The BMW SA fleet manager could see my pain at handing over the main and spare keys for our MINI Countryman SE this week.
It was a moment that contrasted with the unease felt on the first day collecting the vehicle. The radically minimalist cabin and prospect of having to adapt my commutes to charging stops had me ambivalent, as one can be towards most things new or different.
Eventually we were getting along well. One of the first moves toward bonding with the MINI was wrapping my head around the “connected car” notion. This involved downloading the My MINI application on my smartphone, creating an ownership profile and linking the vehicle.
It enabled access to clever remote functions. That included pre-conditioning of the climate control: set it to your desired temperature, come back to a suitably warm or cool vehicle. Using the 360º camera, one can also keep tabs on the vehicle, in live-time, with a feed that updates when prompted.
The Countryman SE is a genuine feast of digitisation, starting with its massive circular interface, which, even after six months of custodianship, had me discovering new icons to click. One useful feature was the in-car assistant.
You can instruct her (yes, it is a “she”) to activate the heated steering wheel, adjust temperatures, change radio stations, find charging stations, provide an update on tyre pressures and more.
The MINI's AI character will even provide amusing responses to more personal questions. However, a voice update would be nice: she continues to sounds like the generic vocal template heard with a BMW navigation system from years ago. We mean years ago, like from the F30 3 Series era.
That leads me to what was possibly the biggest gripe encountered with the vehicle: certain specification anomalies. It is generously equipped for the most part, but there were a number of paradoxes. A heated steering wheel but no heated seats. The driver, however, benefits from a nifty massage function.
Then we have the parking assistant that can handle steering on its own, but no semi-autonomous steering capability linked to the adaptive cruise control.
Less significant was the omission of a sunroof, hardly an issue for me, but a glaring deficiency for the average South African consumer paying in excess of R1m for a premium ride.
They may also protest at having to pay to subscribe to extended capabilities. One such offering is a MINI Connected package for about R159, which (strangely) comprises hill descent control. Surely that should be standard.
The Countryman SE is not only the largest MINI money can buy, it is also the priciest, kicking off at R1,110,000. Our test unit sported the more exciting Favoured trim package, taking the sticker to R1,146,000. Add R13,000 for the exquisite 19-inch “Kaleido” alloys.
Accelerated depreciation is inevitable in the case of left-field, niche derivatives and if you look at the pre-owned market, there is potential for a sizable saving. We found a 2024 example similar to our car, with 6,000km on its odometer, from an approved MINI dealership going for R799,950.
The MINI benefits from a two-year/unlimited mileage vehicle warranty, with a separate eight-year/100,000km battery warranty. A comprehensive maintenance plan applies for a duration of five years/100,000km.
It is a rare car. We saw a number of new petrol-engined Countryman derivatives out and about but never crossed paths with another all-electric SE version. MINI opted for subtle differentiators between the battery-powered model and its cylinder-dependent siblings, the biggest being a yellow S badge (instead of red) and the sealed grille.
Its modesty in this sense causes most to underestimate what they are dealing with from a performance perspective. The SE is a proper hot hatchback slayer when it comes to 0-100km/h sprint times, as our Gerotek test revealed, dispatching the hustle in an expedient 5.5 seconds.
Toggling the car into its liveliest “Go-Kart” mode changes the central display to a racy theme, summoning power and torque data, in addition to a cheerful acoustic note lasting a few seconds: someone going “woo-hoo” as if on a rollercoaster.
A different sound is made as you switch between different modes, from a psychedelic twang for Green mode to a retro ditty for the Timeless display, which serves up classic analogue dials.
The charming quirks cement the toy-like feeling you get behind the wheel, scooting through gaps in traffic, making the most of the 230kW/494Nm on offer.
To say it handles in a kart-like fashion would be a stretch. The vehicle weighs just over 2,000kg. However, its sprightly punch, all-wheel drive grip, chunky footprint and direct steering make for a confidence-inspiring drive that does goad one into a more spirited approach.
