MINI Countryman launched in Malaysia – RM249k to RM286k

MINI Countryman launched in Malaysia – RM249k to RM286k

The fourth Mini variant has arrived in the country, man (sorry, couldn’t resist!). BMW Malaysia today introduced the Countryman (at the Kuala Lumpur Railway Station, no less) and the four-door, five-seater vehicle effectively completes the range of Mini vehicles available in Malaysia.

The four-metre long Countryman – which we’ve written about in our comprehensive long-lead test drive report on the car – is available in two 1.6 litre engine variants, the Cooper and the Cooper S. The naturally-aspirated version of the Prince block in the Cooper – designated the N16B16M0 in this case – offers 120 hp at 6,000 rpm and 160 Nm at 4,250 rpm, and it’s mated to an AW 260K six-speed auto transmission. Performance specs include a 182 kph top speed and 0-100 kph time of 11.6 secs.

The Cooper S Countryman gets the addition of a twin-scroll turbocharger, direct injection and BMW’s Valvetronic variable valve management, and is the first MINI to feature all three technologies in the same boat.

MINI Countryman launched in Malaysia – RM249k to RM286k

Performance-wise, the N18B16M0 Prince offers 184 hp at 5,500 rpm and 240 Nm from 1,600-5,000 rpm, with 260 Nm on overboost. It’s mated to a AW 225K six-speed box (with different ratios on gears 1 and 4 to 6 compared to the Cooper’s), and it does the 0-100 kph sprint in 8.3 secs and has a top speed of 205 kph.

The Cooper S Countryman features ALL4 permanent all-wheel drive as standard. An electromagnetic centre differential positioned directly on the final drive varies the distribution of power seamlessly between the front and rear axles, with the ability to channel 100% to either side when required. While DSC is standard on both versions, Dynamic Traction Control is only offered on the Cooper S Countryman and includes electronic locking function for the front axle differential.

For wheels, the Cooper gets 17-inch 5-Star Double Spoke alloys while the Cooper S Countryman wears 18-inch Turbo Fan design alloys finished in anthracite.

MINI Countryman launched in Malaysia – RM249k to RM286k

The Countryman is available in a wide variety of exterior colours – 11 in all, these being Pure Red, Bright Yellow, Surf Blue, Light Coffee, Light White, Absolute Black, Cosmic Blue, Oxford Green, Crystal Silver, Royal Grey and True Blue. Meanwhile, the interior features cloth leather upholstery in parallel lines of carbon black, with a choice of Pure Red or Light Tobacco to provide combination contrast.

Automatic air conditioning and an audio system with CD player are all fitted as standard, while the model-specific array of optional equipment packages available for the Countryman includes the glass roof package and MINI Connected package. The glass roof package offers one-touch operation and convenient opening of a panoramic glass roof through radio-remote control key, and goes for an additional RM9,988.

As for the MINI Connected package, items include the world’s first web radio function to allow users to pick up their preferred radio stations from around the world regardless of their location, user-definable RSS news feeds and much more.

MINI Countryman launched in Malaysia – RM249k to RM286k

Also included in the MINI Connected package is a Harman/Kardon HiFi 10-loudspeaker system and Radio MINI Visual Boost, which features a 6.5-inch high-resolution colour LCD screen. The MINI Connected package adds RM14,988 to the total price of the car.

Oh yes, the price of the car. Well, the MINI Cooper Countryman goes for RM248,888, while the Cooper S Countryman goes for RM285,888, both on-the-road without insurance, with the MINI Tender Loving Care service package.

Live gallery of launch photos after the jump.

[zenphotopress number=999 album=2096]

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Anthony Lim

Anthony Lim believes that nothing is better than a good smoke and a car with character, with good handling aspects being top of the prize heap. Having spent more than a decade and a half with an English tabloid daily never being able to grasp the meaning of brevity or being succinct, he wags his tail furiously at the idea of waffling - in greater detail - about cars and all their intrinsic peculiarities here.

 

Comments

  • CamPor on Mar 24, 2011 at 4:57 pm

    superb car design…from behind it look like previous cayenne…just could be admire by me…

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • I rather go for C Class.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 1
    • nazgul on Mar 24, 2011 at 5:16 pm

      i rather go for fiesta.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 1
      • Tan Tom on Mar 24, 2011 at 8:51 pm

        You are talking about a car in another league and segment. Please reconsider because RM200k to RM300k is the price we are talking about here.

