By Shereen Shabnam
My adventure with the highly versatile MINI Countryman began on a weekend and driving with friends, we found it spacious and more comfortable than ever as we went on a leisure drive down Beach Road in Dubai and later cruised up in the mountains near Fujairah.
The powerful engine and optional all-wheel-drive system makes it all effortless with ample space for five people, luggage and for a family with an active lifestyle, we packed in our golf bags, dive equipment, groceries and horse-riding gear with ease.
INTERIOR
Inside the MINI Countryman, comfort comes first as the interior offers an outstanding range of materials, top grain soft leather seats, and a sense of wellbeing. The electrically adjustable seats can be individually modified and offers comfortable lumbar support with a healthy orthopaedic seating posture that reduces strain on your back muscles.
Our favourite feature was MINI Connected that brings next level of connectivity with a wide range of intelligent services and apps. MINI Connected comes with Natural Language Understanding, so you can interact with your MINI as if it were a good friend offering a host of options for navigating, communicating and playing music – all with a stunning display and intelligent, hands-free voice control.
Aesthetically pleasing, in a sleek Black Panel design and positioned in your direct line of sight, it provides key information in a distinctive, modern 5.0” digital screen. The information displayed, height, rotation and level of brightness can all be adjusted via the menu.
EXTERIOR
By blending distinctive, rugged good looks and masculine proportions with an adventurous spirit, MINI Countryman is an all-rounder whose natural habitat is both the contemporary city street and country road. It is available in 9 different colours and offset by a range of four attractive contrasting roof accents.
We like the new, honed front grille and bumper design. Furnished with a bold, striking housing trim, the grille is available in chrome or the new optional Piano Black. Like the MINI, the Union Jack transcends time and signifies a long and rich history. The striking LED rear lights form a two-part LED Union Jack neatly encased in a Piano Black frame.
If your hands are full but you need to open the boot, just use your feet as you can open the rear hatch door of your MINI Countryman with a quick, directed wave of the foot under the rear bumper.
PERFORMANCE
Built for adventure, the new MINI Countryman’s four-wheel drive system distributes power dynamically between the front and a rear axle. This means the road can be wherever you want it to be and you stay in control no matter the conditions.
The model we drove offered different drive modes and responsiveness to match our mood. SPORT boosts steering and throttle response for a more dynamic experience. The GREEN mode helps you achieve maximum fuel efficiency with leisurely cruising. And MID gives you a happy driving medium.
A unique combination of innovative engineering, premium materials and intelligent lightweight design ensures that MINI’s 3-cylinder and 4-cylinder TwinPower Turbo engines deliver a smooth yet powerful performance and torque. Even in the low rev range, you’ll enjoy greater reliability and responsiveness.
VERDICT
We enjoyed the drive and loved teh space it had to offer. Potential buyers we met were thrilled by the concept of MINI Yours, that allows them to enhance their MINI with premium-quality features and sophisticated solutions. From luxurious upholstery and steering wheel options to light alloy wheels, it delivers all those rich, intricate details that complete the artisan feel and make your MINI uniquely stylish – inside and out.
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