MINI Countryman Hybrid 2022 Review

It comes as no surprise that Mini's biggest model is little in comparison to its rivals. The 2022 Mini Countryman is a small crossover SUV that offers more passenger and cargo space than any other Mini, but it remains cramped when measured against similarly priced competitors.

Mini says the Countryman will hold five adults, but four will undoubtedly be happier. Cargo volume measures as much as 17.6 cubic feet behind the rear seat, with items stacked to the roof. Fold it down, and the Countryman can swallow up to 47.6 cubic feet of whatever you need to haul. This is considerably less than what you can shove into, say, a Mazda CX-5, but the appeal of the Countryman has never been fully tied to utility anyway.

Mini sells four distinctly different versions of this SUV. Each includes a turbocharged engine, but with vastly different power output and performance. All-wheel drive is available, and there is a plug-in hybrid electric version offering about 17 miles of electric range before switching to gas-electric hybrid operation and returning an EPA-estimated 29 mpg in combined driving. Every Countryman is nimble and enjoyable to drive, though the standard engine accelerates sluggishly.

Where the Countryman shines brightest is with regard to its personality and personalization options. There's nothing quite like a Mini Countryman in terms of its exterior and interior design, and if you custom order one, you can combine paint, stripe, wheel, roof, upholstery and trim selections in a way that almost guarantees you won't see another exactly like it.

What's it like to live with?

MatoCar spent a year testing a 2018 Mini Countryman SE Hybrid. While the Countryman has received a number of updates since our test ended, most of our impressions and observations still hold true. We found the Countryman to be quick and relatively fun to drive, though as a whole it left us wanting a little more.

Which Countryman does MatoCar recommend?

When you shop for a 2022 Mini Countryman, the first thing you need to do is choose from four models: Cooper, Cooper S, Cooper SE Hybrid and John Cooper Works. Each has a unique powertrain and mission to serve.

Cooper The base Countryman Cooper features a turbocharged 1.5-liter three-cylinder engine (134 horsepower, 162 lb-ft of torque) powering the front wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission (DCT). Choose the optional all-wheel-drive system (Mini calls it All4), and the Cooper trades the DCT for an eight-speed automatic.

Cooper S For satisfying acceleration, select the Cooper S model. It adds more power and torque thanks to its turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine (189 hp, 207 lb-ft), which pairs with either a DCT automatic in front-wheel-drive models or an eight-speed automatic with all-wheel drive.

Cooper SE All4 The Cooper SE All4 is the plug-in hybrid version of the Countryman. It uses the Cooper's turbocharged three-cylinder gasoline engine to power the front wheels through a six-speed automatic transmission. Separately, a battery pack feeds an electric motor to power the rear wheels. This setup produces a combined 221 hp while giving this version of the Countryman all-wheel drive when both forms of propulsion are active.

John Cooper Works The Countryman JCW is tuned for rousing performance. It uses Mini's most powerful engine, a turbocharged four-cylinder making 301 hp and 331 lb-ft of torque, and delivers the motive force to all four wheels through an eight-speed automatic transmission. In addition to a sport suspension, the JCW gets unique design details and sport-bolstered seats.

After you've selected your model, it's time to pick from three trim levels: Classic, Signature and Iconic. The Classic minimizes your ability to customize the Countryman, while the Signature and Iconic offer access to a broader variety of upgrades. Details below apply to the standard Countryman Cooper and may vary for other models.

Classic With the Classic trim, the 2022 Countryman includes:

• Alloy wheels
• LED headlights
• Roof rails
• Rain-sensing windshield wipers
• Heated mirrors
• Simulated leather upholstery
• Manually adjustable front seats
• Sliding 60/40-split bench rear seat
• Keyless ignition
• Digital instrumentation
• 8.8-inch touchscreen infotainment display
• Panoramic sunroof
• Parking sensors (alert you to obstacles that might not be visible behind the vehicle when parking)
• Forward collision mitigation (warns you of an impending collision and applies the brakes in certain scenarios)
• Lane departure warning (alerts you if the vehicle begins to drift out of its lane)

Signature Stepping up to the Signature adds a handful of extra standard features, but it's your ticket to more paint colors, wheel choices and interior selections.

• Nicer wheels
• Power liftgate
• Passive keyless entry
• Heated front seats
• Dual-zone automatic climate control

Iconic Equip a Countryman in the Iconic trim, and it adds:

• Larger wheel sizes
• Power-folding mirrors
• Leather upholstery
• Power-adjustable front sport seats
• Heated steering wheel
• Auto-dimming rearview mirror
• Programmable garage door opener
• Navigation system
• Apple CarPlay smartphone integration
• Harman Kardon premium sound system
• Head-up display
• Adaptive cruise control (maintains a driver-set distance between the Mini and the car in front)
• Automated parking assistant for parallel parking

Most of the Iconic trim level's features are available as options with the Signature trim.

There are also two special edition versions of the 2022 Countryman available — the Oxford Edition and Boardwalk Edition — that come with special styling details and a few extra features.