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
        • waterman on Mar 25, 2011 at 10:20 am

          in Korea, mini cooper selling at RM95k..
          while the most expensive mini Convertible S selling at RM122k…
          korea import tax very high country… WTF mini malaysia one pricing so high?

          while korea selling their Civic 2.0 with RM92k…
          mini price should be close to civic 2.0???

          this is insane.

          Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 0
        • anxious~ on Mar 25, 2011 at 11:32 am

          momma.. please dont buy me tht thing..
          i juz wanna Honda Civic type RR.. thts enough ad
          =(

          Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • Erwan Billy on Mar 24, 2011 at 7:52 pm

      Or Passat CC, Audi A4, 3 series, Subaru Legacy & so on

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
    • ong chin aun on Mar 25, 2011 at 2:10 pm

      yes, The price can by c-class.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • Watanabe on Mar 26, 2011 at 9:55 am

      Lexus CT200h better than this…

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 1
    • johnny on Mar 26, 2011 at 2:37 pm

      or Mk6 Golf Gti

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • king_nothign on Mar 24, 2011 at 5:07 pm

    so expensive!!!

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • Redwings on Mar 24, 2011 at 5:33 pm

      With the prince engine similar to 308 family, I would think this lovely car just overpriced..
      And the gadgets are charged separately… Kind of good marketing strategy?

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 1
    • lkf0512 on Mar 25, 2011 at 9:27 am

      I bet those who thumbed you down are rich guys with gold spoon…

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • Malaysia Bull..eh! on Mar 24, 2011 at 5:30 pm

    Apa apa keretas in Boleh Land also mahal lar!!

    Thanks to our politicians lar…….

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • MCdog on Mar 25, 2011 at 8:25 am

      We need to fund their ferrari and lambhorgini ma. Be a good citizen, try potong and podua

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • Spongebob on Mar 24, 2011 at 5:34 pm

    Mahal, go for 2nd hand kelisa and fake fake convert to a cooper, saw 1 last month, almost looked the same when you see from 5 floors above, cuz got the stripes and all~ well, it’s just my personal opinion~ peace :)

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 2
  • mystvearn on Mar 24, 2011 at 5:40 pm

    3 rear seats. Clarkson will be mad we get this:P

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • Roy Ho on Mar 24, 2011 at 5:46 pm

    Goodness, those who buy this car either does not know how to spend their money or is just a hard core mini fan with too much money. For 248k I can buy a Golf 1.4TSI + Ford Fiesta + balance money for a nice holiday in Europe. And both these cars can beat the mini flat in terms of performance! Come on BMW Malaysia, are you kidding us with these pricing???

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 1
    • SlowSTi on Mar 24, 2011 at 5:55 pm

      blame the people who sold mini to bmw…
      from a car for the mass…to a car for a few….very few…

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • venven81 on Mar 24, 2011 at 5:56 pm

      this is definitely for the hardcore mini fans. they’re pricing this ridiculous toy close to the premium 3er that can perform better with more practicality. wth!

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • Goproton on Mar 24, 2011 at 6:16 pm

      you poor only…..I find it pricing nicely…in Malaysia….
      well better go buy your lovely priced forte n fiesta….

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
      • Critique on Mar 24, 2011 at 6:59 pm

        got money alsoo, humble’lar a bit bro…

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
        • Goproton on Mar 24, 2011 at 7:38 pm

          not wanting to show off but I don’t like it when some ppl cannot afford something,they bash others as dunno how to spend money….how ppl spend their money also they wanna care?or coz they butthurt?
          ya you can say ppl dunno how to spend money but for sure they know how to earn it….

          Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 0
      • aBsolut on Mar 25, 2011 at 12:01 am

        You are saying like that you are a extremly rich, tsk tsk. Even though rich, don’t say others poor. I can see that you are just a piece of sh!t. Don’t let others that rich, low profile? There’s a lot of rich people that is low profile. So, don’t judge a book by its cover. Even though My friend’s dad is very rich, with 1xxk-200k income per month. He’s only driving a 97’s e-class.

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 1
      • Not-Soul-Uncle on Mar 25, 2011 at 10:10 am

        Reasonably priced and affordability is different.

        One may be able to afford to buy the car doesn’t mean that the car is reasonably priced.

        And most rich people will spend wisely on something reasonable, those rich and big-spender are not wise.

