Mini Countryman Cooper S E All4 Exclusive 2020 first drive

It’s funny, isn’t it? The Mini Countryman has been around since 2010 and we know that Minis aren’t mini any more, but when you park up somewhere in deepest Hesse, mid-west Germany, and someone perks up with an honest comment of “That’s part Mini and part tank”, you do wonder about just how far the brand is pushing the envelope.

Or perhaps that comment merely reflects the somewhat aggressive looks of this facelifted Countryman, which wears its restyled bumpers, grille and de-chromed ‘brightwork’ like a young tyke looking for trouble.

All the latest Countrymans – the petrols and diesels, as well as this PHEV – now have LED headlights, a new digital instrument panel and a smartened-up infotainment system; the software is as before, but there are new touch-sensitive buttons that give it a cleaner look.

If you’re wondering why Mini chose to give us our first taste of the revised model as a PHEV, it’s probably because sales of the plug-in are climbing steadily, from 8% in 2017 to a quarter of the model’s UK output so far this year.

It may also be because the PHEV has changed the most mechanically. It has lost a few BHP (now 217bhp, for which you can blame WLTP emissions tuning) but, as a plus, emits less CO2 and has a better official electric-only range: around 30 miles.

It looks pretty sporty, doesn’t it? And the minute you flick it left or right into the first bend you come across, you find yourself thinking: “Christ, that’s quick steering for a small crossover.” But the Countryman is like one of those celebrity impersonators you can hire for parties, who look the part but lack bona fide personality, because you don’t feel at ease driving it spiritedly.

Yes, the steering is alert, but there’s no heft building as you wind on lock, you never really gel with what the front wheels are up to, and end up making numerous little corrections to get you around every corner. In the Ford Puma, all you’d need is one clean sweep of the wheel, such is the beauty of its steering.

The Countryman’s tight body control and decent grip do let you carry good speed along a twisting B-road, though, and it’s well balanced: if the nose starts pushing wide because you’ve barrelled in with excessive enthusiasm, it’ll tighten its line neatly if you lift off the accelerator.

Of course, there’s the inevitable trade-off of a stiff set-up in the ride. The Countryman jolts over expansions joints and broken town roads, and jiggles and jostles you around on all but the most polished motorways. A Volkswagen T-Roc is a much calmer-riding companion if that’s what you’re looking for.