The Mini Cooper S E Countryman ALL4 was one of the few plug-in hybrid vehicles at the 2017 Run to the Sun event, giving journalists an efficient way to motor along sunny roads.

This eco-friendly consumer hatchback small-SUV (SSUV) offers a bit of instant acceleration via the 87-hp (122-lb.ft. of torque) electric motor connected to the turbocharged 3-cylinder engine creating 134 horsepower and 162-lb.ft. of torque. With 221 total horsepower output (284-lb.ft. of torque), the Mini Cooper S E Countryman ALL4 has a decent amount of power for such a small vehicle.

It can go up to 12 miles on electric driving along, and up to 270 miles of hybrid range. However, let’s be honest, this is not the event for MPG-efficient driving… That’s Drive Revolution (coming around again the middle next summer).

So, we got less than its EPA-estimated 65 eMPGs… Considerably less. But we’re ok with that because we had fun in it in Sport Mode.

The interior sports the quintessential modern Mini interior, featuring illuminated and color-changing center console surround, circular everything and adorable finishing touches.

The Cooper S E Countryman comes with heated front seats, a 6.5-inch entertainment system with wireless phone charging for compatible devices, and a 6-speaker sound system that does its job pumping out some jazzy tunes.

While it wasn’t the highest-horsepower SUV there by a long, long, long shot (achoo Trackhawk… sniffle), it was a quick SSUV and had the fun go-kart dynamics that Mini is known for.

With the capacity of an SUV, the motoring soul of Mini and the instant acceleration of an EV, the new Mini Cooper S E Countryman ALL4 is a pleasant drive for a sunny summer day (and a mouthful to say).

 

Deanna Isaacs the owner, editor-in-chief and lead journalist at The Auto Reporter. She graduated from the University of Washington's Communication department in 2014 with a BA in Journalism. She enjoys sports cars, working on her classic two-seaters and long drives where she can annoy the husband. You can reach Deanna Isaacs using the Contact Us form: https://www.theautoreporter.com/contact/.