THE LATEST MINI COUNTRYMAN S ALL4 IS A WINNER IN JCW TRIM.
“The MINI Countryman S ALL4 impresses with driving fun on any terrain. Our customers benefit from the variability of a crossover with a robust off-road character. The MINI Countryman is both agile and spirited as well as safe and comfortable on longer distances,” says Stefanie Wurst, head of MINI. To prove things, the powers that be at Mini sent a JCW-trim Countryman S ALL4 to play in sub-zero temperatures, deep snow-covered routes and uneven scree tracks to give the car a bit of a challenge. Iceland was the perfect setting for this cool (see what we did there) fun. To make the car stand out properly against the usually monotone setting, the John Cooper Works used featured that standout bright Chili Red paint with a contrasting jet black roof. The JCW version gives the Countryman S ALL4 a legit motorsport look thanks to distinctive diffusers at the front and rear, the high-gloss jet-black side mirrors, LED headlights in signature JCW-spec to only show two horizontal stripes as daytime running lights, the typical red-white-black colour scheme on the octagonal front grille, a new logo on the C-pillar, vertical rear lights and lightweight wheels that go up to 21-inches if you tick the right box on the options list. The specially-named Countryman also has a slightly increased track width and an obviously increased wheelbase so it has different, and some would say better, driving dynamics. The chassis can be adjusted differently depending on the surface and environment. So the well-balanced and comfortable suspension is perfect for the job of exploring and exploiting the picturesque Icelandic crater landscape.
In winter Iceland is littered with amazing roads, rough terrain, snow-covered scree tracks and icy climbs but the Mini’s ALL4 all-wheel drive system makes things easy with help from the fast and precise electronic control system that distributes the drive power between the front and rear wheels as needed. JCW also means better power, because that’s what John Cooper did when he originally started messing around with the old-school Minis, he extracted better power to go with the improved handling dynamics. In the JCW version of the Countryman ALL4 there’s a turbocharged 2.0 litre providing the go with 160 Kw and 360 Nm of torque on tap, and it’s assisted by a 48V mild hybrid engine that supports performance in the low-speed range by adding in a temporary power boost of 14 kW. There’s an 8-speed automatic transmission in play and that aforementioned ALL4 all-wheel drive system. With the Countryman having larger dimensions, it seems an odd choice choosing one over a regular hatchback version, but in this setup, it appeals to a wide range of people who are into outdoorsy-type things because it can fit more gear in as well as on top when the right official accessories are optioned. There are 450 litres of space in the boot trunk, but the rear seat backrest, which can be divided at a ratio of 40:20:40, sees that space expand up to an impressive 1,450 litres The interior is also sporty, and the front seats are a rather nice place to be, and the car can fit up to 5 passengers in relative comfort. Of course, you must remember that this is the version with the JCW trim and options, there’s still the high-spec full proper JCW edition with 225 kW of power on tap. It sells for just under R1,000,000 when nicely optioned. Check out the attached gallery to see the car playing around in Iceland. Too cool!
Take a look at the YouTube video from the chaps at TFLnow as they document a proper walkaround of the latest incarnation of the BMW Countryman, which in this case is the Mini Countryman JCW - the car is given some great treatment and visuals with the JCW components and it changes the car from a basic people carrier to a fun hatchback that can feed the soul, especially on icy and snowy roads: Hands-On: The 2025 Mini Countryman JCW Is the Most Powerful Mini Ever! | TFLnow
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