The Mini Countryman SUV was redesigned for the 2025 model year, increasing in size, and is based on the redesigned 2023 BMW X1. The biggest news is that there will be a fully electric version with all-wheel drive.
The five-passenger Mini SUV retains its flexible seating, minimalist interior design, and sporty handling (hopefully) while moving forward on the brand's goal of being a fully electric car by 2030. Also important, it will eventually be a blind spot warning.
The 2025 Mini Countryman will be the manufacturer's first vehicle built in Germany. (Mini is owned by BMW.)
Here's what we know so far.
Competitors: Audi Q3, Alfa Romeo Tonale, BMW X1, Jaguar E-Pace, Lexus UX, Mercedes-Benz GLA / GLB, Volvo XC40
Powertrains:
• 241 hp, 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine with 7-speed automatic transmission
• 312 hp, 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine with 7-speed automatic transmission
• 313 hp, dual electric motors, all-wheel drive
Price: $38,900-$46,900
On sale: S ALL4 and JCW ALL4 in spring 2024, SE ALL4 in autumn 2024
CR Retrieval
The Countryman EV is the next step in the brand's transition to focus on electric vehicles. Whatever the drivetrain, the Countryman remains recognizably a Mini, although some brand quirks have evolved.
Our testing of past Countrymans found that this small SUV's nimble handling made it fun to drive. But like other Minis we've tested, this Mini has a firm ride that can be tiring. The rear seats are supportive, comfortable, and roomy. The added space the new Countryman promises will make it more competitive with other premium small SUVs.
We expect blind spot warning (BSW) and rear cross-traffic alert (RCTW) to be standard or optional on the new Countryman. Current models don't even offer those two active safety features.
Outside
One thing that remains constant with Mini vehicles is that no matter how often they are redesigned, they remain instantly recognizable. For 2025, the Countryman has grown some 2.3 inches taller and 5 inches longer but doesn't look much different from its first- and second-generation predecessors, although when positioned next to its sibling, the new SUV's size and bulk are larger. very clearly visible.
The Mini “face” remains, with a large octagonal surround framing the EV's faux grille and bumper/area for mounting a license plate. Mini continues the tradition of placing the headlights high and outside the Countryman's nose. This generation gets six-sided LEDs and loses the chrome finish all around.
Continuing the theme, the Countryman sports window glass that seems to wrap around the entire vehicle, along with a contrasting colored roof.
At the rear, the Countryman's lights are placed vertically on the outer edge of the car, just outside the cut line of the rear doors. It appears the rear doors have a slightly higher lift than the previous generation Countryman. A chrome skid/damage plate sits beneath the bumper, offering protection for any light off-roading.
You can't spell “minimalism” without a Mini, and with the next-generation Countryman, the automaker continues that trend. Like the previous model, the 2025 Mini Countryman's interior is dominated by a large, high-resolution OLED touchscreen running the latest Android-based operating system, with a small pod underneath that houses a cluster of toggle switches.
In previous Mini models, the traditional rectangular screen was housed within a round bezel, meaning it was very short and the edges were cut off by trim. The new OLED screen is much larger and able to fit into a circular space.
Gone is the traditional instrument cluster for the driver. Now, all the information is displayed on a large, round center screen. The top of the screen contains information such as vehicle speed and battery status; pressing the speed display can change the screen to a full-view speedometer.
Menu functions are displayed on the left and right sides of the screen as small widgets, while at the bottom of the screen, there are navigation, media, phone, and climate function icons that are always present and can be selected at any time.
Below the screen is a small switch bar, a Mini design element that dates back to the original 1960s model. In the new Countryman, five buttons control the parking brake, gear selector, start/stop, an optional Experience mode function that changes interior lighting and appearance, and volume control. The Mini does away with the traditional gear selector and now uses the space for storage.
Interior materials consist of a new recycled polyester knit that covers the dashboard, upper door panels, and center armrest. A chrome-look material is used for the air vents, door latches and cup holder surrounds, while the seating surfaces are made from a synthetic material.
What Drives It
There are three powertrain configurations for the US market, and they all mark significant power increases, though remember, the SUV itself is larger.
The two-motor electric setup produces a peak power of 313 hp. The 66 kWh battery can be recharged on public DC fast chargers at speeds of up to 130 kW, increasing the state of charge from 10 percent to 80 percent in 30 minutes, according to BMW/Mini.
The Countryman S ALL4 has a 241 hp 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine with more than 100 more horsepower than the 2024 Countryman (134 hp) and more than 50 hp more than the S Countryman (189 hp). The transmission is likely to be the seven-speed dual-clutch automatic used in the related BMW X1.
The John Cooper Works performance edition goes on sale at the same time, with a 312 hp 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine. (That's an 11-hp increase over the previous generation.) Mini claims this sporty SUV can go from 0 to 60 mph in 5.4 seconds.
All three powertrains are combined with all-wheel drive.
Active Safety and Driver Assistance
Mini hasn't released any information on which active safety systems are standard, although we expect it to be an improvement over the current Countryman, which only comes standard with automatic emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian detection. Road AEB, BSW, and RCTW aren't even on offer, but we hope that changes as it did with the latest BMW X1.
The 2025 Countryman's optional Driving Assistant Plus package includes adaptive cruise control (ACC) and lane keeping/lane centering assist.
The Driving Assistant Professional package features give the Countryman the ability to perform automatic lane changes and exit from the highway, as well as hands-free driving at low speeds.
