The MINI Countryman, which has been around in second generation F60 form since 2017, has been given a midlife facelift. The refreshed big MINI follows facelifts for the regular MINI 3 Door and 5 Door in 2018, as well as the Clubman in 2019.
Born in 2010, the Countryman has grown into a very important model for the BMW-owned brand – it now accounts for almost 30% of MINI sales worldwide. The F60 LCI incorporates revised design, new equipment, new and cleaner powertrains and fresh trim options and accessories.
The largest MINI on sale has a new front section. The redesigned radiator grille has the brand’s usual hexagonal shape, surrounded by a slim, one-piece chrome frame. Its air intake is subdivided by three horizontal struts in the One, Cooper, One D and Cooper D; while the Cooper S and Cooper SD’s nose is characterised by a hexagonal grid pattern with a red ‘S’ and single chrome strut. The easiest way to spot the LCI is from the vertical “intakes” at the edges of the bumper.
LED headlamps are now standard. The slightly asymmetrically rounded contours of the eyes are accentuated by a continuous band of light that takes on the function of both DRL and turn indicator. There’s a turning function for the headlamps, and LED fog lights are also standard, with a light band in the upper semicircle serving as a parking light.
Adaptive LED headlamps with variable light distribution and matrix function for the high beam are is a newly added option. This item adds bend lighting, and it’s possible to selectively increase the range of the high beam. At speeds of over 70 km/h, the high beam can selectively dip (there are four independent segments) to avoid dazzling other road users. At the back, you’ll find redesigned bumper trim and Union Jack graphics for the LED tail lamps.
Colour and trim is important for MINI, and there are some new combos to be had here. New colours include White Silver metallic and Sage Green metallic, which can be contrasted with black, white or silver on the roof and mirror caps, depending on the model variant.
There’s a new Piano Black Exterior option for all variants – this pack gives you headlamp surrounds, rear lights, radiator grille, side scuttles, door handles and rear model lettering in gloss black instead of the regular chrome.
If one also needs gloss black for the MINI logo and ‘Cooper S’ and ‘ALL4’ badges, they can be found in the accessories catalogue. Matching mirror caps and side scuttles with a grey-black flag pattern in Night Jack design are also available for retrofit. As for wheels, the range is from 16- to 19-inches, with 17-inch Channel Spoke Black design and 19-inch Turnstile Spoke 2-tone alloys being new to the list.
Inside the small SUV, which has cargo room of 450 to 1,390 litres, customisation options have been broadened. Chester Indigo Blue and Chester Malt Brown are new leather seat upholstery options, while the Colour Line for the lower section of the instrument panel and door trim – previously available as a single option – is now part of the overall colour scheme.
The Cooper S Countryman, Cooper SD Countryman and Cooper SE Countryman models now come as standard with Piano Black trim for the cockpit and door bezels. These are combined with accentuation strips in the British Oak dark. The MINI Yours Interior Style Shaded Silver trim with illuminated cockpit bezel is optional.
Under the hood, you’ll find update engines with a focus on efficiency and C02 emissions. Measures include particulate filters for petrol engines and SCR with AdBlue injection for diesel engines. All variants of the Countryman LCI meet the Euro 6d emission standard that will not be binding until 2021.
The three-cylinder petrol engines in the One (102 hp) and Cooper (136 hp) and four-pot in the Cooper S (178 hp) now include an exhaust manifold integrated in the cylinder head along with turbocharging. Among other things, this ensures better cooling of the exhaust gases and the turbo system. At the same time, crankcase cooling can be reduced when demand is low in the partial load range by means of a new split cooling valve. In addition, maximum pressure of the direct injection has been increased from 200 to 350 bar.
Like the petrols, the diesel engines also have a new starter generator with optimised efficiency. The two-stage turbocharging system previously used exclusively in the most powerful diesel engine (190 hp, Cooper SD) is now also found in the four-cylinder engine of the Cooper D (150 hp), with the injectors feeding fuel to the combustion chambers at a pressure of up to 2,500 bar.
MINI’s ALL4 all-wheel drive system is an option for four engine variants, and is standard with the plug-in hybrid Cooper SE model. The Cooper SE Countryman ALL4 is fitted with a hybrid-specific AWD system, which combines a three-cylinder petrol engine (power to the front wheels) with an electric motor that acts on the rear wheels. Together, the system output is 220 hp. Powered by a 9.6 kWh lithium-ion battery, the Cooper SE Countryman ALL4 has an electric powered range of 55 to 61 km.
As for transmissions, the Cooper ALL4 and Cooper D ALL4 now come with an eight-speed automatic, joining the Cooper S ALL4, Cooper SD and Cooper SD ALL4. The 8AT is also optionally available for the Cooper D.
For all other models, it’s either a seven-speed dual-clutch auto or a six-speed manual. The Cooper SE ALL4 comes with a six-speed auto. Lastly, the most powerful petrol and diesel engines can be had with a seven-speed dual-clutch Steptronic sports transmission or an eight-speed Steptronic sports transmission.
Finally, there’s more standard kit now. All models get a sports leather steering wheel and front passenger seat height adjustment as standard. Electrically adjustable seats are optional, including a memory function on the driver’s side. Also available is a 5.0-inch digital instrument display in Black Panel design behind the steering wheel.
The Connected Media (which includes Radio MINI Visual Boost and the digital instrument display) and Connected Navigation Plus (adds on wireless charging and a second USB socket) options each include an 8.8-inch colour screen with touchscreen function in the big central “dinner plate”, which gets a “refined surface look” with the audio control panel and other buttons (hazard lights, driver assist systems) now slickly integrated. Also new here are touch-sensitive bookmark buttons and high-gloss Piano Black surfaces.
The MINI Original Accessories catalogue includes outdoorsy add-ons such as a rear bicycle rack, roof box, moulded luggage compartment mat and all-weather floor mats. There are also things like LED door projectors and the usual range of John Cooper Works items.
GALLERY: 2020 MINI Cooper Countryman family
GALLERY: 2020 MINI Cooper Countryman ALL4
GALLERY: 2020 MINI Cooper S Countryman ALL4
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GALLERY: 2020 MINI Cooper SE Countryman ALL4
GALLERY: 2020 MINI Cooper Countryman accessories
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