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
        • Goproton on Mar 25, 2011 at 8:27 pm

          you mean johor sultan and brunei sultan are not wise?

          you guys just don’t read properly….

          mr. aBsolut : i didn’t say im rich…you thought n felt it only…=)
          i’m just not that poor to say others dunno how to spend their money wisely…i think it worth it….any problem?i’m a big MINI & SMART car fan…that’s all….

          Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • ong chin aun on Mar 25, 2011 at 2:18 pm

      Well done , yes, U r great. 3 salute. dare to give a very resonable and candid opinion.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • neveraproton on Mar 25, 2011 at 8:48 pm

      Aw come on Roy, lighten up. The operative word is “their” money, so that’s fine.

      And guys, the taxes? It goes to us the small fish when the government builds us stuff for the masses…. err… wait a minute… :D

      Seriously.

      I think its a wonderful little piece of machinery. Expensive? Well, price is relative. RM250k is small change if your pay is in the RM30,000 bracket, get a company car and manage your finances well I guess.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • WOW. not sure the price telly with the fun driving it…

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • whiskey on Mar 24, 2011 at 6:10 pm

    wow, same price as Cooper S JCW…..no matter wats the price, Mini fans that can afford will still buy it….that’s a fact that hardcore Mini supporters can’t deny….those that can’t afford will hv to buy Toto everyday and cross fingers…hehe….

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • shawal on Mar 24, 2011 at 6:17 pm

    Does it come with complementary viagra as well…?
    cuz with that price tag, i don’t see a normal person buying one….

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • miniExcitement on Mar 25, 2011 at 12:58 pm

      who say mini is for normal person?

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
      • shawal on Mar 25, 2011 at 8:23 pm

        so…..all mini drivers are abnormal..? that don’t sound nice…..

        i did mention with that price tag…….maybe the key word is not normal, but average… an average person wouldn’t buy one, well… not in malaysia, but in other countries the MINI brand is accessible to the middle class , people have to think also what kind of person in MALAYSIA that would buy a mini, certainly not an average person, the MINI brand is expensive and considered a luxury ….for something so cramped and impractical , the owners usually has another car in his/her garage….,so in theory it is only accessible to RICH people here, with the countryman, is not as practical, you wouldn’t take it offroad….so..i really can’t imagine what kind of person would get one, shubbe a rich kid as a graduation present, or an old man whos young at heart , but it’ll look bad tho…
        maybe that’s why its expensive…. its a niche product………

        i guess its true

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 2
  • Brian Ang on Mar 24, 2011 at 6:27 pm

    Mini is always meant to be a premium small little car hence the rather relatively speaking ridiculous price tag…+ a lot of mark up on local distributor

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
    • it was never meant to be premium… until bmw bought the brand.

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    • sheldon on Mar 24, 2011 at 10:09 pm

      nope. not always. mini was always a people’s car… not in the sense of vw but a british version of people’s car. it was a smart design that hinged on maximising space within a small footprint.

      it progressively became more expensive towards it’s end of life.

      it was bmw that pushed the mini brand beyond the reach of the real fans of the brand so that they (bmw) can offer a new toy to their own bored customers. so, nope. it was not always meant to be a premium little car… until bmw came along and gave up on fans of the brand.

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  • fariz on Mar 24, 2011 at 6:39 pm

    Antara kereta terhodoh aku pernah lihat…for 245k some more….

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 1
  • bugbear on Mar 24, 2011 at 6:56 pm

    i rather get skyline or evo.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 1
  • squall_shinoda on Mar 24, 2011 at 7:47 pm

    Mak aihh, mahal nak mampos… with that amount of money, better buy a Merc or a BMW.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 1
    • pomen_gtr on Mar 25, 2011 at 12:09 pm

      well mini skang memang under BMW pun…so kira kalo bli mini ko dpt BMW yg “kecik” :lol:

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
      • squall_shinoda on Mar 26, 2011 at 3:00 pm

        I know that… but, alang2 ada duit banyak tu, it’s better to buy the real big BMW than this puny Bas Mini Wilayah. Similar price what… :D

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  • aminlife on Mar 24, 2011 at 8:15 pm

    What make MINI so special? The ‘Iconic’ design. (for me) Comparing MINI models with BMW models or other car manufactures. MINI designs lasting longer.
    Agreed the pricing ( Malaysia) to some of us including me,frankly too expensive. But for MINI hardcore fan they will find someway to have one.

