Mini Countryman review

Prices for the Countryman start at £29,340 for the C, rising to £34,740 for the S All4 and a hefty £41,575 for the JCW. That means the hot one is rather more expensive than the Ford Puma ST, which is smaller and less powerful but feels livelier and a lot more hot hatchy. The Cupra Formentor VZ3 is pricier but much more extrovert, coupe-ish and entertaining.

Interestingly, those prices also mean that the entry-level car is actually cheaper than the endlessly popular Nissan Qashqai. Impressive. Although you won't pay that base price, of course. Both the C and the S All4 can be had in Classic, Exclusive or Sport trim. The step up from Classic to Exclusive is just over £2,000 while the subsequent jump to Sport is just under £2,000. Exclusive trim is probably worth the money though, not least because you can actually have paint colours that aren't black, white or silver. 

Mini has then streamlined its options into three different packs, adding items such as the panoramic roof, 20in two-tone alloys, and more. Level 1 (adaptive LED headlights, folding mirrors, heated front seats, head-up display etc) is a £2,800 option on the Countryman C but comes as standard on all trim levels of the S All4, so starts to make the latter look like better value.

Level 2 (everything included in Level 1, plus a panoramic roof and a Harmon/Kardon sound system) costs £5,300 on the C but just £2,500 on the S All4. Level 3 (adds massage seats and augmented reality nav) isn't available for the 1.5-litre C and costs £4,700 on the 2.0-litre S All4. Some of the metallic paint schemes are a £600 option. Have a look at the configurator (it’s a bit confusing, be warned).

As ever, it all adds up but some of this extra kit will look after you when you’re trading in, and the new Countryman JCW definitely enhances the brand’s ‘premium’ attributes. A UK service package is available at £1,107, covering the car for five years with pricing appropriate to the model.