’17 Mini Countryman

The new Countryman is distinguished mostly by its size. There are some exterior tweaks here and there, but the biggest benefit for buyers will be the added elbow room and cargo capacity (see related story

The Countryman comes well-equipped. Standard are a panoramic sunroof, luggage rack, leatherette seating, 6.5-in. (16.5-cm) touchscreen, rear camera with park assist, Bluetooth connectivity, rain-sensing wipers and dual climate controls for $26,100, plus $850 destination and handling.

Stepping up to a Cooper Countryman with AWD takes the base to $28,100. The Cooper S starts at $29,100, or $31,100 with AWD, and adds such things as LED headlamps and heated seats. The John Cooper Works model will base at $37,100. Prices for the hybrid model have not been announced.

Those stickers will undercut many of the Mini’s key luxury-brand competitors, including the Q3 ($31,800) and Porsche Macan ($47,500), brand executives are quick to point out.

We tested the 2.0L-powered Cooper S with both 8-speed sport automatic and 6-speed manual transmissions on a variety of roads in and around Portland, and the Countryman lives up to its billing as a people-hauler that is sports-car fun to drive. Steering is quick and precise and traction sure-footed. With its more compact, new-generation AWD system, the Countryman is extremely confident even on the snow-packed roads of Mt. Hood.

While you can’t go wrong in choosing the manual, the 8-speed automatic with paddle shifters is every bit as fun to drive. It includes Mini’s Dynamic Damper Control system that offers three settings – Mid, Sport and Green – that vary the shift points, engine note and steering and suspension settings.

The 2.0L is smooth and quiet and packs enough punch even for Mini’s biggest model. Fuel economy also is as expected, averaging 27.0 mpg (8.7 L/100 km) on one leg of our journey up and down mountain roads and along the highway, a click better than the CUV’s 26.0 mpg (9.0 L/100 km) EPA rating.

Passengers won’t feel claustrophobic in the Countryman. There’s plenty of elbow room for those up front, and rear seats are comfortable for two adults (but not three). The 40/20/40 split rear seats also slide 5 ins. (127 mm) fore and aft to extend either legroom or cargo capacity.

Mini says there’s more than 6 ins. (152 mm) of added rear legroom compared with a Q3 and almost 10 ins. (254 mm) more than in a Mercedes GLA250. Cargo capacity, at 17.6 cu.-ft. (498 L) with the seats up, also is greater than in those two competitors.

With the seats down, the new model offers 5.4 cu.-ft. (153 L) of additional storage from the first-gen Countryman that bowed in 2011. The cargo bay includes an optional foldout picnic bench, a cushion that pulls out to cover the loading sill for tailgate seating.

Flaws are few. The Countryman hits the showroom this month without Apple CarPlay or Android Auto connectivity, though the automaker promises that omission will be rectified soon. Some of the trim options are flashier than others, but overall materials inside are top-notch and no fit-and-finish gaffes were evident in our test vehicles.

U.S. Countryman sales declined 23.9% last year to 12,706 units, according to WardsAuto data. That’s a little more than half the model’s peak in 2014, so it isn’t a bold prediction to say the new version should do better in a market ravenous for small CUVs.

With greater versatility and comfort and a still-high fun-to-drive quotient, plus a new plug-in model on the way, the now more practical Countryman is Mini’s biggest play yet at mass appeal.

[email protected] @DavidZoia

'17 Mini Countryman Cooper S ALL4 Specifications

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