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2025 Mini Countryman First Drive Review: Mini no more

CASCAIS, Portugal — LetÂ’s cut straight to the issue of size. If the original Mini was a sporting beagle ready for the hunt, the reborn version that hit the world stage in 2001 may have been an English bulldog, albeit bred in Germany, its parents being the engineers and coffers of BMW. From there, the Mini brand has grown in size in regular increments, culminating with the 2025 Mini Countryman thatÂ’s the subject of this review. The first Countryman that we first tested in 2011 was comparatively large for the brand, but was suitably mini by SUV standards. Its stocky proportions moved it well into the working dog class. And then the second-generation Mini Countryman debuted for the 2017 model year, gaining 8 inches in length and more than 5 inches of width over its predecessor. We described it as “still in keeping with the brand's ethos from the very beginning when Alec Issigonis created a car that was microscopic on the outside but disproportionately spacious inside.” Nevertheless, it was starting too look a little husky, if you catch our drift. Consider the 2025 Mini Countryman a mastiff, then. Compared to the second-gen Countryman it replaces (which, as we already pointed out was much larger than the first edition), the new version is 5.1 inches longer, 2.4 inches taller and 0.8 inch wider. This translates into additional interior space for passengers and cargo, but adds an awful lot of visual and physical girth to something wearing a badge that literally calls out a diminutive size. The proportions are well considered, but parked next to the old car, the new Countryman sticks out like a sore thumb. Literally, like one thatÂ’s swollen post-accidental-hammer strike. When the full Countryman model lineup is available Stateside, a base model may well be included, but at least for the start of 2025 production the lineup will start with an S edition for $39,895 that will have 241 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. WeÂ’re not driving that today. Instead, the subject of this review will be the only other gas-powered Countryman: the high-performance John Cooper Works edition or JCW. The new Countryman JCW starts at $47,895 and is powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that spins out 312 ponies (up from 301) and 295 pound-feet of torque (unfortunately down from 331) to all four tires through a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox and MiniÂ’s ALL4 all-wheel-drive system.

Mini officially reveals Frozen Black Countryman and Paceman

BMW has been offering Frozen editions of its cars for several years now highlighted by matte paint and very limited production, and now Mini is getting in on the game with Frozen Black versions of the Paceman and Countryman. Unlike our report from earlier in the week, these models will not wear the Batman-sounding Black Knight name, but instead, like the BMW models, will be dubbed Frozen Edition. That previous intel also had it that production of the Frozen Edition Minis would be limited to just 60 units. Now official, Mini has not confirmed how many - or few - of these limited edition models it would build.
The Frozen Black paint adds silicates to the lacquer finish creating a "matted impression," which sounds like it should be easier for owners to maintain and wash, although Mini still advises against waxing or polishing. This special paint will be offered on all S, Diesel and John Cooper Works versions of the Paceman and Countryman, though it's not clear as of this writing if any will be offered in the US. Mini's press release for the Frozen Black Paceman and Countryman is posted below.

Mini Clubvan axed after just 50 sales

Well, that didn't last long. According to Green Car Reports, Mini has discontinued the Clubvan from its model range in the United States.
Nathalie Bauters, Mini's US communications manager, cited "relatively low demand and the effect of an excessive 25-percent tax on vehicles for commercial use (known as 'the Chicken Tax')" as the key reasons for axing the Clubman from our market, GCR reports. The 2013 Clubvan launched in the US earlier this year, and to date roughly 50 examples have been sold.
The Clubvan, based on the Clubman model, features a flat load floor behind the two front seats, with blacked-out (well, body-colored) side windows. This nifty little cargo wagon could carry up to 33 cubic feet of goods, which while useful, pales in comparison to more capacious offerings like the Ford Transit Connect van.