With the John Cooper Works trim sending off the “old” Countryman, we now welcome the all-new 2024 MINI Countryman to Malaysia. This is the first generation of the Countryman to feature an all-electric powertrain, but the Countryman is still available with a petrol engine. Debuting at Malaysia Autoshow 2024, estimated prices for the all-new MINI Countryman in Malaysia start at RM260,000.
- MINI Countryman SE ALL4 (EV) – est. RM260,000
- MINI Countryman John Cooper Works (petrol) – est. RM399,000
A quick glance at the all-new MINI Countryman is all you need to tell it apart from its predecessor. The Countryman now adopts a more angular styling, most evidently with its new headlights. The Countryman has also grown larger, now measuring 4,433 mm long, 1,843 mm wide, and 1,656 mm tall. Its wheelbase measures 2,692 mm long. It is 60 mm taller and 130 mm longer.
The front also now appears a bit more elongated, making the MINI Countryman look a bit like a modernized 2004 Ford Thunderbird. There are also new roof colours for the MINI Countryman. The electric Countryman adopts a more tame styling while the John Cooper Works Countryman adopts a styling fitting of its JCW name.
As for the powertrain, let’s first address the all-electric version of the Countryman. This is the first time a MINI is equipped with an all-wheel drive (AWD) fully electric (EV) powertrain. The MINI Countryman SE ALL4 gets a dual-motor setup that makes 313 hp and 494 Nm. The SE ALL4 does the century sprint in 5.6 seconds onward to a top speed of 180 km/h. If those numbers look familiar, that’s because they are identical to the BMW iX1 xDrive30’s performance figures.
As for its battery and range, The MINI Countryman SE ALL4 houses a 66.45 kWh battery pack. This gives it a range of 433 km (WLTP). Charging can be done at a maximum rate of 22 kW with AC charging for the MINI Countryman which is great news as this makes your home charging experience a lot better. DC charging in the MINI Countryman is also faster than the MINI Cooper as it can be done at a maximum rate of 130 kW. MINI says this allows charging from 10% to 80% to be done in just under 30 minutes.
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The petrol version of the Countryman in Malaysia is the hottest petrol version available globally – the MINI John Cooper Works Countryman. It is powered by a 2.0-litre turbocharged petroleum gasoline engine that churns out a maximum power of 300 hp and a maximum torque of 400 Nm.
Paired with a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission (DCT), the drive system sends power to all 4 wheels and enables a 0-100 km/h acceleration time of 5.4 seconds. Interestingly, it is quicker in the century sprint than the fully-electric Countryman SE ALL4.
Inside, the cabin design of the MINI Countryman pretty much follows in the footsteps of the all-new MINI Cooper. There’s the same circular head unit with the screen stretching out to the circle’s edges and it runs on the latest MINI Operating System 9.
Imitating a Tesla, the MINI Countryman makes do without the typical instrument cluster. However, the MINI Countryman does things a little differently with the use of a Head-Up Display (HUD). One improvement that MINI highlights in the Countryman is the rear seats which are now wider by 25 mm.
As for safety, the all-new MINI Countryman is equipped with 12 ultrasonic sensors, 4 surround view cameras, and a partially-automated Level 2 driving (in a comprehensive Driving Assistant Professional optional package). Check it out at Malaysia Autoshow 2024.
GALLERY
