Review: MINI F60 Countryman (2017-on)

Overview

Released in Australia in March 2017, the MINI F60 Countryman was a five-door hatchback. Manufactured in Born, Netherlands, the MINI F60 Countryman range for Australia initially consisted of the:

• Cooper Countryman;
• Cooper S Countryman;
• Cooper D Countryman; and,
• Cooper SD Countryman ALL4 (all-wheel drive).

Production of the John Cooper Works Countryman ALL4 commenced in April 2017.

The MINI Countryman Plug-In Hybrid was released in Australia in April 2019.

‘Minimalism’ technologies

To reduce fuel consumption, the following ‘Minimalism’ technologies were standard across the MINI F60 Countryman range:

• Automatic Start/Stop function: automatically switched the engine off when the vehicle was stationary in traffic and the driver put the car into neutral. To restart the engine, the driver only needed to engage the clutch again before pulling away in the normal manner. Furthermore, the system could be de-activated at the touch of a button when not required;
• Brake Energy Regeneration: used Intelligent Alternator Control (IAC) and an Absorbent Glass Mat battery to capture previously lost energy. Specifically, IAC reduced drag on the engine by only engaging when required to charge the battery (whereas a traditional alternator continually draws power from the engine). Furthermore, where energy generated by the engine on over-run (under braking or descending a hill) was previously wasted, this energy could be utilised by the IAC to charge the battery; and,
• Shift Point Display (manual transmissions only): assisted drivers of vehicles with manual transmissions to select the most economical gear in which to drive. The engine management system analysed speed, road situation and accelerator pedal position to calculate the optimum gear; this gear number was then shown in the cockpit display.

MINI Countryman Plug-In Hybrid

Released in April 2019, the MINI F60 Countryman used an electric motor – which drew power from a 7.6 kWh lithium-ion battery – to drive the rear wheels and a 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine to drive the front wheels. In normal conditions, however, the ‘AUTO eDrive’ mode would use the electric motor only at speeds up to 80 km/h, at which point the petrol engine would engage. Furthermore, the Countryman Plug-In Hybrid had an electric-only range of 40 km (NEDC standard). In ‘MAX eDrive mode’, however, the electric motor could provide the sole source of power for speeds up to 125 km/h.

The lithium-ion battery had a six year or 100,000 km warranty (whichever came first) and was stored beneath the rear seats. Despite this, the MINI Plug-In Hybrid had a luggage capacity of 405 litres. The battery could be charged in 3.25 hours via a regular household socket, or 2.25 hours via the MINI Wallbox.

MINI’s ‘ALL4’ all-wheel drive system

The F60 Countryman was available with MINI’s ‘ALL4’ all-wheel drive system which consisted of:

• A power take-off unit integrated in the front axle differential;
• A propeller shaft leading to the rear axle; and,
• A hang-on clutch that ensured ‘precisely measured transmission’ of the drive torque to the rear wheels.

As such, the engine’s torque was directed to the front wheels in normal conditions for maximum fuel efficiency. If, however, a loss of traction is experienced, the take-off unit could direct torque to the rear axle for a 50:50 front:rear torque split.

Body and dimensions

The MINI F60 Countryman was underpinned by the BMW MINI UKL1 platform which is shared with the MINI F55 Cooper , MINI F54 Clubman and BMW F45 2-Series Active Tourer . Compared to the MINI R60 Countryman , the second-generation F60 Countryman was 202 mm longer (at 4299 mm), 33 mm wider (1822 mm), 4 mm lower (1557 mm) and had a 75 mm longer wheelbase (2670 mm).

For the MINI F60 Countryman, the rear seats could slide longitudinally by up to 130 mm. While the F60 Countryman had a luggage compartment volume of 450 litres, this increased to 1309 litres when the 40:20:40 split rear seats were folded down and luggage was filled to the roofline.

Suspension and steering

The MINI F60 Countryman had a single-joint spring strut front axle and multi-link rear axle with trailing arms. As an option, the MINI F60 Countryman was available with electronically-controlled dampers (MINI’s ‘Dynamic Damper Control’) which enabled the driver to select from two program maps via the optional MINI Driving Modes selector.

The MINI F60 Countryman had rack-and-pinion steering with electric power assistance.

Safety equipment

Standard safety equipment for the MINI F60 Countryman included dual front airbags, front side airbags, full length curtain airbags, ABS, electronic brake force distribution, brake assist, electronic stability control, traction control, corner braking control and front seatbelts with pre-tensioners and load limiters.

As standard, the MINI F60 Countryman was also equipped with the following technologies –

• Active Cruise Control (ACC) with Stop and Go function: active at speeds up to 140 km/h, ACC used a camera to maintain a safe distance from the vehicle ahead. The Stop and Go function enabled the Countryman to be brought to rest and accelerate when the road ahead cleared;
• Forward Collision Warning with visual and audio warning signal, plus braking pre-conditioning: if a collision was anticipated, the driver was initially provided with a visual warning in the instrument cluster, followed by an acoustic warning The braking system is also prepared for rapid response; and,
• City Crash Mitigation (CCM) with pedestrian detection (also known as Autonomous Emergency Braking or AEB): if the driver failed to react to the collision warnings, the brakes would be automatically applied to reduce vehicle speed and the severity of the collision.

The MINI F60 Countryman had an ‘active bonnet’ which, in the event of a pedestrian collision, triggered a pyrotechnic mechanism to raise the bonnet. By creating additional deformation space with hard points in the engine bay, the active bonnet reduced the risk of pedestrian injury.

