This is a surprise – BMW Group Malaysia has quietly introduced the U25 MINI Countryman S All4 at the ongoing Sime Darby Motor Automania event, joining the electric SE and the hot John Cooper Works. The cooking mild hybrid model is a step below the JCW in terms of performance, although it isn’t actually all that much cheaper.
In fact, the Countryman S costs an eye-watering RM348,888 on-the-road without insurance – a full RM105,000 more expensive than the outgoing run-out F60 Cooper S Countryman in JCW trim, and only RM41,000 less expensive than the full-fat RM389,888 JCW.
This, by the way, is with the standard two-year, unlimited-mileage warranty – if you plump for the four-year warranty and service package, this figure balloons to RM359,288. The car is CBU fully imported from Leipzig, Germany; we’d imagine CKD local assembly will come shortly to lower the price.
The Countryman S looks almost identical to the SE, but in place of that car’s dual electric motors is a 2.0 litre B48 turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine, producing 204 PS from 5,000 to 6,500 rpm and 320 Nm of torque between 1,500 and 4,000 rpm. A 48-volt electric motor provides an additional 20 PS and 55 Nm of accelerative boost, resulting in outputs of 218 PS and 360 Nm.
Paired with an eight-speed automatic gearbox, the all-wheel-drive Countryman S is able to sprint from zero to 100 km/h in 7.1 seconds on its way to a top speed of 228 km/h. Fuel consumption is rated at 6.8 litres per 100 km on the WLTP cycle.
Aside from the “S” badges being coloured red instead of lime green, the S appears identical to the SE. It too comes in the range-topping Favoured trim, bringing with it Vibrant Silver (read: gold) accents, decorative skid plates and a choice of either Piano Black or Vibrant Silver roof and door mirrors. It also rides on 20-inch Windmill Spoke two-tone alloy wheels.
Inside, the S gets a 3D-knit fabric dashboard and door card wrap that gradates to Vintage Brown towards the rear doors. Here, the Favoured package adds JCW sport seats wrapped in Vescin Beading faux leather in either Vintage Brown or Dark Petrol.
In terms of tech, you get MINI’s distinctive 9.4-inch circular OLED touchscreen that integrates not only the air-con controls but also the speed readout, much like the Volvo EX30. It runs on the Android-based MINI Operating System 9 and comes with a “Hey MINI” voice control system, visualised by a dog avatar called Spike. The deletion of the instrument cluster has been compensated by the addition of a head-up display.
Behind the display sit two projectors that display patterns onto either side of the dashboard, depending on the drive mode selected. You also get augmented reality navigation, the smartphone-based MINI Digital Key Plus, MINI Driving Sounds and a 360-degree camera system with Remote 3D View.
Other bits of standard kit include keyless entry with proximity locking/unlocking, exterior MINI logo projection, power-adjustable front seats with driver’s side memory, lumbar adjustment and massage functions, dual-zone climate control and a 12-speaker Harman Kardon surround sound system. The hands-free powered tailgate opens up to a boot that’s actually slightly smaller at 450 litres, due to the need to house the mild hybrid battery underneath, although you can fold the rear seats to boost luggage space to 1,450 litres.
Safety-wise, the Countryman S comes as standard with the Driving Assistant package, which includes autonomous emergency braking, lane keeping assist, blind spot monitoring, rear collision warning and rear cross traffic alert. Also fitted is Parking Assistant Plus, throwing on park assist, a Manoeuvring Assistant, a Reversing Assistant and a 360-degree camera system with remote 3D view.
The car also gets all the hardware necessary for Driving Assistant Plus, adding adaptive cruise control with stop and go, lane centring assist and traffic sign recognition. However, you’ll have to pay for a subscription to activate it, which costs RM202 per month – or you can trump up RM4,481 for it to be unlocked for the lifetime of the car.
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