MINI Countryman Electric Review 2026

How big can a small car be? Is that a question which can be answered definitively with the aid of a tape measure or is it entirely subjective? Both, particularly when the model’s wearing MINI badges. Now available in EV guise, the petite brand’s family-sized SUV is its largest yet — find out if size matters with our full MINI Countryman Electric review.

Today’s MINI Countryman Electric is so grown up that suggesting its name would be more appropriate if it were MAXI is a witticism that will strike chords of delight or despair to those with an appreciation of 1970s British cars. If you’re shrugging your shoulders, ask your parents...

As that Electric suffix indicates, this is the fully-battery powered version of the third iteration of MINI Countryman. Whereas the original BMW-era Countryman was more of a chunky, high-rise hatchback, it’s now a far roomier SUV measuring 4445mm from bumper-to-bumper. For context, that’s between the Kia Sportage and the Nissan Qashqai for overall length.

That doesn’t make the MINI Countryman Electric enormous, but it tests the elasticity of the small car brand’s appeal. Yes, familiar MINI design cues are present, from the stylised headlights flanking an enlarged — blanked-off — grille, to the domed roof cap separated from the rounded bodywork beneath by black window frames, but it’s not small in stature.

So why does MINI need the Countryman Electric to be the size it is? Brand retention. Smaller models, such as the MINI Cooper, appeal to primarily to childless singles and couples, with the previous MINI Countryman serving as a useful car to grow into when those buyers started families. 

Now those kids are older and require even more space, so the MINI Countryman has grown too, with the electric MINI Aceman now bridging the gap.

Arguably more important than the MINI Countryman Electric’s size or styling is whether it feels MINI-like to drive — good news, because it very much does. Albeit with a few notches more sophistication added to the mix. Agile and brisk, yet predominantly comfortable, this is a family-friendly SUV that’s actually fun to gad about in. 

Beneath the maximised MINI’s bodywork are underpinnings and electric drive systems shared with an SUV that’s also an in-house rival — the BMW iX1. 

That connection rather sets the tone for other upmarket models that might be considered as alternatives to the Countryman Electric, including the box-fresh Smart #5 and the aging-yet-appealing Volvo EX40.

Yet, MINIs have a broader appeal that also dips into the mainstream bringing another closely related pairing of the Ford Explorer and the Skoda Elroq into the mix.

Inside feels more minimalist, although it’s not basic in terms of its equipment. Dominating the fabric-swathed dashboard is circular OLED touchscreen acting as your portal to the majority of the MINI’s on-board functions, with a few physical toggles and buttons dotted around below and on the steering wheel. 

It’s certainly visually more interesting within the MINI Countryman Electric’s cabin, yet for all it’s well-assembled feel, too many of the plastics have a hard, somewhat cheap feel to them.

All versions of the MINI Countryman Electric use the same 66.5kWh total capacity battery, with a choice of two electric drive systems. Each connects the motor to the driven wheels via a one-speed automatic transmission.

Simply labelled E, the single-motor entry-level choice drives the front wheels, while the dual-motor SE All4 benefits from four-wheel drive courtesy of a second electric motor under the boot floor. That additional drive unit sees the Countryman Electric’s power jump from 204PS to 313PS.

Both E and SE All4 drive systems can be twinned with MINI’s three familiar trim levels of Classic, Exclusive and Sport. If you want a Countryman in John Cooper Works form you need to stick with a petrol engine — for now, at least.

As it now qualifies for the most generous £3750 level discount via the government’s Electric Car Grant (ECG), the entry-level MINI Countryman E Classic can now be had for a little over £29,000, although that’s before you start considering the variety of option bundles available, which tend to prove too tempting to resist.

MINI Countryman Electric: Range and charging times

Depending on the MINI Countryman Electric’s final specification, the furthest driving range potential goes to the E models with an official WLTP Combined cycle best of 287 miles. Consider the significant power increase and two more driven wheels in operation, the 19-mile drop-off for the SE All4 is modest.

They’re decent enough ranges for most people’s regular needs but you’ll need to look elsewhere if you want to plug-in less often. While the Kia EV3 might be 135mm shorter than the Countryman Electric, its 81.4kWh battery option allows it to travel up to 372 miles between charges.

Neither is the MINI’s 130kW maximum DC rapid charging speed all that impressive, either. Plugged into a public charging facility, a 10-80% top-up can be tackled in 29 minutes, whereas thanks to its 150kW on-board charger, the Kia EV3 only requires two minutes more to do the same despite its battery being 15kWh larger.

Using an 11kW AC connection as found at public destination charge points, typically found at supermarkets or hotels, the MINI requires 6 hours 30 minutes for a flat-to-full recharge. Using a typical 7.4kW UK domestic wallbox charger for the same purpose will typically take 8-9 hours.