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  • SoMeOnE on Mar 24, 2011 at 8:47 pm

    lol…having the money is one thing…being smart about ur purchase is a another thing..its funny how much the regular mini cooper costs here..its quite a joke…its like 3-4 times of open market pricing that despite being able to get it..i will never do so..its just plain silly giving that much of ur cash to the government..a top spec mini costs 25 k in USA..and in fact its a champion in the ‘affordable small car category’ oh gosh…

    looks like the same crowd is gonna lap this one up as well….though i dare say this is priced to compete with the tiguan and their likes and though still expensive..aint shocking no more…i really hope that the ‘mini’ crowd has grown up the way this has coz i certainly dont want to see something like this getting all haywire around me on public roads in the hands of some rich kid that just got his or her license and a whole lotta power ( typical mini owner here at least) to deal with..coz this time around the MINI aind mini….lol……

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 1
  • Speed Racer on Mar 24, 2011 at 10:04 pm

    its so awesome im buying it anyways

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • Not-so-mini-pricetag on Mar 24, 2011 at 10:08 pm

    Everything is mini, except the price

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • CiViC_7900 on Mar 24, 2011 at 11:16 pm

      LOL

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    • actually do you ppl realized that our RM appreciated by more than 10% against the EUR! BMW malaysia never drop the price of the BMW import from Europe. they are treating us malaysian like suckers. earning additional 10% quietly! come on at least provide us some freebies lah!

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      • They do. It’s common practice to not decrease the price of the car, but put in more equipment. When the X1 first came in, it was totally CBU. It was totally bare in basic form, but then when they made is CKD (or SKD, if you’re picky), they didn’t lower the price. Instead, they put in more equipment.

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  • i totally love this car…but the price…hmm..
    over price la…
    salah gov for tax ke salah bmw for over price ?..hmmm

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  • toroto on Mar 24, 2011 at 11:15 pm

    It’s way too overpriced… I’m not a VW fan but sure somebody wil consider buying a new Golf GTi rather than dis mini? Furthermore, golf gti can sprint 0-100km/h in 6.9s if i’m not mistaken n stil cheaper.. even Golf TSi can beat dis mini guy i think..

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  • for a sec there i wish i have the fund to make this car mine..but looking at the price..if i have the fund even..i’ll go for the c-class with the new facelift..

    but hell both situation lead to one problem..i could not afford to have either one huhuhuh

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  • mamat on Mar 25, 2011 at 1:16 am

    249k for 120 hp and 160 Nm of torque???
    What a JOKE! 0-100 in 11.6 seconds???

    whoever buys the non-S version is a fool. Better get a RenaultSport Megane or VW Scirocco or even VW GTi.

    Neo R3 is way better in terms of fair trade.

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    • MCdog on Mar 25, 2011 at 8:34 am

      yup buy overprotected potong will save a lot

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    • Roy Ho on Mar 25, 2011 at 11:58 am

      The price is definitely a joke. First of all, you have to consider the origins of this brand. The Mini was originally positioned as the zippy, cute town car with some fashion statement attached to it. It was positioned to be reasonably affordable to the masses. Design wise, it is still true to the original and I honestly love it. But look at the price now. Someone here did mention that it is no longer a car for the masses as how it was originally designed to be. Only for the few now. Spending 250k for a car that only does 11.6 sec? I can understand if its a BMW or an Audi, but for a Mini?? Bloody joke.

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      • The same goes with VW Beetle. Once for the masses but now for the riches .

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        • The reason for that is simple- they came up with the Lupo, Polo and Golf for the masses. In Germany, the Lupo is our Kancil. The concept is still in play, we just don’t see it here.

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          • Paul Tan on Mar 26, 2011 at 12:46 am

            No Golf even for developing countries, you have stuff like the Gol and Lavida.

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  • BlowJo on Mar 25, 2011 at 6:40 am

    No thanks! too expensive & no character. with that price i have better options.

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  • fuel cell phone on Mar 25, 2011 at 7:40 am

    wow, with 248k for based model, its even more expensive than audi a4 1.8 tfsi, ouchh

    definitely for mini die-hard fans with lots of money huhu

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  • Too expensive.

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  • Everybody’s missing the point. This is a niche product. They don’t expect you to consider it automatically, even if you’re practical minded. This is for Mini fans who need something a little bigger.

    To be honest, it’s kind of annoying.. all the bullsh!t that people post just because they can’t afford it. Nobody’s asking you to buy it. Sometimes, it isn’t all about performance. And you also have to consider how low the volume of Mini sales are, there’s obviously no way they can lower the price when they’re selling a little over 200 a year.

