2024 MINI Countryman SE All4 Review

In the past two years, the C-Segment all-electric SUV market in Malaysia has been gradually heating up. Consumers want both the spacious practicality of an SUV and the low operating costs of an electric vehicle, all without compromising on the design style of the brand. With such demands, the arrival of the 2024 MINI Countryman SE All4 perfectly fills the gap in this niche market. As the first compact SUV in the MINI family built on a fully electric platform, it not only inherits the brand's iconic retro design but also offers 317.4PS dual-motor all-wheel-drive power, an official range of 432km, and exceptional configuration performance. In this test drive, we focused on verifying whether it successfully balances MINI's signature driving pleasure with the practicality and comfort needed by family users. Let's see if this "bigger MINI" is suitable for the local market.

From a distance, the 2024 Countryman SE All4 retains MINI's familiar style, but its size has clearly "expanded"—with a length of 4433mm and a width of 1843mm, it’s significantly larger than the previous generation petrol version, with a wheelbase reaching 2692mm, bringing it directly into the C-Segment category. The front still features the classic round headlights, but the internals have been upgraded to a full LED light source. Paired with the closed front grille (with MINI’s round logo embedded in the center), its electric identity is unmistakable. The LED daytime running lights around the grille can light up in a ring shape, providing high recognizability. The side profile features clean lines, a silver roof rack, and concave waistlines on the doors, complemented by 20-inch multi-spoke alloy wheels (tire size 245/40R20), offering the steadiness of an SUV without losing MINI's agility. The design of the rear echoes the front, with circular LED taillights that feature a matrix-style layout inside, which lights up as two glowing "Union Jack" details. Silver skid plates are added to the rear bumper, emphasizing its crossover attributes. Overall, the exterior not only maintains the brand’s recognizability but also meets consumers' visual expectations for an SUV with its size upgrades and electrified details.

Stepping inside, the first thing you'll notice is the 9.4-inch OLED circular display on the dashboard — the focal point of the interior. With high resolution, smooth operation, and support for touch and voice control, it leaves a great impression. The material quality of the interior exceeds expectations: the upper part of the dashboard is covered with soft-touch materials, the inner sides of the door panels are wrapped in leather with stitching, and the seats combine genuine leather and woven fabric, offering a comfortable feel. The steering wheel features a three-spoke multifunctional design, with the left side controlling multimedia and voice, and the right side adjusting ACC cruise control; paddle shifters are mounted at the back (used to adjust energy recovery intensity). A head-up display (HUD) comes standard and can show speed, navigation, and driver assistance information, reducing the need to frequently look down at the screen. The seat configurations are particularly noteworthy: the front row features electrically adjustable seats with memory and massage functions. The massage function effectively alleviates fatigue during long drives. The rear seats support a 40:20:40 split and manual recline adjustment. Passengers with a height of 175cm have about two fists of legroom and one fist of headroom when seated in the back, without feeling cramped. In terms of practicality, the central armrest box in the front has a layered design, the door panel storage compartments can hold two bottles of mineral water, and the rear row is equipped with independent air conditioning vents and USB charging ports. The trunk has a regular capacity of 460L, which can expand to 1450L when the rear seats are folded down—sufficient to hold a baby stroller or luggage.

Start the vehicle, shift into D gear, and as soon as you step on the accelerator, you can feel the explosive power of the dual-motor four-wheel drive system — with a combined power output of 317.4PS, the official 0-100km/h acceleration takes only 5.6 seconds. During daily driving, the power response is very direct, especially in Sport mode, where pressing the pedal hard gives a strong sense of thrust, making overtaking maneuvers highly confident; in Eco mode, the power output becomes smoother, better suited for urban commuting. The steering wheel feels relatively heavy but offers precise control, allowing you to clearly sense the dynamics of the front end when cornering, aligning with MINI's emphasis on driving pleasure. The chassis uses a front MacPherson and rear multi-link independent suspension setup, tuned towards sportiness but without being overly rigid: when crossing speed bumps or uneven road surfaces, the suspension filters out most of the jolts, and the car body remains stable without noticeable bouncing; during high-speed cornering, the suspension provides ample support, keeping body roll well-controlled. We conducted a mixed drive test of about 100km on highways and urban roads, with the air conditioning on throughout, and the energy recovery set to medium. The displayed energy consumption was about 17kWh/100km. Based on this data, the official 432km range could realistically reach approximately 85% (about 367km), which is sufficient for a week's commuting. In terms of noise control, wind and tire noise are almost inaudible below 80km/h, and only after exceeding 100km/h does some wind noise slightly enter the cabin, but it does not hinder conversation. The energy recovery has three adjustable levels, and in the highest setting, releasing the pedal allows for "one-pedal" driving, suitable for congested urban areas and reducing brake usage.

After this test drive, the core advantages of the 2024 MINI Countryman SE All4 are clear: first, in terms of design, it balances MINI's classic aesthetics with the modern touch of electrification, and its size upgrade provides enough space for family use; second, it boasts rich configurations such as OLED screens, HUD, front-row massaging seats, and 360-degree panoramic cameras as standard, showing more sincerity compared to competitors like the Model Y or ID.4 X; third, its power and handling performance are outstanding, with dual-motor all-wheel drive delivering strong acceleration and the chassis tuning balancing sportiness and comfort. Admittedly, its range performance is average and not as competitive as the Model Y Long Range version (official 545km), but given the improving local charging infrastructure, it should be sufficient for daily use.

Overall, this vehicle suits two types of users: one group includes young families who value brand design and driving enjoyment, wanting both the individuality of a MINI and the space and practical configurations of an SUV; the other group consists of urban users who seek luxury and comfort, for whom daily commuting with an electric vehicle comes at a low cost, and the configurations meet quality demands. Compared to similar models, its price of RM260,000 may not be low, but the nearly fully-loaded configurations make it a high-value choice.

In summary, the 2024 MINI Countryman SE All4 is a "well-rounded" pure electric SUV — it retains MINI's driving DNA while meeting the practical needs of family users through size upgrades and configuration optimizations, and its electric power system offers lower usage costs. If you're looking for a pure electric SUV that is both distinctive and practical, it is worth considering.