MINI Countryman
Compact SUV · 2011–present. 11,647 units sold in the US in 2024
How it began
Countryman is a MINI product within BMW Group. BMW acquired Rover Group in 1994 and retained MINI when it divested Rover in 2000. The classic Mini grew from Sir Leonard Lord’s 1957 brief to Alec Issigonis for a small, economical four-adult car after the Suez fuel crisis; it launched in 1959 with a transverse engine and wheels pushed to the corners. BMW relaunched modern MINI in 2001. MINI’s own December 2010 design announcement names Gert Hildebrand and his team as the creators of the first Countryman.
The Countryman is the well-traveled MINI. It was the first MINI not built in Oxford, England: the first generation was assembled by partner Magna Steyr in Graz, Austria. The second was built exclusively at the VDL Nedcar plant in Born, the Netherlands, from November 2016. The third has rolled out of BMW Group's Leipzig plant in Germany since late 2023, the first MINI built entirely in Germany. Plant Oxford, open since 1913, still builds the Cooper 3-Door, 5-Door and Convertible.
MINI presented Countryman in January 2010; its February 16 UK announcement detailed pricing and a September launch. The world show debut followed in Geneva in March, with the North American presentation at the 2010 New York show. It launched in Britain in September 2010 and entered the U.S. lineup as a 2011 model.
The name links the modern crossover to the classic Austin Seven Countryman estate of the 1960s, also known for its wood-trimmed “Woody” version. MINI’s original second-generation launch history explicitly describes this traditional connection.
MINI wanted to enter a new segment and keep customers who needed more space. Countryman introduced four conventional side doors, a large tailgate, up to five seats, over four meters of length and available ALL4 all-wheel drive. The earlier Clubman already had an extra rear passenger Clubdoor. Worldwide Countryman sales reached 102,250 in 2012, and the 250,000th was completed in Graz on March 12, 2013, two and a half years after sales began.
Generation by generation
- Gen. 12011–2016 · R60
The first MINI with four doors and all-wheel drive
Photo: Elise240SX · CC BY-SA 4.0 What changed. It replaced nothing: it was a brand-new MINI from the ground up. It measured 4,097 mm long, 398 mm more than the Hatch, with a width of 1,789 mm and a height of 1,577 mm. It introduced four wide-opening doors, a tailgate and up to five seats. In Europe the Cooper S made 184 hp from a 1.6-liter turbo; the Cooper, 122 hp. Magna Steyr assembled it in Austria, the first time a MINI was built outside Oxford.
The innovation. ALL4, MINI's first all-wheel drive: it normally drives the front wheels and an electromagnetic clutch on the rear axle sends up to 100 percent of the power rearward when needed. Inside, the Center Rail replaced the center console with a rail running front to back to clip on cup holders, boxes and chargers.
If you buy one usedNHTSA lists recall 12V008 for the 2011 Cooper S Countryman: the electric auxiliary water pump that cools the turbocharger has a circuit board that can overheat and start a fire. The broader campaign also includes older MINI derivatives; its aggregate build dates are not the Countryman-specific production window. In 2018 BMW extended the same issue to 2011–2012 Cooper S Countryman and Cooper S Countryman ALL4 under recall 18V248. The remedy is a new pump at no cost; check by VIN that it was done. The 18V248 notice recommends parking affected unrepaired vehicles outdoors until the remedy is performed. Confirm current instructions and availability for the exact VIN. - Gen. 22017–2024 · F60
Bigger, Dutch-built and MINI’s first plug-in hybrid
Photo: MercurySable99 · CC BY-SA 4.0 What changed. Introduced on October 25, 2016 and shown in Los Angeles that November, it grew about 7.8 inches in length and 2.9 inches in wheelbase. U.S. body specifications included 169.8 inches of length and a 105.1-inch wheelbase; cargo capacity was 17.6 cubic feet, or 47.6 with the rear seats folded. U.S. Cooper used a 134 hp 1.5-liter turbo three-cylinder and Cooper S a 189 hp 2.0-liter turbo four. MINI announced a March 2017 U.S. gasoline rollout. It was produced at VDL Nedcar in Born, Netherlands.
The innovation. The Cooper S E Countryman ALL4 was MINI’s first production plug-in hybrid: a 134 hp three-cylinder drove the front wheels and an 87 hp electric motor drove the rear wheels, for 221 hp combined. Its initial battery had 7.6 kWh and its U.S. EPA electric range was 12 miles; the early 24-mile launch estimate should be distinguished from that final U.S. rating. It reached the U.S. in June 2017. The optional Picnic Bench folded a cushion out of the cargo area for seating on the rear bumper while parked.
If you buy one usedNHTSA lists recall 18V557 for the 2017–2019 Countryman: some cars are missing a crash protection plate near the high-pressure fuel pump, which can cause a fuel leak in a crash; dealers install it at no cost. On 2020–2021 Cooper Countryman ALL4 SE hybrids, recall 20V601 covers battery cells that may have taken in debris at the factory, with a short-circuit risk. 2021 cars are also in recall 21V554 for seat belt retractors. Separately, hitch maker Curt recalled Class 1 hitches sold for 2016–2018 Countryman (17E051). Check everything by VIN. For affected unrepaired vehicles under 20V601, the notice instructs owners not to charge, use manual or sport mode, or use shift paddles until the remedy is completed. Confirm current instructions. For Curt 17E051, also check the installed hitch’s part number 11451 and repair record; a vehicle VIN lookup may omit aftermarket equipment. - Gen. 32025–present · U25
Made in Germany, with a round OLED screen
Photo: Alexander-93 · CC BY-SA 4.0 What changed. The first MINI made entirely in Germany entered production in Leipzig in November 2023. It grew relative to the preceding generation; MINI USA advertised up to 25 percent more cargo space and 40:20:40 split-folding rear seats. The U.S. MY2025 Countryman S ALL4 used a 2.0-liter turbo four with 241 hp and 295 lb-ft, 52 hp above the preceding S, and launched from $38,900 plus $995 destination. U.S.-market S production began in March 2024, with dealer arrivals in May.
The innovation. MINI described its round 9.4-inch OLED center screen as an industry first. It combines driving information and infotainment through MINI Operating System 9, eight Experience Modes and the Spike voice assistant. The SE ALL4 is the first all-electric Countryman. The preliminary global specification quoted 230 kW/313 metric hp, a 66.45 kWh battery and DC charging up to 130 kW, taking about 30 minutes from 10 to 80 percent. The U.S. production model is rated at 308 hp.
If you buy one usedIt is too new for a long track record. Two selected NHTSA campaigns for the 2025 model are: 24V340, for a rear armrest bracket on the Countryman S ALL4 and JCW that was not properly secured and could detach when the side airbag deployed (unsold dealer inventory subject to a delivery stop and repair requirement before retail), and 24V104, for the integrated brake system on several 2023–2025 BMW and MINI vehicles, which could lose power brake assist or ABS; owner letters went out between June and December 2024. Check both by VIN at nhtsa.gov. Other VIN-dependent 2025 brake campaigns include 24V697 for Countryman S ALL4/JCW ALL4 servomotor welds and 26V422 for Countryman S ALL4; the latter requires a new remedy after earlier 24V104 or 24V739 repairs. Ask for actual repair completion records.
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