The MINI Countryman S All4 was made far more affordable with the introduction of the CKD locally-assembled model earlier this week. Its appearance at the ongoing Sime Motors AutoArena gave us a good look at the car, which is set to drop some RM90,000 over the fully-imported version.
Now retailing at an estimated RM259,000 with the standard two-year, unlimited-mileage warranty, the Countryman S should now cost the same as the electric Countryman SE, which costs RM258,888. With the optional five-year warranty and service package, this goes up to around RM270,000. Beyond the significantly reduced price, the CKD S is identical to the CBU model in specs and equipment.
The Countryman S looks almost identical to the SE, but in place of that car’s dual electric motors is a 2.0 litre B48 turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine, producing 204 PS from 5,000 to 6,500 rpm and 320 Nm of torque between 1,500 and 4,000 rpm. A 48-volt electric motor provides an additional 20 PS and 55 Nm of accelerative boost, resulting in outputs of 218 PS and 360 Nm.
Paired with an eight-speed automatic gearbox, the all-wheel-drive Countryman S is able to sprint from zero to 100 km/h in 7.1 seconds on its way to a top speed of 228 km/h. Fuel consumption is rated at 6.8 litres per 100 km on the WLTP cycle.
Aside from the “S” badges being coloured red instead of lime green, the S appears identical to the SE. It too comes in the range-topping Favoured trim, bringing with it Vibrant Silver (read: gold) accents, decorative skid plates and a choice of either Piano Black or Vibrant Silver roof and door mirrors. It also rides on 20-inch Windmill Spoke two-tone alloy wheels. In terms of colour options, you can choose from Smokey Green, Slate Blue, Chili Red, Melting Silver, Nanuq White and Blazing Blue
Inside, the S gets a 3D-knit fabric dashboard and door card wrap that gradates to Vintage Brown towards the rear doors. Here, the Favoured package adds JCW sport seats wrapped in Vescin Beading faux leather in Dark Petrol – the Vintage Brown option has been removed on the CKD model.
In terms of tech, you get MINI’s distinctive 9.4-inch circular OLED touchscreen that integrates not only the air-con controls but also the speed readout, much like the Volvo EX30. It runs on the Android-based MINI Operating System 9 and comes with a “Hey MINI” voice control system, visualised by a dog avatar called Spike. The deletion of the instrument cluster has been compensated by the addition of a head-up display.
Behind the display sit two projectors that display patterns onto either side of the dashboard, depending on the drive mode selected. You also get augmented reality navigation, the smartphone-based MINI Digital Key Plus, MINI Driving Sounds and a 360-degree camera system with Remote 3D View.
Other bits of standard kit include keyless entry with proximity locking/unlocking, exterior MINI logo projection, power-adjustable front seats with driver’s side memory, lumbar adjustment and massage functions, dual-zone climate control and a 12-speaker Harman Kardon surround sound system.
Thanks to the lack of battery underneath the floorpan, the S has a lower rear floor than the SE, which should make for a more comfortable, less knees-up seating position. The hands-free powered tailgate opens up to a boot that’s listed to be actually very slightly smaller (-10 litres) at 450 litres, although our photos show that the underfloor storage is clearly much more useable without a big hump in the middle. As with the SE, you can fold the rear seats to boost luggage space to 1,450 litres.
Safety-wise, the Countryman S comes as standard with the Driving Assistant package, which includes autonomous emergency braking, lane keeping assist, blind spot monitoring, rear collision warning and rear cross traffic alert. Also fitted is Parking Assistant Plus, throwing on park assist, a Manoeuvring Assistant, a Reversing Assistant and a 360-degree camera system with remote 3D view.
The car also gets all the hardware necessary for Driving Assistant Plus, adding adaptive cruise control with stop and go, lane centring assist and traffic sign recognition. However, you’ll have to pay for a subscription to activate it, which costs RM202 per month – or you can trump up RM4,481 for it to be unlocked for the lifetime of the car.
GALLERY: MINI Countryman S versus SE
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