MINI Countryman - Interior, design & technology
The MINI Countryman has a premium interior lifted further by the use of interesting materials and a sharp OLED infotainment screen
While the MINI Countryman has grown in size and has gained some Land Rover Defender-esque trim squares on the C-pillars, it still retains the floating roof look, large grille and black wheel arch trim of the previous Countryman.
Inside is a different story, where you’ll find a decluttered design that on mid-range Exclusive trim utilises a large amount of fabric to cover the dashboard, creating a much more welcoming look compared with the grained soft-touch materials that are usually used for car interiors. There are four neat-looking vertical air vents across the dash, but the centrepiece is literally the 10-inch diameter central touchscreen display. Not only is it large, but the use of OLED technology means it has some of the sharpest graphics offered in any car.
The use of a central screen means you don’t get a driver’s instrument cluster displaying your speed within your line of sight, although that is a trait that dates back to the very first MINI. Things have moved on a lot since then, which is why we’d suggest you select the Level 1 pack at the very least to give you a heads-up display, which projects navigation and speed onto a small perspex screen near the base of the windscreen, allowing you to see this important information without having to glance away from the road.
Sat-nav, stereo and infotainment
Every version of MINI Countryman comes with the same-size infotainment screen that includes the usual Apple CarPlay and Android Auto (although they only display in the centre part of the screen), sat-nav, plus an on-screen assistant called ‘Spike’, a canine who can help you use the car’s assorted functions.
You may come to love or loathe that latter feature, but it is a reflection of the times that the brand is utilising the digital world in order to maintain the sense of humour and fun we’ve come to expect from MINI. The screen has a staggering scope for customisation with its ‘Experience Modes’, although we anticipate that bored children with nothing to do will find more use of this gimmick than an owner who’ll just pick a display style they like and stick with it.
The screen incorporates some games, which are likely to be more useful in the electric version while waiting for the car to charge. The designers of the rally game missed a trick by opting for Toyota Celica replicas instead of original Monte Carlo Rally-winning Minis—one for the mid-life refresh, we think.
If you choose the Level 1 pack, you’ll gain a wireless smartphone charging pad, while paying more for Level 2 will upgrade the standard audio system to a 12-speaker, 365-watt surround sound system from Harman Kardon.
