Second-gen Mini Countryman launched in India at Rs 34.9 lakh

Mini has strengthened its portfolio in the Indian market by launching the second-generation Mini Countryman, starting at Rs 3,490,000 ex-showroom, India for the petrol Cooper S trim.

The latest generation of the four-door Countryman has grown in proportions over the outgoing model and is now based on elder sibling BMW X1’s front-wheel-drive platform. The Mini Countryman is pitcheed against compact luxury crossovers, including the Audi Q3, Mercedes-Benz GLA and the X1 itself.

The Countryman gets LED headlamps upfront, with LED DRLs glowing on the periphery of the slightly squared lamps. While it gets body claddings all around, the quintessential floating roof remains one of the distinguishing design traits to call it off as a Mini, while roof rails lend it a crossover appeal.

On the inside, the latest iteration of the Countryman gets a retro-styled dashboard, with circular pods housing all the dials, and there is also the presence of BMW’s iDrive infotainment system, with a touch-screen doing duty at the centre. It gets a Harman Kardon speaker system. The interiors come finished in all-leather carbon-black upholstery.

The Mini Countryman comes with two engine options – a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol motor in the Countryman Cooper S trim, which churns out 192bhp of power. Alongside, there is also the option of a 2.0-litre diesel motor in the Countryman Cooper D trim, which develops a similar 190bhp. Both engines come mated to a ZF-sourced 8-speed gearbox, with the capability of transmitting power to all four wheels through Mini’s ALL4AWD system.

Local assembly keeps prices down, Mini’s 17 percent growth
The second-generation Countryman gets locally assembled at BMW Group’s plant in Chennai, in Tamil Nadu, which has helped the company keep prices in check. The BMW Group assembles the majority of its models on sale in the country. The 3-series, 3-series GT, 5-series, 6-series GT, the X1, X3, X5 and the flagship BMW 7-series are built at the facility. Of Mini’s portfolio of five models on sale in India, the Countryman is the only one to be getting assembled locally.

BMW Group India had clocked total sales of 9,800 units in 2017, including numbers for both BMW as well as the Mini brands. While BMW sales comprised the major chunk at 9,379 units (+25%), a total of 421 Minis went home to buyers (+17%). In all, the BMW Group registered 25 percent YoY growth in the 2017 calendar (CY2016: 7,035).

Continuing its momentum into the new calendar year, the company sold a total of 2,377 units in Q1 of CY2018 between January to March 2018, registering 11 percent growth. While Mini accounted for 136 units out of the total lot and registered notable 15 percent growth, the BMW Group also saw 100 motorcycles under the newly launched BMW Motorrad India brand, going home to buyers.

According to Vikram Pawah, president, BMW Group India, “By localising the models, we aim to bring more value to our customers in India. The new Countryman is now more spacious and represents a more distinctibe and mature proposition that of an ultimate all-rounder. The Countryman is built for adventure and is an ideal companion for trips to country gateways and long journeys.”

The Countryman will come in five colour options –- Island Blue, Light White, Chilli Red, Melting Silver, Thunder Grey, and British Racing Green exclusively on the JCW trim. The crossover will be available for deliveries from June 2018 onwards.

Variant-wise Mini Countryman ex-showroom pricing:
Countryman Cooper S - Rs 3,490,000
Countryman Cooper D - Rs 3,740,000
Countryman Cooper JCW Rs 4,140,000