MINI is upping its game in the EV arena.
In the video above you’ll see the brand new 2025 Countryman SE ALL4 next to a 2021 Cooper SE EV. MINI’s made quite a few advancements over the last five years, since the last MINI EV debuted.
Let’s start with the old Cooper SE’s biggest disadvantage, its range. The 2025 Countryman has an estimated range of up to 212 miles, which is close to double what its older sibling is capable of.
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The good news doesn’t stop there. MINI has practically tripled the Countryman’s charging speed as compared to the old Cooper. The Countryman SE has a peak rated DC charging speed of 130 kW. That’s fast enough to take it from 10 to 80% in 29 minutes in ideal conditions. At home it can AC charge at up to 11 kW.
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The Countryman is MINI’s biggest EV so unlike the outgoing 2-door Cooper EV, there’s plenty of room in back for two additional passengers, or you could fit three across in pinch.
For MINI fans another jump forward is up front where the primary center screen has been replaced with the auto industry’s first fully round OLED display.
But just because MINI has embraced the digital age doesn’t mean it’s forgotten about its heritage. Just like the classic Minis we all remember; the Countryman can display a very retro looking speedometer.
Unlike those old analog MINIs, the redesigned 2025 models have a ton of additional tricks. And, after all these years MINI has finally embraced wireless Android Auto in addition to Apple Car Play.
The Countryman EV is a software powerhouse that includes multiplayer video gaming and the ability to stream your favorite TV shows via Pluto TV.
Up to 50 third party apps are currently available. So when you’re on a road trip with a few spare minutes at a charging station there will be plenty of multimedia fun available, including support for two player gaming, using your smartphones as controllers.
The gauge cluster display is highly configurable thanks to different driving modes: Green, Vivid, Core, Timeless, Balance, and a customizable mode called personal.
Perhaps best of all, Mini has fully embraced its best-known handling trait with a mode called Go-Kart.
The electric Countryman fills your senses with a variety of fun sounds depending on what mode you choose. If you don’t like any of them, you turn the sound effects off.
One thing some fans may miss is the outgoing Mini’s gauge cluster above the steering wheel. But that probably won’t be missed by many since all U.S. Countryman EVs have a heads-up display for 2025 along with that huge center readout.
The Mini Cooper S has also been redesigned for 2025 but the EV version currently isn’t expected to be available in the states until 2026 at the earliest.
It’s likely to come to the U.S. once Mini’s Oxford plant is retooled to start cranking out electric 2-door Coopers again. Right now the 2025 EV MINI Cooper SE is built in China, although the 2025 gas Coopers continue to be built in the U.K.
MINI has been developing EVs for a longer period of time than most people probably realize. It’s first publicly available EV was the extremely limited production MINI E, which was built between 2009-2010.
Back to the Countryman SE, thanks to all-wheel-drive it should be fine when the weather gets sketchy. For nicer days the Countryman includes an opening sunroof here in the U.S.
Once you get it out on the road that famous Mini go-cart handling makes the transition to the bigger EV just fine in moderate conditions, although the suspension is tuned a bit more softly than the Cooper, meaning it does a better jobs of soaking up the bumps. Due to its larger size and weight it’s not quite as sharp in the corners, but for an SUV it’s quite responsive.
The Countryman has all the tech goodies drivers have come to expect; including lane assist, adaptive cruise control and parking assist.
The Countryman SE ALL4 starts at $45,200 and is very well equipped so you should be able to get it out the door in the low 50s.
When it comes to storage you’ll find plenty of nooks and crannies; including wireless charging, a center console, glove box and side pockets.
There’s no front trunk as many EVs have but out back it’s got up to 56-cubic-feet of storage with the rear seats folded.
Our AWD dual motor Countryman has 308 horsepower and 364 lb-ft of torque, making it good for a 5.4 second 0-60 mph run, according to MINI.
For driving impressions, a full tour of the interior and more, be sure to watch the video at the top of this post.
A big shoutout goes to the Tom Bush family of dealerships in Jacksonville for loaning out our slate blue Countryman SE ALL4.