When the novelty of that wanes and you settle into the regularity of commuting, the serenity of the silent MINI is appreciated. In traffic, its easy nature shines, particularly in the one-pedal driving mode, with the regenerative braking in full effect, allowing you to edge forward without needing to touch the brake.
On the practicality front, there was very little its 460l boot could not accommodate. Folding the seats turned the MINI into a proper hauler. Adding a Thule roof box for a while added another dimension of practicality, and the style of a European alpine explorer.
The rear seats of the vehicle are spacious, with impressive legroom, giving real credence to its status as the family-friendly MINI. There is no spare wheel, not even a space-saver. Luckily we encountered no tyre issues over the past six months and nearly 6,000km.
What about driving range and charging patterns? It is telling I am touching on this far down in the column. The lengthy range of the MINI makes ownership almost as care-free as its petrol-powered counterpart. The brand quotes about 430km on a full charge. There was probably only one occasion where we ran the battery down to the point where it prompted a low range warning.
The ticket to combating range anxiety is to make plugging in second nature. That we did: charging up using the 7kW AC outlet at our offices immediately after parking the vehicle. MINI owners get a wall box fitted at a location of their choice. Living in an apartment lacking dedicated electricity supply in my parking bay excluded me from the perk.
However, that was not an issue since there are two high-output DC chargers in close proximity to my place. There are more than 400 public charging stations across the country. We connected in provinces on more than one occasion in the Countryman SE. The most notable journey was a trek from Johannesburg to Wolmaransstad, visiting an off-grid solar charging facility.
At 90kW DC chargers operated by GridCars, such as the one often frequented near my residence, the rate is R7.35 per kWh. That means it costs about R488 to fully juice the 66.5kWh battery of the vehicle.
Basically R1.12 per kilometre, if you take that cost and divide it by the claimed range.
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Compare that to the petrol MINI Countryman S, which has a tank size of 54l, costing R1,163 to fill based on the inland price of R21.55 per litre of 95 unleaded. That derivative has a claimed range of 608km, using 6.5l/100km. It works out to R1.91 per kilometre.
Our charging spend at public infrastructure tallied R3,490.44 over the past 5,579km. That amount excludes the plug-ins using the three-point wall socket at home and office where there was no meter monitoring immediate cost.
The saving represented by the electric SE is offset by its higher initial purchase price (R1,110,000 compared to R810,774 for the basic petrol S).
However, if you were to go the route mentioned earlier, with a one-year-old example that has taken the initial depreciation knock, the prospect becomes quite compelling, especially since you have the assurance of the remaining balance of maintenance plan and warranties.
Savings aside, the experience of the Countryman SE — silent operation and smile-inducing acceleration — bolsters the endearing virtues that we liked about the petrol equivalent when we drove it at launch last year.
The quietness, responsiveness and perceived cleanliness of electric propulsion has the potential to sully your affections for internal combustion.
Hopping out of the MINI and into a conventional vehicle, with vibrations, sounds and other characteristics of an engine paired to a transmission, the old sensations took some getting used to.
If you want to dip a toe into the electric vehicle pool, the Countryman SE is an agreeable chariot whose personality plucks at the ventricles.
Receiving the automated service e-mail saying my owner profile had been deleted from the vehicle's system caused a pang of sorrow. A detachment nobody warns you about with the whole “connected car” method of modern motoring love.
LONG-TERM UPDATE 6 | MINI Countryman SE ALL4
- ODOMETER ON DELIVERY: 4,621km
- ODOMETER ON RETURN: 10,200km
- PRAISES: A real sprinter despite its heft, good real-world range, family-friendly credentials, big boot, fun interior theme, big on digitisation, charming design, rarity factor.
- GRIPES: Big asking price, omission of certain features unacceptable given the outlay, new buyers swallow tough depreciation pill (great for savvy pre-owned shoppers though), lack of a spare wheel.
- AVERAGE CONSUMPTION: 20.1kWh/100km
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