With around 80 per cent of its floorpan
available for passengers and luggage, the original Mini, designed by Sir Alec
Issigonis and first launched in 1959, was a packaging masterpiece. Restrictive
homologation, crash safety and pedestrian impact legislation has seen today’s
Mini swell in all dimensions like it’s been stung repeatedly by an exotic
jellyfish. This is especially true in the case of the Countryman. But just how
does the largest Mini live up to the Issigonis heritage of brilliant packaging?
Living with the Countryman for the past four months has provided certain
answers to that question.
The
Mini Cooper Countryman JCW is a new crossover from Mini that’s both sporty and
family-friendly
For starters, and providing you’re not a
family of Sasquatch impersonators, there really is enough room for four adults
to travel in comfort. Added to this is a 350 litre boot which grows to 1,170
litres with the 40:20:40-split rear seats folded. Mostly though, the boot goes
unused, so I leave the MPV-like sliding seats in the rearmost position and the
seatbacks tilted for maximum passenger comfort. Once over the initial shock of
the Mini’s sheer size, I’m pretty sure Sir Alec would be impressed by the
Countryman’s practicality.
It
is one of the most stylish interiors in the class, if also one of the least
ergonomic
I’ve found the large front door pockets
useful for storing house keys, wallet and sunglasses, leaving the pair of deep
cup-holders free to house a grande latte – a daily essential – in one and my
cell-phone in the other. Less useful is a tiny net in the front passenger foot well.
I imagine it’d be good for stopping something spherical from rolling around the
floor, but what exactly I cannot say… apples, eggs? I also can’t get my head
around the sliding rail accessory storage thingy that splits the two front
seats.
Rear
bench seats two as standard, but a third seat is a no-cost option
Our car arrived with a sunglass holder too
small for my favourite Pradas and a mobile phone or music player attachment too
short for an iPhone 5. There is a whole range of accessories from the stylish
(storage bags) to the bizarre (note or photo holders), all beautifully
designed, but space-sapping and gimmicky. order your Countryman with two
individual rear seats and the sliding rails will extend almost to the boot,
giving rear passengers a chance to slide things back and forth once before just
getting on with their lives.
Turbo's
engine isn't too boosty, and delivers enough power to be rapid and accessible
on public roads
Just above the aluminium sliders is a
central folding armrest with an additional storage area that can be fitted with
a snap-in phone dock. Without that, it’s a just another hidey hole so shallow
that you quickly forget about it: the family iPod ‘hid’ in there for weeks.
Perhaps a much larger armrest-cum-storage box would be a more useful attachment
for the sliding rails?
Despite
its billing as a practical family car, the Countryman feels cramped with four
adults on board
My final report to the father of the Mini
would say that while the designers of the Countryman were too clever with the
minor details, I reckon they got the basic packaging just right.
