It may not be the most immediately attractive addition to the Mini range but the chunky new Countryman retains the brand’s capacity to create a stir writes Peter Carroll.

The fourth member of the BMW-owned Mini family certainly drew more comment than the £90,000 Merc I had been driving the previous week.

If I was at the supermarket, shoppers wanted to know if it was any good; when I pulled up at my local park, dog walkers and joggers stopped to check out the car: it seems people are genuinely interested in the idea of a Mini 4×4.

Which is good news for the Cowley firm of course. With more and more rivals desperate to grab a slice of Mini’s lucrative “boutique” market, it needs to explore new areas to maintain sales.

Critics have argued that the Countryman is too big to be a “proper” Mini but buyers will not be put off if it offers what they are looking for.

And it certainly gives former Cooper drivers who have traded in their Minis for something larger, because kids have come along, the chance to return to the brand.

I have to admit I was not particularly bowled over by the look of the car when the first pictures were released.

But when I set eyes on the test car in the metal, I started to change my mind – I think it looks particularly good in the monochrome colours of white and black.

Retro: Characteristic styling

The stylish cabin should prove a big hit with Mini fans. It offers the expected mix the retro and the modern, with the familiar huge speedometer dominating the centre of the dashboard.

But it is the new “centre rail” that is arguably the car’s most intriguing feature. It is effectively a twin metal bar running down the centre of the car between the front and rear seats to which a variety of storage containers, audio devices and cup holders can be added.

Opting for the full-length centre rail means you only get two lounge-style back seats but a three-seater bench can be specified as an alternative.

As the Countryman is an SUV, the driving position is raised, but only slightly, so you don’t feel like you are driving a van.

Visibility is good and I liked the narrow doors which are less prone to being dinged in car parks than the wider ones on the regular Mini. The boot is more than twice the size of a regular Mini.

Seat comfort was reasonable but the cushioning is flat and there needs to be more lateral support to cope with twisting B-roads.

The driver controls the settings for features such as air conditioning, audio and satellite navigation from an iDrive-style knob, which is finished in downmarket plastic instead of the swish aluminium of the more upmarket BMW cars.

The system initially looks complicated but once you get used to idea of pushing the knob sideways to scroll through the menus it’s surprisingly easy to navigate your way round.

Perhaps the most pleasing thing about the Countryman is the way it drives. Mini engineers have worked hard to preserve the sporting characteristics for which the brand is renowned. The steering is sharp and wellweighted, there’s plenty of zip from the 1.6 litre 184hp Cooper S powerplant, and the six close-spaced gears add to the sporty nature of the drive.

The Countryman goes round corners and roundabouts as if on rails and generally offers arguably the sportiest drive of any crossover under £25K. There aren’t too many of its competitors that can hit 60mph in seven and a half seconds and have a top speed of 135mph.

Most Countryman models are front-wheel drive but the test car was the flagship model which came with Mini’s ALL4 four-wheel drive system. It felt utterly solid on the road and all-wheel drive will certainly prove useful when the bad weather returns.

Further peace of mind should come in the form of the car’s five-star safety rating and the popular “tlc” package, which takes care of servicing for five years/50,000 miles for a very reasonable one-off payment of £200.

BMW claims an optimistic 46mpg for the combined cycle but 35mpg would seem to be closer to the mark, especially as the engine is more than happy to rev.

Downsides? The Countryman is not exactly the cutest of Minis and it’s still not massively large if it’s a family carry-all that you’re after. Nor is it particularly cheap, especially if you’re not careful with the extensive options list.

But overall the new 4×4 has to rank as a well-judged move by the brand’s bosses. Let the doubters scoff that the Countryman is no longer a proper Mini: I found it a practical and stylish proposition – and surprisingly good to drive too.