derBayerische January/February 2025 - 28

T H E 2 0 2 5 M I N I C O U N T R Y M A N S A N D T H E 2 0 2 5 M I N I C O U N T R Y M A N
The redesigned center stack has
the automatic transmission shifter
" switch " and the infotainment volume
control. This effectively eliminates
the center tunnel and console. In its
place are storage racks (one for
wireless phone changing) and a
covered bin.
As with the other UKL vehicles,
there is no iDrive knob. These
functions are integrated into the
infotainment " touch screen " . When
compared to the new X1 and the
new X2, the touch screen " iDrive "
functions are much easier to use on
the MINI, not only because of the
touch screen design, but because the
center screen is located closer to the
driver than it is in the X1 and X2.
The Countryman is not only
easy to drive, it is also fun.
Comfortable on the Interstates, and
in urban and suburban settings,
the 2025 Countryman fills a unique
niche.
In fact, we were pleasantly
surprised with its ease of parallel
parking - especially into spots that
we initially regarded as " impossible " .
The Countryman S has its own
version of the famous BMW 2.0 liter
TwinPower Turbo 4. Producing 189
horsepower and 207 foot pounds of
torque, the engine is responsive
enough to give the Countryman S the
soul of a Mini. We found it a bit
puzzling that steering wheel paddle
shifters are not available, especially
seeing as how a manual transmission
is not an option.
The Countryman JCW features
its own version of the 2.0 liter
TwinTurbo 4, but it has been tuned to
produce 312 horsepower and 295
foot-pounds of torque. And here, we
have paddle shifters!
While we found the exterior
design cues to be subtle, the much
younger than us target market appreciated
the differences. In short, the
Countryman S seemed to attract the
" Shall We Motor? " crowd, while the
JCW attracted the " Time To Have
Some Fun " crowd. Of course, this
was EXACTLY each respective
version's intent!
In the urban and suburban
environments, both models yielded a
similar " cheeky " driving experience.
But on the open, curvy roads,
the performance differences show.
The chassis, engine, and handling
and braking on the JCW model make
you want to take it for a spin on
the Laguna Seca or Willow Springs
racetrack.
■ (Below Clockwise) Wow - An On/Off ignition switch. Love that JCW seat design. Yep - they are front-wheel drive.
The launch of products using
the Neue Klasse chassis may result in
the 2025 MINI Countryman S being
one of the last products developed
from the UKL. And because of all
the design refinements, chassis
tuning, and new features, the MINI
Countryman S and Countryman JCW
are high quality, " anti SAVs " worthy of
consideration.
Perhaps thirty years from now, if
Celebrity Antiques Roadshow is still
active, they'll show an episode that
features a 2025 MINI Countryman S
or a Countryman JCW. Either way,
the occupants will have lots of room
and the right setup from which to
enjoy the English countryside.
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derBayerische January/February 2025

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