Should you buy a MINI Countryman Electric?

We think the MINI Countryman Electric is rather good, yes. The build quality seems strong, the materials and cabin design are innovative without being unnecessarily indulgent, there’s plenty of space even compared with conventional family SUVs, and the performance from the SE ALL4 version is punchy without being unmanageable.

MINI’s well-established fun-to-drive ethos shines through, giving that performance a depth of quality some rivals will struggle to live up to. Electric vehicles are so easily able to be powerful that we’re increasingly finding top spec models difficult to recommend because it doesn’t feel like the chassis has been matched to the motors’ potential – not so here.

The Countryman SE ALL4 is fast but highly capable. The driving range is competitive, charging speeds promise to be good (we need to test this in the UK), and this electric version is more comfortable than the similarly powerful Countryman JCW petrol model. Shame about the lack of physical air-conditioning controls, but we think the electric Countryman does enough other things right to compensate for this mild annoyance. A recent price cut only adds to the appeal.

What we like

We like the way this electric Countryman drives, and its stylish design inside and out is refreshingly different to the rest of this class. It’s also surprisingly spacious for a MINI, and is the first car from the firm we could happily recommend as a family car.

What we don’t like

You’ll have to live with a firm ride and though you get used to the touchscreen, it is fiddly, especially the climate control menu. If you’re a particularly strong MINI loyalist, you probably won’t like how big the modern Countryman has become, either.