The MINI Cooper S E Countryman ALL4, the first plug-in hybrid from the MINI brand to go on sale, will launch in Britain on 24th June 2017. It is priced from £27,085 when including the government grant for low emission vehicles (or £31,585 without the grant).
Set to join the rest of the latest Countryman range, the S E plug-in uses an all-wheel drive powertrain that combines a three-cylinder petrol engine with an electric motor and six-speed automatic gearbox.
The electric motor, which drives the rear wheels, produces the equivalent of 88bhp and the Countryman S E can offer 221bhp in total when the engine and electric motor are both active. In peak performance mode, the Countryman hybrid can cover the 0-62mph sprint in 6.8 seconds.
MINI says that it’s possible to drive this Countryman on electric power only for up to 25 miles and at speeds of up to 78mph.
The lithium ion battery used to power the electric motor is stored under the rear seats, which are slightly raised compared to other versions of the Countryman. The fuel tank is also smaller consequently, but only by 35 litres.
The motor can be recharged from an ordinary wall plug in 3 hours and 15 minutes, or 2 hours and 15 minutes with a specialist wall box. The official fuel economy for this MINI is 134.5mpg combined, while CO2 emissions are a mere 49g/km.
Based on the Cooper S trim level, the MINI Countryman hybrid gets a vast range of standard equipment, including sat-nav, Bluetooth connectivity, cruise control and 17-inch alloy wheels.
The exterior of this MINI features an “E” emblem to distinguish it more as a hybrid vehicle next to other versions of the latest Countryman.