Family SUVs of a similar size to the MINI Countryman Electric aren’t generally known for being fun to drive, yet that’s very much the case here. If you’re used to driving a smaller model from the brand then you will feel immediately at one with how this car behaves.

Its nimbleness feels amplified, far more so than with other family SUVs, but not to the extent where passengers will tire of being on-board while the driver zips this way and that enthusiastically. The Countryman Electric’s more grown-up — sensible and comfortable.

Body lean through fast corners, even with frequent direction changes, is well-controlled, so although they can be tackled with vim, passengers will remain composed. Its high-voltage battery pack’s position underneath the floor helps keep its weight close to the ground, improving balance.

Through the chunkily rimmed steering wheel you will appreciate the meatiness to its weight, although its not so heavy that it feels laborious when away from B-roads.

There’s also a pleasant and useful degree of feel through the wheel itself to have a sense of connection to the road in the MINI than is usual in family SUVs, giving drivers the confidence to press-on, knowing it will trace their intended trajectory.

While comfortable, the Countryman Electric errs towards firmness in its ride quality on its standard suspension. We would encourage you to feel for yourself whether that’s soft enough for you or choose a version fitted with adaptive suspension.

It’s standard on Sport specification models, allowing the level of compliance to be varied. Even on 19-inch wheels, it felt pleasantly supple, absorbing all manner of rutted and broken asphalt surfaces.

Despite the energy recuperation technology fitted, the MINI’s brakes felt as natural and easy to modulate as those found in petrol-engined Countryman models, although there are no steering column-mounted paddles to adjust the degree of regeneration.

Instead you do that via the central touchscreen, with degrees varying from nothing to something close to one-pedal driving.

Also accessed via that circular display are the MINI Experiences, changing the screen’s ‘skin’, ambient lighting colours and the driving mode settings for the Countryman Electric, altering steering weight, accelerator responsiveness and adaptive suspension firmness, where fitted.

Core is the middling choice and is applied to that mode plus all the others except for Green and Go Kart. The former is angled towards energy efficiency and maximising driving range, the latter tethering the MINI down to feel at is sportiest and speediest.

There are two drive systems available for the MINI Countryman Electric labelled E and SE All4. A single-speed transmission is the only choice, operated just like an automatic gearbox via a toggle switch beneath the touchscreen.

Mounted under the bonnet is the Countryman E’s electric motor which propels the front wheels. Despite being the entry-level choice, it’s not short on zest thanks to outputs of 204PS and 250Nm of torque, sufficient for an 8.6-second 0-62mph time and an electronically capped top speed of 105mph.

Countryman SE All4 models have an additional motor located under the boot floor driving the rear wheels. Combined the two whirr-up an impressive 313PS and 294Nm, shaving the 0-62mph time down to 5.6 seconds, with the governed top speed upped slightly to 111mph.

Despite its credentials, the Countryman SE All4 is easy to drive smoothly and serenely at urban speeds, with no sudden lunges of acceleration as you gently caress the pedal. When you do want to maximise the MINI’s urgency, it’s happy to oblige, with strong traction and plenty of oomph for darting into gaps on roundabouts and making swift and safe overtaking manoeuvres.

Family SUV buyers demand high standards of safety and the MINI Countryman Electric delivers with a five-star Euro NCAP crash-test rating, awarded in 2024.

Within individual categories, the MINI scored 83% for adult occupant protection and 87% for the child equivalent, as well as 81% for its vulnerable road user protection and 79% for its safety assist driver aids.

Among the safety features common to all models in the Countryman Electric range are an acoustic warning for pedestrians, adaptive cruise control, a driver attention monitor, parking sensors, a reversing camera and automatic LED head and tail lights.

Towing is not the MINI Countryman Electric’s strongest suit, particularly if you choose the front-wheel drive E version where the maximum braked trailer capacity is just 750kg.

Pick the SE All4 with four driven wheels and that maximum increases to 1200kg. Pack light, buy a smaller caravan or choose the petrol-engined Countryman S All4 which can haul 2000kg.

Given that the MINI Countryman Electric is the largest car produced by the brand, it’s no surprise that it’s also the most practical model it’s so far made. However, there are a few compromises by dint of the same structure also being used for the petrol-fuelled MINI Countryman, meaning the design isn’t as optimised as some EV-only cars.

That will be most obvious to whoever sits in the central rear seat position as their feet will compete for space with those of the people sat either side of them as the floor isn’t flat in the back. Instead, the central hump belies the connection with the petrol engined siblings. 

