg room throughout the cabin, plus a total 1275 litres of luggage space if you need it, or 405 litres if all the cabin space is being used. And you can access the power tailgate by waving your foot under the Countryman’s shapely rear-end.
The part leather-clad interior is highlighted by the quirky over-sized circular display at the centre of the dash, and the instruments move up and down with the steering wheel so they are always in good view.
And finally, as you’d expect of a $57,200 (before on-road costs) car, self-dipping and corner-tracking LED headlights are factored-in, as are autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, pedestrian avoidance, sat-nav and climate-control complete with venting to rear-seat passengers.
Keyword: Five things we love about the MINI Countryman PHEV