MINI Countryman S 2024 in Malaysia – U25 mild hybrid with 218 PS, 360 Nm torque, 0-100 km/h acceleration in 7.1 seconds, price RM 349,000
Here’s a surprise – BMW Group Malaysia has quietly introduced the U25 MINI Countryman S All4 at the ongoing Sime Darby Motor Automania event, joining SE electric and hot John Cooper’s work. This light cooking hybrid model is a step down from the JCW in terms of performance, despite the fact that it is not much cheaper.
In fact, the Countryman S is very expensive. $348,888 on the road without insurance – RM105,000 more expensive than old price F60 Cooper S Countryman with the JCW version and is only RM41,000 cheaper than the original JCW version at RM389,888.
By the way, this is a standard two-year, unlimited-mileage warranty – if you opt for the four-year warranty and service package, that number increases. 359,288 Australian dollars. The car is imported completely from Leipzig, Germany; we envision local CKD assembly to take place soon to bring down prices.
The Countryman S looks almost identical to the SE, but in place of the car’s dual electric motors is a B48 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine, producing 204 PS from 5,000 to 6,500 rpm and 320 Nm of torque from 1,500 to 4,000 rpm. A 48-volt electric motor provides an additional 20 PS and 55 Nm of boost, for a total of 218 PS and 360 Nm.
Mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission, the all-wheel-drive Countryman S can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 7.1 seconds and reach a top speed of 228 km/h. Fuel consumption is rated at 6.8 liters per 100 km on the WLTP cycle.
Aside from the red “S” badge instead of lime green, the S looks identical to the SE. It also comes in a top-of-the-line Favoured trim, which comes with Vibrant Silver (i.e. gold) accents, decorative fender flares, and the option of Piano Black or Vibrant Silver roof and side mirrors. It also rides on 20-inch Windmill Spoke two-tone alloy wheels.
Inside, the S gets a 3D-knit fabric dashboard and door panels that fade to Classic Brown towards the rear doors. Here, the Favoured package adds JCW sport seats upholstered in Vescin Beading faux leather in Classic Brown or Dark Petrol.
On the tech front, you get MINI’s signature 9.4-inch circular OLED touchscreen that integrates not only the air-conditioning controls but also the speedometer, much like the Volvo EX30. It runs on the Android-based MINI 9 operating system and comes with the “Hey MINI” voice control system, represented by a dog avatar named Spike. The loss of the instrument cluster is compensated for by the addition of a head-up display.
Behind the screens are two projectors that display patterns on either side of the dashboard, depending on the selected driving mode. You also get augmented reality navigation, smartphone-based MINI Digital Key Plus, MINI Driving Sounds and a 360-degree camera system with Remote 3D View.
Other standard features include a smart key with touch-sensitive locking/unlocking, MINI logo projection on the exterior, electrically adjustable front seats with driver’s side memory, lumbar adjustment and massage function, dual-zone climate control and a 12-speaker Harman Kardon surround sound system. The hands-free electric tailgate opens to a slightly smaller boot at 450 litres, due to the need to accommodate the mild hybrid battery underneath, although you can fold down the rear seats to increase luggage space to 1,450 litres.
On the safety front, the Countryman S comes standard with the Driving Assistant package, which includes autonomous emergency braking, lane keeping assist, blind spot monitoring, rear collision warning and rear cross-traffic alert. It also comes with Parking Assistant Plus, parking assistance, Manoeuvring Assistant, Reversing Assistant and a 360-degree camera system with remote 3D view.
The car also has all the hardware needed for Driving Assistant Plus, which adds adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go, lane-keeping assist and traffic sign recognition. However, you’ll need to pay a subscription fee to activate it, which is RM202 a month – or you can pay an additional RM4,481 to unlock it for the life of the car.
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