    As for no character… have you seen the interior? It looks amazing. It’s a cross between modern-mini and a fighter jet. That’s more character than a lot of cars on the market nowadays.

    Of course you can get a Golf 1.4 TSI for less and still have money left over for a lot of other things. Hell, you could buy a Golf GTI, or if you’re willing to work your left foot, a Mazda 3 MPS. But these are rather obvious things, it’s not like anyone’s going to come along and say “wow, this Mini is really cheap”. Consider who actually buys Minis- usually husbands for their trophy wives or parents for their children. It’s rarely a first car for people; I would have thought that having followed paultan’s blog for so long, you would all realise this.

    Finally, there are things you can’t quantify. Some cars make you smile when you drive them, even if they don’t go particularly fast. Some do go fast, but leave you stressed. It’s hard to determine which car will give you any actual pleasure until you drive it. Case in point is the Focus TDCI- everyone says “oh, ford’s got sh!t resale value”, but go and DRIVE it and see for yourself. If you actually want to like the car you buy, resale value should be the last thing you consider. On top of which, a lot of Ford owners have kept their cars for ages and they’re still running (me included). Sure, maybe after 10 years the cost of maintenance bumps up- but it’s a 1 time thing and you’re set for a good many more years.

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    • Roy Ho on Mar 25, 2011 at 12:08 pm

      I think you are the only one missing the point here. How can you judge that everyone here cannot afford it? Your statement is a real insult for all the people posting their comments here. If you really think this car is so worth its price, then prove to everyone here that you are willing to spend 250k for this car. Go book the car this weekend.

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      • ROY, this car is about personality and is not about the money.This car is for you to enjoy and drive with a smile in your face, unlike any other cars out there.Wen i bought my Z4 everyone was tellling me is not worth it la, not practical la went sell sure rugi la this and that.But once i owned it i have no regrets at all even now i already sold my car i still missed it so much.Really money cant buy the feeling when you driving a car that you like.This MINI is a car that everyone wish to own including urself ROY.Is everyone dream cars.Im buying this for myself, i’ll be driving everyone dream cars!!….LOLZZ

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 0
        • Goproton on Mar 25, 2011 at 8:39 pm

          you both got the point MEL and Azzy….!!i buy a mini because i love the car….same like loving your gf/wife…you will do anything for her…and you’ll think she worth everything….!

          Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 0
        • MCdog on Mar 27, 2011 at 12:33 am

          latest Z4’s handling,desgin,interrior is good but still lack of power for me haha :-)

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      • Haha, I can tell people can’t afford it simply because if they could, price is irrelevant. To the rich, there is no “how much does it cost”, there is only “what colour does it come in” and “how soon can I get it”.

        Can you point out anywhere in my statement where I say the car is worth the price? I said it’s a niche product, which by inference means very few people will actually want it.

        I’m annoyed at people pointing out that it’s expensive, when it was never meant to be cheap. For cars like this, you can’t consider value-for-money. If you want that, go buy a viva- it gets you from point a to point b. Why buy a 320i when you can buy a fully specced Camry and still have some left over? It’s simple- because there are things you can’t read off paper and attribute to the price.

        Why would anyone buy a Golf GTI when you can buy a Golf TSI? They’re the same size, shape and function You pay over 40k more for a bigger engine and a better suspension. But why do you need it? No, you don’t need it- you want it. There’s no rationale for driving pleasure.

        As for the insult part, good, I hope it’s an insult to people here. I was likening it to a slap in yo faces. You should all learn to grow up and study the market at which the car is aimed at. I see some promise here- the few people that, instead of bashing every expensive car that comes up here, have actually bothered to understand why said cars are expensive.

        Of course, I expect your reply will be something along the lines of “what makes you so qualified to comment” or “what makes your opinion right”. The answer is nothing. This is the internet, it’s an open playing field. Get used to it.

        I’m happy with my Ford. In fact, I’m getting a second Ford soon. Sure, its not the quickest out there, but it handles far better than a lot of things on the market, even now. (this is just to disprove the eventual comments that will come up saying that I’m a BMW person)

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 0
        • MCdog on Mar 26, 2011 at 8:51 am

          BMW want to play high class with high price ma. The only selling point of this car is design. Mini is mean to be affordable not expensive, the reasonable price in Malaysia market should be around RM160K ~ RM190K.
          What is the point of tagging high price but suffering very slow sales…

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          • Lol, you serious? You know how much a Mini Cooper Countryman costs in Germany? Roughly 22500 euros, which equates to just under RM100,000 (with 19% VAT). Say we factor out that 19%, the price comes to just under RM85,000.

