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2025 Mini Countryman SE All4 First Drive Review: Electrified and better for it

CASCAIS, Portugal — Everything we said about the overgrown size of the 2025 Mini Countryman in John Cooper Works trim that we recently reviewed applies equally to the 2025 Mini Countryman SE ALL4. The former is powered by gas and the latter is electric, but both are the same size. Interestingly, both have about the same number of ponies, too. To recap, the new Countryman is 5.1 inches longer, 2.4 inches taller and 0.8 inches wider than the second-generation model, which in turn was 8 inches longer and more than 5 inches wider than the first-generation Countryman. A bit chonky, then. Our hackles may be raised by the size of the 2025 Countryman, especially as Mini claims itÂ’s a “Minimalist All-Rounder” — whatever thatÂ’s supposed to mean — but after spending a day actually driving the all-electric SE, we got over it. And we think buyers who care about MiniÂ’s illustrious history like we do will get over it too. ItÂ’s not without fault, but the Mini Countryman is more interesting in electrified SE trim than it is in suck-squeeze-bang-blow JCW trim. The Mini Countryman SE boasts twin electric motors, one up front and one at the rear so that all four wheels are powered. Total system output comes in at 313 horsepower (one lone stallion over the JCWÂ’s figure) and an impressive 364 pound-feet of torque (the gas model is good for 295 lb-ft). ThatÂ’s sufficient for a 0-60 sprint of 5.6 seconds — a bit behind the top-spec gasser, despite the extra torque, due to a weight penalty of nearly 600 pounds for a total curb weight of 4,400 lbs, but still quick. Feeding power to the two motors and contributing mightily to the porky weight is a 66.5-kilowatt-hour battery pack. ThatÂ’s enough capacity to provide up to 245 miles of range (depending on factors that include wheel size), which isnÂ’t bad, but short of all-wheel-drive electric crossover leaders that might be cross-shopped against the Mini, like the Tesla Model Y Long Range (up to 310 miles), Kia EV6 (up to 282) and Nissan Ariya (up to 272). As always, actual range will vary due to driving style, weather and the use of accessories and climate control. Mini claims a maximum charge rate of 130 kW. Again, thatÂ’s not bad, and equal to the Nissan Ariya, but far short of competitors like Tesla (up to 250 kW), Hyundai and Kia (up to 235). Considering its newness on the market, you wouldnÂ’t be wrong to expect some specs that actually move the needle instead of being mid-pack.

2015 Mini John Cooper Works Hardtop First Drive [w/video]

In its previous iteration, the Mini John Cooper Works three-door was a bad little mother. It looked like an engorged puffer fish facing down a shark, sounded like squadron of hornets with even the tiniest provocation of the throttle, and turned corners like it was angry at them. It was hard riding and ill mannered in all sorts of daily driving situations, but supremely satisfying when used in the all-out-attack mode for which it was designed. I dug every minute I spent in one, when really concentrating on driving. (As a commuter or passenger, not so much.) It only took fifteen minutes of driving on the lilting, tree-lined roads outside of New Haven, CT, to realize that the 2015 Mini JCW Hardtop was a lot less pissed off. And with more power, refined ride quality, a better interior, and an available automatic transmission, a lot more suitable for a wide variety of drivers. The little hellion has matured. On that grownup tip, the first of the many '15 JCWs I sampled was fitted with a six-speed automatic transmission. Cue collective shocked gasp. I'll forgive you if you didn't know an auto was going to be available equipment on the JCW, as Mini product planners had to remind me that it had been offered for the first time on the model-year 2013 car. Even then, the manual trans saw an impressive 75-percent take rate, so it's not as if many of the auto-shifters made it to the street. That could change in this new generation, where the 6AT acquits itself quite well. Wheel-mounted paddles offer near immediate response to requested shifts, and programming for the sport setting causes gears to be held up to the top of the tach. The manual is far more engaging, even if the automatic is quicker than the human hand. The six-speed Getrag manual transmission is still the better option, even the car is two-tenths of a second slower to 60 miles per hour with it (6.1 vs. 5.9 seconds), and less fuel efficient in the city (23 vs. 25 miles per gallon). The manual uses a long-levered shifter that still feels positive going between gates, and a short-travel clutch that's got nice weight and an easy catch point. It also offers defeatable rev matching, smoothing out even very aggro downshifts. Mini measures the manual as slower than the auto, but I had a lot more fun using it to harness the increased power of the 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder engine.

Next BMW X1 moving to smaller, lighter FWD-biased platform

BMW's decision to make the upcoming 2-Series Active Tourer front-wheel drive has been polarizing to say the least, but like it or not, that is the direction the company will go in the near future - one rumor put the number as high as 23 front-wheel-drive models for Mini and BMW combined. The next-generation X1 won't send all its power to the front wheels, though, when it launches in early 2016. While it will use the same platform as the Active Tourer, rumors suggest all models will use all-wheel drive - at least at launch.
A "high-ranking," unnamed BMW manager confirmed to AutoWeek that the new model will switch to transversely-mounted three- and four-cylinder engines and the same six-speed manual and eight-speed automatic transmissions as the Active Tourer. The new, smaller platform will allow for more efficient packaging, and despite the smaller size, interior space will remain comparable. All the changes should make it significantly lighter too.
Don't start wailing just yet because BMW surely won't be entirely abandoning sporty models. AutoWeek claims that the Bavarians are working on a higher-output version of the 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with power closer to 300 horsepower, about a 72-hp boost. It's also rumored to offer a sporty version of the X1 that may be called the X2.