A MINI Dose of Electric Giggles: The New Countryman Electric
Let me take you back to the time when I wrote about vehicles that guzzled fuel as if it were a free soda refill. MINI of those days was all about miniscule dimensions, nippy performance and bootload of giggles while cornering. That was before I set sail into the electric horizons and ascended the electric heavens with my feet still firmly on the throttle.
Now, back to the main course. MINI paraded its electric Countryman at Climate Week in New York City, and, oh boy, I couldn’t help but think: Electric cars and Climate Week? That's like throwing a birthday party at a dentist's office. But oddly enough, it works.
MINI, as we know it, has been tiny, cheeky, and a total go-kart on roads. But electric? That's like expecting me to trade my leather jacket for a knitted cardigan. The Cooper SE was a start, but this, ladies and gents, is the real MINI’s electric jig.
The Countryman has always been a paradox. It's the big boy in MINI’s tiny toy box, yet the most puny SUV among its macho competitors. And now, they've gone and made it electric. Like getting your burly lumberjack uncle to join a knitting club. Not judging, Uncle Bob.
Hosting the big reveal in the Brooklyn Navy Yard wasn’t a half-hearted effort. It was as if MINI was saying, "Hey! Look at me being all sustainable and stuff." The new Countryman Electric is like that overachiever cousin at family gatherings: longer, taller, and wider than all the MINIS before it. Specifically, 174.5 inches long, 72.6 inches wide, and standing tall at 65.2 inches.
For those of you with an insatiable hunger for details, here's a bite:
MINI Countryman E - Outputs a zesty 204 hp, with torque so twisty at 250 Nm, it'll probably wriggle out of your grip. It boasts a range of 287 miles, reaches 0-62 mph in 8.6 seconds, and its top speed? A breezy 106 mph.
MINI Countryman SE ALL4 - This one's the show-off. A whopping 313 hp and a torque of 494 Nm – that's like having an espresso shot when you expected decaf. It covers 269 miles on a single charge, does 0-62 mph in a brisk 5.6 seconds, and tops off at a thrilling 111 mph.
What's the price? Well, MINI's playing hard to get, keeping that under wraps. What we do know is that, for the first time, this MINI is German-made, straying from its UK roots. Ready to get your hands on this chunk of electric joy? Well, keep your pants on! You've got to wait till fall 2024.
This MINI electric debutante isn't just another fancy debut. It’s a promise. It’s a glimpse into an electric future, and if you ask me, the future’s looking, well... pretty MINI. But in a big way!
