What is it?

By now we all know what the MINI is, and the Countryman moniker offers a good combination of space, style and AWD. So, what extra pizazz does the Untamed edition give us?

Well, according to the blurb, it’s adventure. The MINI Untamed is said to be a rugged SUV that’s inspired by nature and perfect for your next big adventure.

From the outside there’s a pair of trusty roof rails along with subtle and discreet handwritten ‘Untamed’ graphics stylishly adorning both rear windows, and 3D-printed side scuttles. Then there’s the rather nice yet distinctive 18" light-alloy wheels that add a rugged sense of purpose. The most recognisable external feature is the edition-specific sill finishers that are designed to help protect your MINI’s body paint from smudges and scratches caused by mud, dirt or footwear.

So on the outside it does standout when parked next to other Countrymen, er, Countrymans - that sounds wrong. As for the interior, I’ll get to that later.

On Road

Despite a busy week both Muddy Madam and I managed to get quite a lot of miles under its wheels, from short commutes to a 250 mile round trip to Birmingham, and according to its computer it never dipped below 39mpg - not bad for a 2.0-litre petrol. In normal mode there are instances when it can be a bit sluggish, but flicking the switch to sport and it will have you grinning.

Once you’ve done your stop/start commute or interminable motorway journey and get it out on the open road it’s really fun to drive. The steering feels weighty, there’s barely any roll and the all-wheel-drive system ensures that you exit corners safely. I’m sure you could have a lot more fun if you owned a racetrack.

Speaking of fun, the eight-speed automatic shifts crisply, especially in Sport mode and once you’ve shifted to manual mode the flappy paddles do decent job of obeying your commands.

Another nicety that can be overlooked is that when in cruise-control it will maintain your speed down the steepest of descents.

Off Road

Let’s face it, it isn’t an off-roader, but it will surprise you, especially if you find yourself balancing on 3, or even 2 opposing wheels. Sadly it didn’t rain during our week together, but the previous MINIs I’ve borrowed with ALL4 have all been surefooted, even on wet grass and slippery rocks.

If you like modern 4WD systems with which you can alter and customise modes, you’ll be disappointed with the Countryman as there’s none of those, not even a Hill-Decent control switch, but everything seems to work seamlessly. If you are taking your time over rugged terrain it may take a moment to realise that one wheel is off the ground and the others are on a slippery surface, but once it does it’ll have you moving again in no time time at all.

Interior

The first ‘new’ MINI I drove was back in 2015, 8 years ago, and despite loving the handling, my overwhelming memory was its dull interior. That particular press car had black roof lining, black door trims, black dash, black seats and black carpet, add to that the MINI’s narrow windscreen and it was like driving the Batmobile. I’ll be honest, it made me feel claustrophobic.

This Untamed version is far different, someone had obviously ticked all the right options as it was now light and airy, helped enormously be the £800 twin panoramic glass sunroof.

The Countryman’s interior is somewhere I don’t mind spending a good few hours driving, all the switch gear is to hand, visibility is great and overall it feels well put together and classy.

Ahead of the driver is a 5.5” instrument cluster that adjusts with the steering wheel, and in the centre you will find the usual circular touchscreen infotainment system. If you deem touchscreens too dangerous then it can also be operated by a rotary controller and buttons located on the centre console.

Throughout the week I had Apple CarPlay running which I found reliable and responsive, and it took less than a minute to set up, which is a first.

Muddy Madam was a bit critical on the narrowness of the seats, but loved the voice-command when using the Sat-Nav.

When it comes to edition-specific features you can’t miss that the very comfortable Highland Green leather seats add a bespoke feel. They’re both electric with memory presets, and include manual seat base extender cushions which are great for those of us with long legs. Along with other subtle Untamed signature badges scattered around the interior, the exclusive cockpit fascia has illuminated decoration - which is cool.

Jump in the back and there’s plenty of room for two large adults with headroom and legroom being very good by class standards. They also get rear air vents, USB-C charging ports, map pockets, and bottle holders in the doors along with a fold-down centre armrest, again with cupholders.

In the boot there’s 450 to 1,390 litres of space, and I particularly appreciated the ‘secret’ underfloor space for items you want out of sight, or clumsy and awkward items such as deckchairs.

Engine ’n’ Transmission

Two engines are available for the Countryman, the 2.0ltr petrol I’ve driven here and the plug-in hybrid. The latter has a 1.5ltr petrol engine and has up to a 30 mile range on electric.

Conclusion

The Countryman is one of those vehicles that I wish I could have kept for a few weeks longer, it was both fun and easy to drive. Overall I think it was the interior that made it for me, I found the Highland Green leather seats both visually stunning and exceedingly comfortable.

Come December, I’ll ask for the plug-in hybrid model as I want to test it in more challenging conditions, though I suspect it’ll handle anything with ease.

price: starts at £29,750 (£33,750 with options: Darkened Rear Glass, Panoramic Glass Sunroof, Comfort Plus Pack, Navigation Plus Pack)

more at » www.mini.co.uk

Reviewed in Issue 50 - August 2023