Like the original VW Beetle, the Mini is a legend. 

The first was launched in 1959 in response to the post-World War 2 Suez crisis which sent fuel prices soaring. Alec Issigonis, an engineer at the Morris Company, was tasked with creating a small car that would be a cheap runaround. 

On its release, the revolutionary motoring midget was embraced across Britain – from the working class to the blue bloods – and soon became a pop icon of the time. By the end of the 1960s, two million Minis had sold globally.

Celebs loved it. John Lennon drove a Radford-modified 1965 Austin Cooper S – in fact all of the Beatles owned one. Steve McQueen, revered for one of the most famous car chase scenes in cinematic history in his forest green Mustang in Bullitt, owned a 1967 Mini Cooper S. He had it repainted from its original British Racing Green into two-tone cream and bronze.

Enzo Ferrari, founder of the famous Italian sports car brand, was often seen driving between Modena and Maranello in his Mini Cooper S, specially created for him by his buddy Issigonis, the creative force behind the Mini. 

And Rowan Atkinson, aka Mr Bean, drove his Austin Green ’76 Mini 1000 in the hit sitcom between 1990 and 1995.  

In 1994, BMW took over the Rover Group, which now owned Mini, and development of its modern successor began a year later. When BMW dispensed with the Rover Group in 2000, they retained the Mini badge and in 2001 the new MINI was launched. 

The once minuscule icon had ballooned in size compared with its predecessor, but despite an outcry by purists, consumers soon got behind the newly designed MINI. 

Between 2007 and 2019, close to five million MINIS sold globally. 

Thanks to Covid-19, 2020 has not been kind to the motoring industry — MINI’s global sales plummeted by 31% in the first six months of the year compared with 2019

2020 MINI Countryman

Looks-wise, there’s not an enormous difference between the 2017 and 2020 MINI Countryman derivatives. (Photo: Supplied)

When the Countryman, by far the biggest MINI produced, was introduced to the market in 2010, purists once again ranted and raved.

Unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show, BMW made it clear that it was there to take on the Nissan Qashqai, which had dominated the subcompact crossover segment since its release in 2007.

With an exterior length of more than four metres, four doors and a large tailgate, the impressively powered, passenger-friendly, spaciously booted crossover soon won over the sceptics. 

In 2017, the second generation was unveiled and this year the Countryman received a facelift in celebration of its 10th birthday. 

What’s new?

Union Jack rear LEDs that used to be optional on the previous generation of Clubmans are now standard. (Photo: Supplied)

Looks-wise, there’s not an enormous difference between the 2017 and 2020 derivatives besides a tweaked front bumper, LEDs in the front that now come standard and Union Jack rear LEDs that used to be optional on the previous generation. 

There’s a reworked infotainment system with redesigned buttons, a new digital display with a five-inch colour screen and a standard leather-wrapped sport steering wheel. 

There’s a reworked infotainment system with redesigned buttons, a new digital display with a five-inch colour screen and a standard leather-wrapped sport steering wheel. (Photo: Supplied)

The refreshed radiator grille now has a hexagonal grid pattern with a red “S” and a single chrome strut. There are also 19-inch new alloys and the front passenger seat is now height adjustable. 

For the tech-heads, the new Countryman is equipped with a SIM card, permanently fitted in the crossover. So if you land up in an accident or are stranded, you’ll be able to use the Intelligent Emergency Call which enables automatic detection of your vehicle’s location and an assessment of the severity of the accident. The connected media option includes access to MINI connected digital services like sending navigation destinations from a smartphone to the vehicle.

The connected media option includes access to MINI connected digital services like sending navigation destinations from a smartphone to the vehicle. (Photo: Supplied)

Countryman engines

The local 2020 editions are the Cooper Countryman and racier Cooper S Countryman. The straight Cooper with its 1.5l turbocharged three-cylinder engine produces 100kW and 220Nm. 

The slower and slightly less thirsty of the pair, it gets 0-100km/h in 9.7 seconds, consuming 6.3l/100km. The top-of-the-range Cooper S with its  2.0l turbocharged motor, 141kW of power and 280Nm, sprints 0-100kms in 7.5 seconds. BMW claims fuel efficiency at 6.7l/100km. 

Both come standard with a seven-speed Steptronic double-clutch gearbox. Paddle shifts are optional on the Cooper S. 

Road tripping

Of all the MINIS on the market, from the Cooper to the Clubman, the Countryman has always been my pick of the bunch. So when a road trip to test drive the updated crossover landed in my inbox, I was there like a shot. On discovering we were driving three or four to a vehicle, I was not as impressed.

I was impressed with both the straight Cooper and the Countryman S’s power and dynamic handling, as well as their agility and surefooted drive on varied surfaces. (Photo: Supplied)

While we would all get to take a turn at the steering wheel along the 500km route from Joburg into a remote part of Mpumalanga, the thought of being squashed up with some smelly male journo on the back seat had me worried — even if he was wearing a mask. 

I came away pleasantly surprised by the Countryman’s spaciousness. We were able to get four people’s luggage, albeit with a bit of a squash, into the boot which can take up to 450l and, if folded down in a 40:20:40 configuration, there’s 1,390l of space on tap. 

Both 2020 Countryman models come standard with a seven-speed Steptronic double-clutch gearbox.(Photo: Supplied)

The refreshed Countryman also has a little trick called Comfort Access and Easy Opener as options which automatically open the boot when you flick your foot under the rear bumper. 

Travelling in the back, I found the leather seats comfy with surprisingly good leg- and headroom. When I wasn’t shouting instructions from the rear, I even managed to enjoy a little nap along the way. Until we hit a snag. 

Travelling in the back, I found the leather seats comfy with surprisingly good leg- and headroom. (Photo: Supplied)

Since my last trip to Mpumalanga, many of the roads have deteriorated badly – in places there are more potholes than tar. On our sporty, low-profile 19-inch alloys, I guess it was inevitable that the launch would soon become a puncture party, with overzealous petrolheads leaving BMW’s planned route and accelerating into unexpected road cracks and potholes. 

Warning. The Countryman does not have a spare tyre and, like many BMWs, relies on run-flats. Although it has pretty good ground clearance of 165mm and can definitely perform on gravel, you don’t want to be left deflated in the middle of nowhere. 

In the driver’s seat where I prefer to be, I nimbly dodged the potholes and was reminded why I really rate this crossover on my “wish I owned one” list. I was impressed with both the straight Cooper and the Countryman S’s power and dynamic handling, as well as their agility and surefooted drive on varied surfaces. 

There’s quick access to power through the Countryman’s seven-speed gearbox and on mountain passes there’s minimal body roll. The spaciousness and all-round comfort for both passengers and driver is a big plus. 

Having once moved some of my home in the boot of a 2017 Countryman with the rear seats down, would I consider buying one if I had the cash? Most definitely. DM

Pricing: 

MINI Cooper Countryman: R599,624.

MINI Cooper S Countryman: R631,004.