            Our import and excise duty here totals to around 125% for a car imported CBU from Germany. So now you’ve got a car that costs around RM225,000, and that’s not even with AP considered. Factor in the AP, and you’ve got a car that costs around RM245,000.

            Your argument fails. Even if they were to make 0 profit on this car, it would still cost more than RM200,000.

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          • damn, ignore this one. I multipled 100k x 2.25 instead of 85k x 2.25. read the next one.

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          • Play high class with high price? Okay, let’s see how low BMW Malaysia could go with their pricing.

            The Mini Cooper Countryman in Germany (country of assembly) costs 22,500 Euros, retail with VAT (19% tax on top of retail). Okay, so let’s convert this to MYR- it’s roughly RM95,000 ringgit.

            Now let’s deduct VAT. RM95,000/1.19 = RM79,831 ringgit. Let’s round it up to RM80,000.

            Assume that retail has around.. 10% profit on top of actual cost. So RM80,000/1.1 = roughly RM73,000.

            So we’ve got a cost of roughly RM73,000 per Mini Cooper Countryman. Let’s bring it to Malaysia- factor in import/excise duty – 125% on top of that price.

            RM73,000 x 2.25 = RM164,000 ringgit.

            Now let’s toss in the cost of the AP, another RM20,000 – this brings the price up to RM184,000 ringgit.

            Now let’s factor in how much it costs to ship… should take it to a nice RM190,000 ringgit.

            That’s a very, very sketchy idea of how much it would cost if they were to cut all their profits.

            But you know, we haven’t even factored in other things, like how low volume would affect the cost. See, you can’t just take a Countryman out of Germany and try to run it here, you need tropical-spec radiators and other pieces of kit so the car can actually run in these warm conditions. And how many Countrymen can they sell here, if they sell barely over 220 Minis in total last year? Such a low volume of these specific Malaysian Countrymen means the price pushes up even more. I’m really not surprised about the pricing- if you want to complain about it, b!tch about the duties and taxes.

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          • Hahaha…S’times we have to work ourself up to own a car like this.This is life, and we have to challenge ourself to own it and not bringing down the car price and any TOM DICK & HARRY can own it.So it depends on you wether u wanna be thr like everyone else.If not juz buy a VIVA like wat AZZY said.Cheers mate!!

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          • MCdog on Mar 27, 2011 at 12:30 am

            Aiyo, let me guide you on this lar…

            Mini car never manufactured and assembled in Germany…
            http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mini

            UK price – sterling 17,565 auto
            http://www.mini.co.uk/html/model_range/mini_one_countryman/home.html

            17,565 – 10% Mini’s profit – 10% dealer profit = sterling 14,052

            sterling 14,052 x 4.8762 = RM 68,520
            25 March 2011 rate on http://www.bnm.gov.my/

            After tax and AP
            RM 68,520 + 68,520 * 115% tax + 20,000 AP = RM 147,318
            Tax reference – http://www.maa.org.my/info_duty.htm

            After shipping and miscellaneous fee
            RM 147,318 + 4,000(mass shipping cost per car + warehouse) + 2,000 (Miscellaneous fee) = RM153,318

            BMW + Dealer’s running cost + profit
            RM248,888 – RM 153,318 = RM95,570

            No point to sell only 300 mini cooper per year with this high price tag lar.

            BMW Malaysia need a new sales & marketing genius like me in order to sell more than 4,000 Mini cooper per year and make huge profit with bigger market share hahaha

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          • @Roy Ho

            1. Mini Countryman is assembled in Germany. It’s the only Mini to be assembled there.

            2. Also, the Mini Countryman sold here is the Cooper or Cooper S. Not the Mini One Countryman. There is a price difference.

            3. Yeah, I miscalculated. Should be 115% tax and duties, not 125% on top. But I can still attribute it to warehouse costs and dealer profit, which I never noted down.

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  • the countryman looks better compared to the normal mini cooper ^^

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  • Diyana on Mar 25, 2011 at 9:54 am

    I’m waiting for my Mini Countryman in red. I can’t wait…went for check out at Park Lane Mini showroom in London the other day and I can’t resist! Super nice…

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    • vw_fan on Mar 25, 2011 at 10:14 am

      I suspect this car is a chick magnet…

      Can girl readers confirm?

