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By Jonathan Crouch

Introductionword count: 68

Generations of MINI models have made a virtue of their small size, but with this second generation F60 version of the brand's Countryman Crossover, the idea was to show that the marque could also produce a credible family-sized contender too. It's smartly turned out with some clever little features. Plus there was the option of 4WD and even Plug-in hybrid power. In short, this car might surprise you.

Modelsword count: 14

5dr SUV (1.5 petrol/2.0 petrol/2.0 diesel [One/ Cooper / Cooper S/ Cooper SD/ JCW])

Historyword count: 315

There's something rather contradictory about the idea of a large, family-sized MINI. Yet apparently, something quite appealing too. The first time this BMW brand introduced such a thing - with the first generation R60 version of the Countryman launched back in 2010 - well over half a million models were eventually sold. Which was impressive, given that original design's somewhat muddled remit. To begin with, it was merely a MINI for folk who wanted sensible standards of space, but as the years progressed, the Countryman's positioning was subtly altered to suit the segment where the sales were - that for compact Crossovers. Even then, it never quite hit the spot, too large and expensive to appeal to buyers in this sector looking at supermini-based models like Nissan's Juke and Renault's Captur. But not large enough to suit families looking instead at family hatch-based contenders like Nissan's Qashqai. A bit of a re-think was needed, which is what in 2017 brought us a MK2 F60 model large enough to properly position itself in the Qashqai class, 20cms longer than before, with proper room for five adults and a boot 100-litres bigger. The 2.0-litre engines offered on many models were larger too, plus there was the choice of front or four-wheel drive and up-to-the-minute media connectivity. There was even plug-in hybrid power for those wanting it. A more credible contender then, though one very different in concept from many of the things this charismatic brand used to represent. The Countryman name is borrowed from the old Austin designation for estate cars in times past, models with quaint wood adornment on their rear ends. This, in contrast though, was no Countryman for old men, aiming to appeal instead to younger buyers who had out-grown smaller MINIs but not their appetite for the brand. The MK2 Countryman sold until mid-2023, when it was replaced by a fourth generation model.

What You Getword count: 286

This was the largest and most versatile car MINI had ever brought us. Quite a few styling techniques were used here to make this car seem still quite compact, but the truth was that this MK2 Countryman was a significantly larger thing than before, the increased 4.3-metre length leaving it 20cm longer and 3cm wider than the first generation model. That's enough to make it properly Qashqai-sized, and a credible contender in the volume part of the compact Crossover segment. Up front, it doesn't feel especially SUV-like in terms of either decor or raised seat positioning. Crucially though, you do feel like you're in a MINI, which is all-important in enabling this Countryman to set itself apart from more ordinary rivals. BMW talks of the neat toggle switches being a traditional brand design cue - though we don't remember anything like that on the 1950's original. A better reference point to the early British model lies with the enormous dinner plate-sized central dash display, though here, this doesn't house an almost indecipherable speedometer. That gauge was here re-located to a pod above the steering wheel, where it's flanked with a crescent-moon rev counter. Taking a seat in the rear is a lot easier to do in this second generation Countryman than it was in the original model. The extra body length helps obviously and if you happen to be familiar with this model's predecessor, you'll appreciate the difference that makes to the amount of leg and knee room you get in the rear. In truth, the old model wasn't really large enough to take a couple of adults comfortably in the back over long distances. This second generation car is. The boot offers 450-litres of space.

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