MINI Countryman Review

Range

Official WLTP range for the all-wheel drive Countryman SE is pipped at 251-266 miles depending on what spec you choose, while the front-wheel drive Countryman E manages 267 – 286 miles. We’ve only driven the new Countryman on the launch, so we haven’t had much time to gauge real-world efficiency, but as a rough estimate we’d expect real-world range to come in at around 200-250 miles for the E depending on conditions and how you’re driving, or 190- to 240 miles for the SE. We’ll come back to you with more accurate real-world range figures when we’ve had more time in the car. You do get a standard heat pump in the Countryman, which will help with cold weather efficiency.

That range is competitive with a lot of rivals, but it's far from best in class. If you want longer range then check out the Renault Scenic, Kia EV3 or big battery VW ID.3.

Battery

The Mini gets a 64.6 kWh usable battery, with total capacity up at 66.5 kWh. It’s the same platform and battery in the Mini as you’ll find in the new BMW iX2 and iX1 – albeit modified for the Countryman - so it’s a fairly tried and tested setup. 

That battery uses lithium-ion NMC chemistry, which is much the same basic chemistry as that used by most electric cars, even if you’ll find different battery tech in the BYD Atto 3 that is yet another rival to the Countryman. 

Charging

Charging in the Mini peaks at 130 kW, but the Mini has also been optimised to maintain a high rate of charging for longer, rather than peaking at the high charging speed for only a few minutes before trailing off – as is the norm even in electric cars that can charge very quickly. Mini states that the Countryman will charge at 100kW as an average, which isn’t bad and will still get you a 10-80% rapid charge in under 30 minutes.