MINI Countryman JCW revealed

The MINI Countryman John Cooper Works has made its debut at the Genena Motor Show.

It’s the most powerful MINI in the current line-up, the first JCW model to have four-wheel drive and the only one to be offered with an automatic gearbox.

The 1.6-litre turbo has been tuned to produce 215bhp – that’s 4bhp more than the JCW hatch, Convertible, Clubman, Coupe and Roadster. The car does 0-62mph in seven seconds, returns 39.2mpg and emits 167g/km of CO2.

A six-speed manual gearbox is fitted as standard, but a tweaked version of MINI’s six-speed auto can also be ordered. The latter gives an identical 0-62mph time, but drops economy to 35.2mpg and increases CO2 to 187g/km.

MINI’s ALL4 system splits the power evenly between the axles most of the time, but can shift up to 100 per cent to the rear.

The suspension is stiffer and lowered by 10mm, while larger brakes sit behind new 18-inch alloys (19s are optional). Other additions include a sports exhaust, bodykit and optional Chili Red highlights.

The MINI JCW Countryman goes on sale in the autumn, and will cost £27,800.

We’ve driven it…

Just before Christmas, we put a MINI Countryman JCW prototype through its paces on icy roads in the Austrian Alps.

The extra weight means acceleration isn’t as manic as in other JCWs, but it’s thrilling nonetheless. The four-wheel drive improves grip and eliminates torque steer, while the sports exhaust snarls like a rally car’s.

The JCW is a genuine alternative to the Volkswagen Golf R and petrol-powered version of Range Rover’s Evoque.