Euro NCAP testing

In Euro NCAP testing , the MINI F60 Countryman received a five star safety rating which included a 90 per cent adult occupant protection rating and an 80 per cent child occupant protection rating. In the frontal offset test, protection of the driver’s head, thighs and feet were rated as good, though lower leg protection was rated as adequate and chest protection as marginal. Maximum points, however, were awarded in the side impact and pole tests.

Features: MINI F60 Cooper, Cooper D and Plug-In Hybrid Countryman

For Australian deliveries, standard features for the MINI F60 Cooper, Cooper D and Plug-In Hybrid Countryman included 7.5J x 18-inch ‘Pair Spoke’ alloy wheels with 225/50 R18 run-flat tyres, a six speaker sound system with a 6.5-inch display (MINI ‘Visual Boost’ interface), digital radio tuner (DAB+), 3.5 mm auxiliary and USB inputs, Bluetooth mobile phone connectivity and audio streaming, MINI Navigation system, combination cloth/leather upholstery with front sports seats, dual-zone climate control air conditioning, halogen headlights with MINI’s ‘high beam assistant’, halogen front fog lights, a rear fog light, dusk-sensing headlights, rain-sensing wipers, front and rear parking sensors (‘Park Distance Control’), reversing camera with guidance lines, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, 40:20:40 split and folding rear seats, remote central locking with proximity key, power adjustable and heated door mirrors, power windows, steering wheel height and reach adjustment, roof rails, velour floor mats, ‘Satellite Grey’ roof headliner, a power-operated tailgate, 12 volt power socket, trip computer and an immobiliser.

As standard, the MINI Countryman was also fitted with a ‘Parking Assistant’ for semi-autonomous parallel parking (i.e. automated steering wheel inputs while the driver controlled vehicle speed).

Features: MINI F60 Cooper S and Cooper SD Countryman

The MINI Cooper S and Cooper SD Countryman were further equipped with 18-inch ‘Pin Spoke’ alloy wheels, directional LED headlights, LED daytime running lights, LED front fog lights, a John Cooper Works steering wheel with red stitching, steering wheel gearshift paddles (for models with automatic transmissions) and a rear seat armrest. The Countryman Cooper S and Cooper SD also had selectable Normal, Sport or Green ‘MINI Driving Modes’.

Visually, the Countryman Cooper S and Cooper SD could be identified by their radiator grilles with dual chrome surrounds and black honeycomb inserts, chrome side scuttles and dual exhaust tailpipes.

Features: MINI F60 John Cooper Works Countryman

Compared to the MINI Cooper S Countryman, the John Cooper Works Countryman had 8.0J x 19-inch ‘Course Spoke’ alloy wheels with a two-tone finish and 225/35 R19 tyres, MINI’s ‘Professional’ navigation system with an 8.8-inch touch screen (including split-screen function, 3D maps, voice recognition, touchpad controller and 20 GB hard drive), a 410 watt Harman Kardon HiFi system with twelve (12) speakers and an eight-channel digital amplifier, Dinamica (micro-fibre) and leather upholstery, JCW race-style sport seats for front occupants, a perforated leather steering wheel with contrast red stitching, an Anthracite roof liner and stainless steel sports pedals. As standard, the John Cooper Works Countryman was also equipped with a head-up display which showed driving speed, navigation information, speed sign information, collision warnings, engine speed, and gear indicator. Visual cues for the John Cooper Works Countryman included its piano black roof rails and side sills, ‘John Cooper Works’ side scuttles,

As standard, the John Cooper Works Countryman had a ‘high performance’ brake system which consisted of 330 mm by 30 mm ventilated front brake discs with Brembo four-piston fixed-callipers and 300 mm by 20 mm ventilated rear discs.

April 2019 update

From April 2019, the MINI F60 Countryman Cooper, Cooper D, Cooper S and Cooper SD variants were equipped – as standard – with a ‘Professional Navigation System’ which had an 8.8-inch touchscreen.

2018 MINI Countryman Blackheath Edition

The MINI Countryman Blackheath Edition was released in Australia in October 2018. Based on the Countryman Cooper S, the Countryman Blackheath Edition could be identified by its Midnight Black metallic paint finish, Midnight Black roof and door mirror caps, 18-inch ‘Pin Spoke’ alloy wheels finished in black, high-gloss black finishes for the roof and side mouldings, brushed black aluminium bonnet stripes, ‘Black line’ exterior package (i.e. black trims for the headlight surrounds, tail light surrounds, door handles and front grille surrounds) and black ‘Countryman’ tailgate lettering.

Inside, the MINI Countryman Blackheath Edition featured ‘Leather Cross Punch’ upholstery finished in Carbon Black, Piano Black interior surfaces and an Anthracite headliner. Furthermore, the MINI Countryman Blackheath Edition was equipped with –

• Climate Package: heated front seats, a panoramic sunroof and tinted privacy glass; and,
• Multimedia Pro Package: Navigation Professional with an 8.8-inch touchscreen, a 12 speaker harman/kardon Hi Fi system, Head Up Display and MINI Find Mate system (including two Bluetooth remote tags).

Australian deliveries of the MINI Countryman Blackheath Edition were limited to sixty (60) vehicles.

Specifications

• Specifications: MINI F60 Countryman (2017)

Related links

• BMW MINI: the new MINI Countryman (October 2016)