Were the Countryman Electric an otherwise generously proportioned five-seater, this would be more of an issue, but it isn’t that. That centre seat’s reasonably broad, but its cushioning is flat and less comfortable than the outer berths.

Think of this MINI as a generous four-seater with an occasional pew for another passenger on shorter excursions and it’s more than fine. Two six-feet tall passengers can sit in the back with ample room for heads and limbs even if those up front are of similar stature. Both outer positions have an Isofix mounting point as does the front passenger seat.

There’s a good range of seat adjustment up-front, with the cabin feeling light and airy, even in darker-upholstered Sport models. The central screen sits low enough to not impinge forward vision and there’s a broad range of adjustment for angle and distance in the steering column. 

In five-seater configuration, all Countryman Electrics have 460 litres of luggage space available. That’s 10 litres down on both the Ford Explorer and Skoda Elroq, but 50 litres more than in the tail of the Volvo EX40.

Unlike the rear seat base, the backrests splits in a 40/20/40 configuration, allowing for a greater degree of flexibility between passenger and large load carrying. They don’t lie completely flat when tipped forwards, but there’s no chunky step between them and the boot floor to negotiate when sliding heavy items aboard.

With the MINI in two-seater mode there’s a total available capacity of 1450 litres — still 50 litres more than the Volvo and 10 litres more than the Ford, but the Skoda soars ahead with its 1580-litre volume.

Storage for in-car detritus could be better, particularly for items you wish to keep hidden from view. Aside from the glovebox there’s cutesy lidded box in the centre console with a dashboard-matching fabric top and a looped handle. 

Open storage areas are fine, with space fore and aft of that lidded cubby, plus a smartphone shelf below the central touchscreen incorporating wireless charging when specified. Less successful are the two front cupholders — slot a cup in there that’s not in your drive-through coffee retailer’s largest sizes and they risk being rocked around and spilling.

Located on the MINI Countryman Electric’s right rear wing is the flap hiding its charging ports. We favour a rearward location as it makes it more convenient when backing into public charging facilities with heavy, tethered cables.

While we have no gripes about the integrity with which the MINI Countryman Electric has been assembled, we weren’t enamoured by the large expanses of hard, predominantly black plastic mouldings that can easily be encountered with your hands — the lower portions of the doors in particular.

This reduced-cost vibe also feels present as you use the electric window switches and mirror adjusters on the driver’s door, as well as the — thankfully still — physical buttons on the steering wheel. They look similar to what you’ll see in BMWs yet feel as though they’re fashioned from a lower-grade material. It’s a subtle but tangible difference we wish wasn’t there.

Elsewhere, the MINI does feel elevated over various rivals, especially with the large expanses of fabric across the majority of the dashboard as well as the upper portions of the doors. It’s a coarse-feeling material that’s nicer to look at than touch, but with colours varying with trim level and backlit ambient lighting, it’s a welcome dash of flair.

Your portal for controlling much of the MINI Countryman Electric’s functions is the 9.6-inch circular OLED touchscreen, various portions of which are also used to view driving information such as speed and available driving range.

It’s also how you access the climate control settings and seat temperature adjustments, making it a faff to alter either on the move.

Usefully, the screen itself is super-responsive with a sharp, colour-rich display, allowing you to make the most of the different ‘skins’ — background colours and fonts to those beyond their 20s — which accompany the MINI Experience settings. 

Its standard audio system is decent and the integral BMW-designed navigation mapping is one of the more coherent native systems fitted to any car. That might be more important than usual to fans of Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone connectivity.

While both connect wirelessly to the MINI’s operating system, the display area is a clunky-looking square that’s proportionally small compared with the overall circular interface. Apps such as Google Maps a rendered far more compactly than you will be used to seeing.

Although the key driving information is easy to spot, the pop-up head-up display panel immediately ahead of the driver is far more convenient for quick glances off the road ahead. It’s optional on Countryman E models and standard on SE All4 versions.

Following the MINI Countryman Electric being eligible for the larger £3750 government Electric Car Grant (ECG) discount in December 2025, its prices reflected a near-parity with its petrol-engined equivalents.

Gateway to the range is the £29,255 Countryman E Classic, with the higher specification E Exclusive £2500 more and the E Sport a further £1200 on top of that.

Prices for the Countryman SE All4 Classic start at £32,755, with the same steps in cost for the Exclusive and Sport versions.

How do those numbers compare with the MINI’s core rivals? The Ford Explorer, not yet in receipt of any level of ECG discount looks surprisingly high with the cheapest Style version at £39,285, especially when the mechanically similar Skoda Elroq — inclusive of a £1500 ECG price reduction — costs from £30,210.

