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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.

BMW strategy gets green with future i8 Roadster, PHEV Mini

Recent concepts like the Vision Next 100 have signaled BMW's plan to become a leader in automotive tech in the near future, but the Bavarian automaker added some concrete details to that strategy during the company's annual press conference. The business promises there are updated i models and more plug-in hybrids on the way, and a vehicle called the iNext could bring an autonomous EV to the road early next decade. Before we see any completely new vehicles, look for BMW to refine its current green models. Later this year, the i3 will get a larger battery capacity, which will increase the hatchback's range. After seemingly endless teasing, the BMW i8 Roadster will finally arrive in 2018, according to a slide during the conference. The company will also launch a plug-in hybrid Mini, but it didn't give a specific arrival date. At the beginning of the next decade, BMW will also introduce a fully autonomous i model. At the beginning of the next decade, BMW will also introduce a fully autonomous i model, which it currently calls the iNext. "BMW iNEXT heralds the next era of mobility," company CEO Harald Kruger said. "This symbol of our technology leadership will demonstrate how we will bring the future of mobility into series production." BMW refers to its research into autonomous driving as Project i 2.0. Just as the initial development of the i models led to better EV tech and innovations in carbon fiber, the new undertaking should result in improvements to networked motoring and driverless tech for the iNext. The company plans to focus on high definition digital maps, sensor technology, cloud technology, and artificial intelligence. The company's product plan for the i range doesn't show any vehicles between the i8 Roadster in 2018 and the iNext early next decade. Perhaps the new model is the fruition of the many rumors about a family-oriented i5. As BMW eyes the future, it still sees the combustion engine as an important tool for the present, and there are still more traditional models to look forward to. Without offering any details, BMW promises more M models are under development. The larger X7 CUV will also arrive soon, and there'll possibly be even more crossovers, too. "We are also taking an in-depth look at the additional potential of this highly attractive segment," Kruger said.

Next Mini Clubman nearly ready to haul

With the three- and five-door Mini Hardtop models successfully hitting the market and the pending arrival of the hot John Cooper Works model at next week's Detroit Auto Show, Mini can turn its eye toward another important model, in the form of its next-generation Clubman, which our spies have spotted testing on the roads of Germany. Aside from the rear barn doors, the next Clubman looks to have a lot in common with the new five-door Hardtop, which makes sense considering how much the current car has in common with the R56 that it's based upon. That similarity ends quickly once you take a look inside the cabin. The typically open Mini cabin is more dramatically segmented in the new Clubman, with a high transmission tunnel that separates the driver and passenger. In a worrying move for fans of parking lot shenanigans, Mini is moving to an electronic parking brake in its new model, although beyond that, the center stack is similar to the redesign Mini pushed through for this latest generation. As is the case with the current Clubman, the next-gen will likely share its engines and gearboxes with the Hardtop, meaning a base 1.5-liter, three-cylinder turbo in the Cooper Clubman and a 2.0-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder in the Cooper S Clubman. Six-speed transmissions, in both two- and three-pedal varieties, will likely also be offered. Check out our gallery of spy photos of the new Clubman, up at the top of the page.