• Much larger than its predecessor
• Flexible rear seats
• Boot behind class best

How much space is there?

MINI has made great strides in the practicality department. This is the biggest Countryman yet – it’s 145mm longer, 64mm wider and 104mm taller than the car it replaced, which means there’s more space inside than your average Countryman owner will know what to do with.

Leg and headroom is generous everywhere and the two front seats are so far apart that occupants could perform a rousing rendition of the chicken dance and not even graze elbows. It’s vast. Plus, you can move the rear bench backwards forwards by 13cm to help you balance rear passenger comfort against boot space. You’ll need at least the Level 1 pack for that, mind.

Boot space and storage

The Countryman’s boot can hold 450 litres of clobber with the rear seats in place and up to 1,390 litres with the bench folded. That’s first figure’s less than you get in the Nissan Qashqai and much smaller than the Peugeot 3008. But neither of those cars have this much character, so we’re prepared to move past that.

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Besides, the MINI has flexibility on its side. The 40/20/40 split folding rear seats allow you to carry four passengers and a very long load, and there’s clever storage solutions for passengers. This includes a range of features such as tables, clothes hangers and tablet holders.

All versions get an electrically operated boot, with a gesture controlled one available.

Is it easy to park?

The increase in size means it’s naturally harder to find a parking space for, and you might want to check the size of your garage if you’re upgrading from the old car. MINI does try to make things easier, though. All models get all-round parking sensors and a rear view camera, plus something called Reversing Assist.

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This memorises your steering inputs as you pull up to a stop and then effectively replays them as you reverse, taking your speed into consideration. It’s pretty handy for tight driveways and just requires you to use the throttle and brake.

Safety

• Lots of standard safety equipment
• Assisted driving optional
• No Euro NCAP score at the time of writing

Although the Countryman hadn’t been tested by Euro NCAP at the time of writing, there’s plenty to suggest it’ll score well. It’s based on a new platform shared with the BMW X1 and comes loaded with standard safety kit.

This includes automatic emergency braking, lane keep assist, blind spot monitoring and rear collision prevention. There’s even a system that’ll warn you if you’re about to open your door into something passing.

The Countryman should also be commended for having Isofix child seat mounts in the outer rear and front passenger seats. Cruise control is standard, with Driving Assistant Plus in the Level 2 option pack. This is able to vary your speed depending on traffic conditions and assist with steering. A more advanced Driving Assistant Pro with lane change assistant is in the Level 3 pack.