Mini JCW Countryman All4 First Drive Review

My first time out with Mini’s new John Cooper Works Countryman All4 happened to be at the Buddh International Circuit. As tantalising as it sounds, this wasn't a flat-out track experience. It was a brief and controlled first impression, restricted to four laps in a convoy of four cars. While this setting meant I couldn't push this thing to truly test its dynamic abilities, it gave me a good idea of how much potential the JCW Countryman All4 has as an everyday performance car that you can absolutely use on our roads with speed breakers, broken patches, and whatnot.

The ex-showroom price of Rs. 64.90 lakh places the JCW Countryman firmly in the premium space. It’s a proper high-riding crossover (it isn’t an SUV) with enough ground clearance and high-profile tyres to keep you out of trouble while going over speed breakers or parking next to a kerb. At the same time, the JCW Countryman also has 300bhp and 400Nm, putting it on par with the Mercedes-Benz GLA35 AMG, which costs Rs. 60.06 lakh.

Even stationary in the pit lane, the JCW Countryman looks the part. Let’s be honest, it isn’t ‘Mini’ anymore. Spanning 4.4m in length with a wheelbase of nearly 2.7m, the JCW Countryman is larger than the Hyundai Creta, although it does look rather nice, especially in this British Racing Green colour. Speaking of which, the racy bits include aerodynamic vertical reflectors on the front, red brake callipers, quad exhaust tips, and 19-inch wheels.

During my brief track session, the interior proved to be an excellent place to strap in and get going. The wow factor in here is quite high compared to any other premium crossover. This is not just because of the way Mini has approached the balance between luxury and sportiness, but also because of the way the brand has typically laid out its cabin over the years. There is a great deal of character to this cabin, which somehow retains that retro charm and yet comes with the traditional toggle-style switches and the trademark three-spoke steering wheel design.

The sporting mandate is evident through the JCW Sports Seats, which are finished in a vescin/cord combination black upholstery. These seats offered excellent lateral support through the moderate cornering speeds of our convoy. The classic go-kart feeling is somehow accentuated by the JCW Sport steering wheel, which features aluminium paddles. More unique touches feature in the form of the anthracite headliner and a knit dashboard finished in black and red, adding flashes of motorsport colour to the cabin.

Quite a few features immediately stood out as I prepared myself in the pit lane. Central to the cabin is the toggle switches panel, which gave me immediate access to the drive modes. The ability to quickly select the 'Go-Kart’ mode was particularly relevant for our brief time on the tarmac, instantly tuning the car's settings, light, sound, and graphics to a race-inspired setup. Below this central panel is a general storage area that doubles as a wireless charging tray for a smartphone. The core of the interior, however, is the massive round OLED display, which includes all of the car’s functions, including the driving assist functions, multimedia settings, and more. Other features include a heads-up display, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto compatibility, premium Harman Kardon sound system, and an ADAS system including features like front collision warning, lane departure warning, attentiveness assistant, speed warning, and reversing assistant. A surround view camera system is also included, though thankfully irrelevant at the BIC.

The JCW Countryman All4 gets a 2.0-litre, turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine that makes 300bhp and 400Nm of torque. It is paired to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic, which sends power to all four wheels through an all-wheel-drive system. During our laps in convoy, the sheer potential of this engine was properly tangible. While I couldn't push the car to its absolute limit, I can vouch for its 5.4-second 0-100kmph time. Performance is strong, especially when this engine is on boost, and the overall sense of speed is enhanced by the seven-speed DCT, which surges the car on every shift. This car also gets a Boost mode that amplifies full-throttle acceleration and even in my limited run, I could feel the aggressive mapping giving this thing rapid bursts of speed.

The All4 basically stands for all-wheel drive, and this is primarily a front-driven system that immediately sends power to the rear wheels if it detects any slip. For a high-riding crossover, the JCW Countryman is set up beautifully, and although I cannot talk about this thing’s ride quality, the handling is something that left us impressed. Sure, it rolls in the corners a fair bit, and the electronics intervene even in the sportiest of settings, but there is so much mechanical grip on offer here. The AWD and the tyres allow you to carry a lot of speed into the corners, and the car rotates beautifully when you flick it mid-corner to correct your line. So, what you have here is a family crossover that will not only take you to work or your weekend spot but also happily keep up with performance cars on a track day.

The new JCW Countryman is unapologetically amusing and driver-focused. It may not bode well with buyers looking for a performance car, but there is certainly a place for a car like the JCW Countryman, and it will carve its way against traditional SUVs because of its all-rounder appeal. While a proper dynamic review on the road is still needed to fully validate its JCW badge, our first impressions have been rather good. If you are looking for a fast, fun SUV-like vehicle that isn’t a common sight on our roads, this new JCW Countryman could be the one for you.

Pictures by Kaustubh Gandhi