Remember when MINIs were actually small? Good times. The latest Countryman is anything but that, as evidenced by the 20-inch wheels of this John Cooper Works version. Painted in Nanuq White, the compact crossover has contrasting black accents. It also boasts a red finish for the brake calipers and trim pieces around the front air vents.
Looking all grown up, the JCW now also gets a quad exhaust system, echoing the mechanically related BMW X1 M35i. Of the two crossovers, the Countryman has a more daring and youthful design. You can go a step further by ordering the car with optional hood stripes that come in either black or red. This is MINI s first car to use the updated John Cooper Works logo. It adorns not only the grille and tailgate but also the C-pillars. The side badge comes along with an ALL4 graphic as a reminder the vehicle uses an all-wheel-drive setup.
MINI doesn t show the car s interior in this fresh set of images. However, we do know the JCW comes in a fixed configuration. As seen in this adjacent older photo, it has a black theme with Vescin (vegan leather) upholstery featuring a multitude of red accents. Much like recent BMWs, the cabin has been simplified, so much so there s no instrument cluster anymore. The center-mounted circular OLED measuring 9.4 inches provides access to most functions.
To be fair, there is an optional head-up display along with a bunch of standard physical controls mounted below the screen. A similar layout can be found in just about all the other newer MINIs, including the smaller Aceman crossover offered purely as an EV. The latest wave of models does away with real leather completely.
The Countryman carries the Made in Germany label, making it the first time the BMW Group has built a MINI and a BMW under the same roof. It rolls off the assembly line in Leipzig, Germany where the 1 Series, 2 Series Gran Coupe, and 2 Series Active Tourer are made. The first-ever electric Countryman is also built there. This time around, there’s no plug-in hybrid anymore as it has been discontinued for this generation. A diesel-fueled Countryman D is still offered in some markets.
Source: MINI
First published by https://www.bmwblog.com