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  • vw_fan on Mar 25, 2011 at 10:12 am

    I really like the design of the car! I am sure if I had one I’ll have a long line of people waiting to check it out. Gals included lol. Can’t say so for my golf gti… only guys come and ask me about the car ;-(

    Is it expensive? Hell yes. But cars in general are overpriced here. I feel my Myvi exclusive edition is overpriced too. Even the hybrids are overpriced here without the tax if you compare the price in US.

    This car is obviously targeted at people who wear designer clothes, carry expensive handbags and wear RM20k watches. You can get the same drivetrain minus the 4 wheel with the peugeot 3008 at RM100k less, but thats a different target market also.

    If I have the budget I would probably buy it.

    Final word, any car that makes you happy driving it and does not break your bank account is probably the best car for you.

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    • Thank god for common sense, vw_fan. There’s some hope yet for the Malaysian automotive community.

      This is what I mean –
      yes, the price is high, we all know that,
      but
      compare it to the other cars in the market,
      then compare it to other CBU imports,
      and then consider who the car is aimed at.

      The pricing is not totally irrational- the car is popular overseas and is cheaper too for a reason. It just takes a bit of thinking to understand why. If they could make it cheaper here and still maintain a decent profit margin, of course they would. It’s not like they don’t know it’s considerably pricier than its rivals in this market.

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      • MCdog on Mar 27, 2011 at 12:43 am

        haha, trust me, sell under RM200k will break 4,000 unit per year.

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  • Songel on Mar 25, 2011 at 11:06 am

    everything is nice and superb..except for performance and price…what a waste!

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  • longjaafar on Mar 25, 2011 at 11:23 am

    In Malaysia, there is some confusion as to the selling price of cars, since some are CKD and some CBU. Thus you would find an imported inferior car costing more than a locally assembled superior car. To get the “true value” of a car, one would need to look at Singapore or UK car prices, where there is no distortion by huge import duties and ‘AP fees’ ( for those who don’t know, the AP fees are what Malaysians pay to glorified parasites).
    Only then , can we have an objectives assessment of value for money ( not considering the snob value, of course).

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    • Actually, even Singapore has pretty high taxes. the safest would be the US or UK if you wanted to get the true value of a car. Don’t forget volume too, our market is tiny compared to theirs.

      Yeah. the AP system is total BS. It had good intentions in the beginning, but people figured out how to work the system to gain profit on APs. Look at one of paul’s old articles for reference- I think something like 10-20k of your car’s price is solely because of the AP purchase.

      I think in the end though, the playing field for this market segment is roughly equal. Everyone’s screwed up by the system, but almost equally so. You get what you pay for- people don’t often realise that Volkswagen is practically the Proton/Perodua of Germany. It’s more relevant to compare cars there if you want to start talking about price points.

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  • khairulx19a on Mar 25, 2011 at 12:50 pm

    i will choose this countryman over mini cooper

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  • Golf GTI is for young MAN !

    Mini is for [P] sticker on the top,rich girl !

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  • OMG!!!! y la the price is so astronomically high!!!! I was aiming & being feeling to buy this beauty ever since it’s debut!!! Y is it everything outside when selling here sooooo freaking xpnsive??? How did they come up with the price??? Can somebody explain???

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    • 1. AP
      2. CBU, not CKD
      3. Low volume

      That pretty much sums it up as to why the price is so high. Don’t think they’re making a huge profit off these cars. Every car company suffers here. It’s one of the worst markets to do automotive business in, besides China about 20 years ago.

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  • Carl Wong on Mar 25, 2011 at 2:33 pm

    This is insanely expensive for such a small car. We could buy 3 Honda Insight with that LOL……

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  • BeemerFreak on Mar 25, 2011 at 4:56 pm

    Volvo XC 60 price for car less than half the size……

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  • Overpriced and oversexed lil metal box.

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  • vince on Mar 25, 2011 at 10:00 pm

    erm taiwan contryman more better have lcd screen and harman/kardon
    if u wan noe more about this car here the review http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9AH0ljMeZ0c

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    • That’s the Mini Connected package- you can order it for your Countryman for another 15k on top of the price.

      “Also included in the MINI Connected package is a Harman/Kardon HiFi 10-loudspeaker system and Radio MINI Visual Boost, which features a 6.5-inch high-resolution colour LCD screen. The MINI Connected package adds RM14,988 to the total price of the car.” (from article)

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  • 1underground on Mar 26, 2011 at 2:07 am

    so disappointed about the price ! I sure wish to own one guess now can only wish. I think go for the madza MPS or even GtI is the wiser option.

