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Mini Countryman Electric 2025 - EV Hour

We get behind the wheel of the latest Mini Countryman Electric model, which promises a range of up to 287 miles on a full charge all while offering the signature intricacies and details that Mini's are known for.

Audio transcription

"It's been a running gag for years that when you walk into a dealership and ask for a MINI, you can get models that says MINI on it, but really defies the conventional way of thinking about that word, MINI."

"This is the Countryman E, and it is anything but MINI.
It is absolutely massive, in fact, and there is nothing MINI about the size or the price.
This car, in this particular XL-pack-equipped John Cooper Works model, will set you back the same as a sort of medium-equipped X-Peng G9, or frighteningly close to something like a BMW i5 Touring."

"So how can this MINI live up to that pricing ambition?
That is what we're here to find out.
I'm Magnus, this is EV Hour, and let's take this thing for a drive.
Does it stack up then?
Well, at the base price, it is much more competitive, but you'd be given up a lot of creature comforts inside, like the panoramic glass roof, interior camera, driving and parking assistance, Harman Kardon surround, and a head-up display."

"Point is, I can already say quite unequivocally that the John Cooper Works and XL-pack model is too expensive.
But there are aspects that straddle the line between models, so let's look at these qualities.
The best part of the MINI Countryman E has to be this interior."

"Now, as I said at the intro, this is the XL-pack-equipped John Cooper Works model, and so I'm not quite sure how many of the things that are in here can be attributed to that extra cost, which takes this a good 25% higher than the base price.
Now, let me just show you."

"I think there is a wonderful mix of materials going on inside this cabin, and more importantly, there's just a lot of quirkiness here, which gives the car much-needed character, which I don't haven't seen in any other car.
And there are so many small touches here, which makes this worthwhile."

"For one, this is a power switch.
If I turn it either side, it turns the car on, like a key would.
Sure, it's an anachronism, but it's a really cool one.
This is the gear."

"It's not very practical, seeing as it's very far away from you, but it's so cool, and I love turning that little power dial every time I turn the car on or off.
This circular screen is amazing.
I love it."

"There's seamless Apple CarPlay here, but the overall design and feeling is incredible, I would say.
And if I turn this little experience knob down here, I can swap between different profiles depending on what my personal preference is."

"So this timeless one, for instance, alters the overall look and feel of the dial completely.
It's great.
And in this particular model, there is a head-up display there, a lovely, chunky little steering wheel, which I also very much like."

"It's just, it's great.
And combined with really, really comfortable seating, and some lovely cubbage storage, and a little wireless charging pad for your phone, it becomes one of the best parts of the MINI Countryman E."

"And I would go as far as to say that BMW, which owns MINI, could take a lot of lessons from this cabin and put that in the i4 and the i5 to make them more distinct.
There are some little nitpicks spec-wise, like the fact that this charges at just 130 kilowatts, less than half of the G9, for instance."

"And the top speed of 170 kilometers an hour isn't best of the bunch either.
But as I've said many times over, it all comes down to the sensation behind the wheel and everyday usability.
You can live with this charging speed, and the cost, and even the lower top speed, if you gel with the car's soul."

"As we belt towards the conclusion, you're going to realize in not too long that I will not be recommending this car to you.
As an individual, as someone with a personal taste and who has driven this car, I think there are a lot of things to like."

"But ultimately, I do think that the price of particularly this model is just too steep.
But one thing that I will not fault is the driving sensation that this John Cooper Works model gives me.
Because not only is it incredibly nippy, and it has really nice touchy steering, and a really firm throttle response, in fact the whole car is rather firm, it does have a characteristic, an identity, an opinion about how a car should handle."

"And that is not something that we should take lightly as we say goodbye to engines that are engineered in such a way, when they use and burn fossil fuels, that they produce a sound, again, an opinion about how a car should drive.
That's going to be more difficult to obtain with the cleanliness and the smoothness of an electric motor."

"But this has it, and it works incredibly well when it conveys to you how it wants you to drive when you drive it.
So, it's probably too expensive, but it does drive well, I can tell you that.
Sensations aside, this particular model is like 7-10% away from a BMW i5 Touring, or like the same as an X-Peng G9."

"It's in these comparisons that some of the glitter falls away, so you really have to love that soul that I spoke of earlier.
It's the soul that carries you all the way to the dealer, but I will still say, even though Elon is off his rocker these days, a Tesla Model Y is pretty much close to half the price of this."

"So can I recommend it?
Well, yeah, it's cool, but with a lot of asterisks attached, so be wary."

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