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Driven

Video Review: Mini Countryman Takes On the Big Boys

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With a name like Mini, the brand will never offer the hulking S.U.V.s that Americans prefer. But the all-new Countryman has enough room for four happy campers.CreditCredit...Mini

Going by name alone, Jamba Juice is not the kind of place with steak on the menu. Men’s wear at Dress Barn? Nope. Nor will you find big sport utility vehicles and crossovers, so popular with Americans, in a Mini showroom. That’s not to say the brand isn’t trying.

Nearly half a foot shorter than a Subaru Impreza, the Countryman is the largest Mini made. The 2017 version is so all-new, the sole carry-over part is a wheel hub cover, and that’s only on some designs. It rides on the same architecture as BMW’s X1 (the German company owns the individualistic British brand) but is six inches shorter. It can’t be too big. It’s a Mini.

Stretching the Countryman by eight inches has increased interior room to comfortably accommodate four adults. A panoramic glass roof is standard. So is a backup camera, a feature BMW should copy.

I drove the new Countryman at a press event in Portland, Ore., a city as individualistic as Mini itself. Remarkably beardless, the staff on hand pointed at the Audi Q3, Porsche Macan, Lexus NX, Land Rover Discovery Sport and Mercedes GLA 250 as competitors. These can be about three to 11 inches longer than the Countryman, but many have the same or even less head- or legroom. So don’t be discouraged by the Mini name if the bulldog design is up your alley.

Still, running with the premium brands doesn’t come cheap. Starting at $26,950 with a 1.5-liter 3-cylinder turbocharged engine under the clamshell bonnet, a Cooper S model with ALL4 all-wheel drive can be optioned up past $40,000. Surely, the John Cooper Works performance model and plug-in hybrid due out this spring will cost even more.

The well-equipped Cooper S ALL4 I drove has a sticker price of $37,750 with seats draped not in leather, but rather in a tweedlike cloth. Who else but Mini does tweed?

And here are some specifications: That 3-cylinder engine produces 137 horsepower. The Cooper S gets bumped to a 2-liter turbo 4-cylinder making 189 horsepower and 207 pound-feet of torque. In most cases, both engines can be had with a six-speed manual. Front-drive 3-cylinder cars get an optional six-speed automatic gearbox. The rest are outfitted with 8-speed automatics that can be had in a sport version that adds steering wheel paddle shifters. The sport’s launch control feature provides maximum acceleration off the line should you drag-race a Jeep Renegade.

Dialing up different drive modes causes a dashboard LED ring the size of a dinner plate to change color. It encircles an improved user interface — clearly based on BMW’s iDrive — that uses both a knob and a touch screen for simplicity.

The 3,600-pound Cooper S ALL4 goes from a standstill to 60 miles per hour in seven seconds. Not to criticize Oregon’s roads, but the Countryman’s suspension absorbed some hefty potholes with proper English resolve. The ride is now more comfortable and quiet; seating position in the Countryman is a significant five inches higher than in the Clubman, which rides on the same architecture. Despite the higher center of gravity, it confidently holds corners with a small amount of the expected body roll.

The Environmental Protection Agency rates Countryman’s fuel economy average from 28 miles per gallon (3-cylinder automatic transmission) to 24 (4-cylinder S with ALL4 and manual transmission). The vehicle prefers premium gasoline. The much roomier Honda CR-V averages three miles per gallon better on standard-grade gas.

The most challenging terrain the Mini crew had in mind on the drive route was a short section of gravel road. With 6.5 inches of ground clearance, the Countryman should be kept on the moderate side of off-roading.

Fortunately, a late-winter storm blew through the Mount Hood section of our drive. The new ALL4 system is quicker to engage, more efficient and smaller, taking up less interior space. It chugged through a foot of snow without issue. I’ll argue that doing doughnuts in an empty parking lot is research.

The cabin is pure Mini, with toggle switches and ambient LED strips that change to any color of the rainbow (including an actual rainbow setting for the dashboard arc). There are quality materials to touch and admire. A heated steering wheel, not available, would appeal to Britons and Americans alike. Siri Eyes Free is along for the ride. Apple CarPlay isn’t.

The back seat slides fore and aft and easily takes on two full-size adults. It splits 40/20/40 for cargo flexibility. Heated seats and a power port are not offered for rear passengers.

Unlike the Clubman’s dual swing-out doors, the Countryman’s upward-swinging hatch protects from squalls. I was able to cram my suitcase and photography gear into the cargo hold with the back seats upright. That includes a large broadcast video camera and hefty tripod. More than anything, the experience proves I need smaller gear.

Despite its growth spurt, the Countryman looks much the same in the brand’s inimitable way. Eagle-eyed spotters will first notice new side scuttles (the adornment on the front quarter panels). The ability to customize Countryman is second to none. The Mini staff claims that about two-thirds of the cars are unique when it comes to trim.

There are more efficient and less expensive choices than the Countryman. Size is a personal thing, but there’s a strong argument for snaking through dense urban traffic in something far smaller than a Suburban. Buyers wanting the brand’s attitude and engaging driving dynamics will find little to argue with in Mini’s biggest offering.

A version of this article appears in print on  , Section B, Page 4 of the New York edition with the headline: A Mini With Moxie, Especially Where Traffic Is Heavy. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe

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