Test drive: Why the new Mini Countryman C is bigger and better

My first car was a Morris Mini Cooper. It was enormous fun and on the pace in the day after a subtle tune-up in Littleborough by the Mini maestro and racer Harry Ratcliffe (1935-2016). It had 10-inch offset steel wheels and concave Cibié iodine headlights from France, an alloy steering wheel with a slender wood rim, made in my home town of Skipton.

The well-gripped wheel is all I have left of CUA 666C, apart from memories of the very happy days driving it. Anyone could step in, turn the key and go and experience all it had to give - which was 105mph. That’s still the basics of what I want from a car without going to an online tutorial, and 105 is fast enough.

The car you see here is good for more than 130 and 0-60 in about eight seconds which is five quicker than my 55bhp Morris Cooper. BMW makes its Mini in Oxford, not far from the home of Morris.

The Countryman dates from 2010 and was made in Austria and then the Netherlands. It was the first body variation on the hatchback and the initial response was that it didn’t feel like a Mini anymore. That’s because it wasn’t a Mini, much more than in name and styling cues.

Buyers flocked to the Countryman, appreciating its larger body, kid-friendly, pack-em in shape and BMW qualities. It had chic class and workaday utility. My niece has one, chic indeed.

This new one is made by BMW in Leipzig and looks more like an estate car than a hatchback. In Ilkley, a mum parked her well-loved Cooper S version behind YK73KBR, so brand-new that hardly any are about. She wanted a look. Her young daughters were so polite that they even asked if they could take photos.

They tried it for size, noting it has grown - as they will do. I have a feeling one will be getting sold soon.

It does look splendid, more grown-up, still coy, a bigger face, less of the fussy detail, squarer at the sides and back.

There are ergonomic flip-up door releases instead of the double squeeze handles. The interior flip-out latches are similarly simple.

Prices start at £29,340 for the 1.5 litre petrol automatic drivetrain in C trim grade. The ALL 4 with 4WD has a 215bhp 2-lite turbo engine, from £38,850 and from £41,575 for the 296bhp John Cooper Works ALL 4. Electric models start with the 201 bhp 66 kWh at £42,580. An electric ALL4 with 307bhp is £49,680 and the SE Sport version tops the Countryman prices at £50,880.

Our C model is the cheapest and had been loaded with extras. Such as John Cooper Works sports seats in a tan leather-effect covering, load-varying sliding rear seats, a full-length glass roof with an opening front section, adaptive LED headlamps to avoid dazzle, a Harman Kardon hi-fi system, navigation and lots more which added £10,000.

This Countryman’s wheels were twice the diameter of my MIni’s, 20-inch discs of two-tone alloy slashes which dominated the side view. They are carried shallow, broad Pirelli Zero tyres which made a loud road hum and added £1,200 to the price of £29,340.

The luscious “smokey green” paint would be a must-have at £600. It is car I wanted to keep because it was such a joy to drive briskly. Standard kit includes mild hybrid electrical assistance to the feisty 168bhp three-cylinder engine and automatic gears - fitted to all the new Countrymen (sic). Roof rails and a heated steering wheel are provided but there are many tasty things missing unless you spend more for different trim levels.

The fabric covered dashboard area is simpler. Slim vertical air vents raise the visual tone, smarter than the round vents. There is a larger circular screen in the centre, carrying all the information, with much inaccessible to muggins here not finding all parts readily obvious.

What you do get are the Mini Experience modes, easy-to-change graphics on the screen which where appropriate (Green, Efficiency, Trail, Vivid etc) adjust the engine and steering responses. They all felt much the same, which was brilliant. This is one of the best-driving cars in my life for ages, and judging from the petrol gauge was kind on fuel too.

I had it in Timeless mode, which makes the screen beige, with graphics recalling a classic clock. One of the extras I would want is the pop up screen beyond the steering wheel. It shows the speed, speed limit, fuel level and battery charging on a small circular display in the same tone as the chosen mode. Neat and helpful and one of many nice things in the Countryman.

MINI Countryman C: Price tested £40,300 with extras; Three cylinder 1.5 petrol engine; 168 bhp; Torque 206 lb/ft; 7-speed automatic; Top speed 132 mph; 0-62mph 8.3 seconds; 44mpg; Tank 12 gallons / Standard tank 10 gals; Weight 1.6 tons, 1.7 ton towing rating; Co2 164g/km; Length 175 inches/4.4m; mini.co.uk