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  • Lim Kopi on Mar 26, 2011 at 10:37 am

    Overpriced for what it is , as usual from Bmw

    For that money of a cooper S, there’s 323 , c250, Passat CC, and upcoming Golf R even…

    Obviously only makes sense for the pompous

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  • raf789 on Mar 26, 2011 at 1:40 pm

    only for mini fans. others wouldnt buy

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  • Farhat on Mar 27, 2011 at 12:00 am

    although its a BMW Mini, the unexpected sheer & size of the car makes me in doubt about how pure ‘Mini’ it would be? Should i be paying RM250K for a Mini that is not really a Mini but a Biggie?
    Similarly with the Smart Forfour, its a smart brand but not really a smart choice knowing you’re driving a redesigned Colt from Deutschland. Although this is a true BMW Mini brand and built by BMW, I wouldn’t be as happy owning it as i would with the sub-compact hatch variant.
    It should be sold under BMW as a 1series crossover “CX1” (if i were the BMW chief), could sell more.

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  • yusri on Mar 27, 2011 at 5:17 pm

    nice… but the price very so high!…hopely one day i become a millionaire and i buy it..

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  • ashraff on Apr 13, 2011 at 10:12 am

    i love this mini countryman s,i thnk the blue n red colour is nice..but the price is so high,i hope it will be in ckd..love mini forever..

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  • Littleman on Apr 14, 2011 at 3:54 pm

    Malaysia a damn place wanting to own such a normal luxury which is easily owned in many high-in-come nations paying a fraction of what we have to fock out here. It is all boiled down to our screw-up economics and a tax hungary regime – resulting in high-cost living with low living standard. Do not dream to own it at the price in Korea for your and subsequent generations. You are sentenced to remain loyal to Proton. If you are desperate, Go and work overseas and then return to enjoy 2 tax free imports of any brand of cars you wished. Do not cry over not able to enjoy such stuff at your current pay slips. Wait for the next 10 years when we become a high income nation…lets have hope???

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  • ashraff on Apr 16, 2011 at 4:20 am

    i want to know,this mini countryman cbu rom germany or oxford uk??

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  • Moruh on Sep 08, 2011 at 11:30 pm

    WUY40… red mini cooper s countryman… Its me ;)… Even thou its expensive, i bought it becoz of design & look, just like if u saw pretty women… Don’t u wanna take a chance?

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  • Edward on Dec 17, 2012 at 12:21 pm

    The high price point means exclusivity if you own one; yea if rich, why not? I’m in love the look of the Countryman, but its so expensive my peepee just shrank all the way in! From all the youtube videos i saw, US price is around 22k for base model, even though addons are very expensive. Perhaps its the surrounding support the company needs to setup in our smaller market that caused the price to bloat to such extremes? USD22k to over RM248k is a huge stretch.

    Honda Jazz, just under RM100k is a lot more within reach, slightly better fuel consumption than the Countryman and slightly more overall storage, although much less stylo than the Countryman. Named Honda Fit in the US, it cost around USD15k. Nissan Juke (US name) is the crossover category like the Countryman, cheaper, but not sold here.

    I’ve had enough of local cars, so many foreign cars are so clearly better, the international market clearly is an indication, where else is our local car brands popular? No where.

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  • Adnan on Jun 18, 2013 at 10:25 am

    I try to enjoy cars and not making judgement about them. Expensive, slow,useless , no class yadda yadda yadda is not important to me.
    I appreciate good machinaries. Cars included.

    In this case, this countryman is a nice machine and I like it bigtime. The price make me motivated to work harder to achieve it. Personally, I think the price is reasonable. I have booked an Evoque. A good test drive of this countryman may make me cancelled my order for the evoque.

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  • 2 cents on Aug 02, 2013 at 2:19 am

    Juz put it this way…
    Which car brands in Malaysia wasn’t over priced?
    Rich men got many types.
    I don’t mind and not my business if they would prefer low profile or high profile. I believe everyone has their own freedom to choose what they want and how they spend their money.

    Positive individuals do not love grumble a lot. If they don’t like. They may just walk off and stop debating. ?.. unless they enjoy being sarcastic.

    Enjoy it and have a nice day. By d way, I love my Myvi. Cooper S Countryman will be my nxt car soon.
    God bless n peace to you all.

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