Last year, the second-generation Mini Countryman was revealed, with the BMW-backed brand positioning it as the largest model in its line-up. And now the inevitable John Cooper Works derivative has arrived to take its place at the very top of the range.
As expected, the five-seater Mini John Cooper Works Countryman gains the brand’s most powerful engine, linked to an all-wheel drive system.
The 2,0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine makes 170 kW and 350 N.m, which allows the obligatory sprint from zero to 100 km/h to be completed in a claimed 6,5 seconds (regardless of whether the standard six-speed manual or optional eight-speed Steptronic sports transmission is fitted). That’s around eight-tenths of a second faster to three figures than the all-wheel drive Cooper S Countryman.
Of course, the JCW version also features sports suspension, 18-inch light alloy wheels and Brembo brakes, as well as a handful of aerodynamic additions and a model-specific cockpit (with JCW sports seats).
The new MINI John Cooper Works Countryman will make its public debut in April 2017 at the Shanghai Motor Show, before becoming available in South Africa in the third quarter of 2017.
The image below shows the new model (left) next to its predecessor.