Be prepared to dig deep for the Volvo EX40, which also misses out on an ECG discount, as the cheapest version in that range is £46,260, while the BMW iX1 entry point is £43,305 — remember, it shares its fundamental structure with the MINI.

In this company, the MINI Countryman Electric is something of a bargain.

Battery powered cars can deliver very affordable running costs, especially if you switch to a domestic energy supplier with an EV-friendly tariff and the MINI Countryman Electric is no exception to this rule.

Making the change could result in you paying as little as 7p/kWh, meaning a complete flat-to-full recharge using your domestic wallbox will cost less than a fiver. While the MINI’s 250-mile real-world range isn’t stellar, see how far £5 of unleaded will get you in one of its petrol-engined siblings.

We recommend only using public rapid chargers where necessary and not the norm as they’re woefully expensive to use regularly.

As of April 2025, EVs were no longer exempt for VED car tax, meaning from the first anniversary of their initial registration they’ll be subject to the same annual fee as combustion-engined cars — currently £195 a year.

From the same date, electric cars were also liable for the Expensive Car Supplement premium payable in years two to six of ownership. At today’s rates that’s £425 per year, but only applies to EVs costing £50,000 or more new, inclusive of extra-cost options. You’d have to be going some to make the priciest version of the Countryman Electric breaking that threshold.

Electric cars remain hugely enticing for company car drivers thanks to their attractively low Benefit-in-Kind (BiK) taxation rates. At just 3% all Countryman Electrics are far more sensible choices than the petrol versions which range from 31-37%. 

Three levels of specification are available across the MINI Countryman Electric line-up — Classic, Exclusive and Sport.

There are also a trio of option bundles — Levels 1, 2 and 3 — which are worth considering to plump-up the levels of equipment and to improve the car’s saleability when it comes to trading it in. Details of those are outlined at the bottom.

Standard equipment for the MINI Countryman Electric Classic includes:

• 17-inch Profile Aero Spoke Grey alloy wheels
• LED headlights — E only
• Extended LED headlights with automatic main beam — SE All4 only
• Melting Silver III metallic paint with body-coloured roof
• Black grille surround
• Roof rails
• Comfort Access keyless entry — SE All4 only
• Electrically operated tailgate
• Parking sensors
• Reversing camera
• 9.6-inch circular OLED multimedia touchscreen
• Head-up Display — SE All4 only
• DAB digital radio
• MINI Navigation
• Wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone connectivity
• Wireless smartphone charging pad — SE All4 only
• MINI Experience Modes
• Heated front seats — SE All4 only
• Black and Blue Vescin faux leather and cloth seat upholstery
• Black and Blue Knit dashboard fabric
• Heated, Vescin faux leather-wrapped Sport steering wheel
• Front armrest
• Climate control
• Auto-dimming interior rear-view mirror — SE All4 only
• Luggage net — SE All4 only
• Adaptive Cruise Control

Additional kit for the MINI Countryman Electric Exclusive includes:

• 18-inch Asteroid Spoke Vibrant Silver alloy wheels
• British Racing Green metallic paint with body-coloured roof
• Vibrant Silver grille surround, badges and side sill inlays
• Front Sports seats
• Dark Petrol Vescin faux leather seat upholstery
• Petrol and Brown Knit dashboard fabric
• Centre console lidded storage box with Petrol Knit fabric top

Features specific to the MINI Countryman Electric Sport include:

• 19-inch John Cooper Works Runaway Spoke Black alloy wheels
• Black brake calipers with JCW logo
• Adaptive suspension
• Chilli Red paint with body-coloured roof
• High Gloss Black hexagonal pattern grille with matching surround
• Front and rear bumper aprons
• Rear spoiler with Airblades
• Front JCW Sports seats
• JCW Black Vescin faux leather and cloth seat upholstery
• JCW Black and Red Knit dashboard fabric
• Centre console lidded storage box with Black and Red Knit fabric top
• Heated, Vescin perforated faux leather-wrapped Sport steering wheel

Optional MINI Countryman Electric equipment bundles

Level 1, standard on all SE All4 models, comprises:

• Extended LED headlights with automatic main beam
• Comfort Access keyless entry
• Head-up Display
• Wireless smartphone charging pad
• Heated front seats
• Auto-dimming interior rear-view mirror
• Luggage net

Level 2 includes the Level 1 pack plus:

• Panoramic glass roof
• Sun protection tinted side windows
• Harmon-Kardon audio system upgrade
• Driving Assistant Plus driver aids

Level 3 includes both the Level 1 and 2 packs plus:

• 22kW AC on-board charger
• Parking Assistant Plus self-parking system
• Electrically adjustable front seats
• Augmented Reality (AR) MINI Navigation system
• Interior camera
• Driving Assistant Professional driver aids