Overview

What's New for 2012:
- Optional two-tone leather-covered steering wheel
- Optional upgraded upholstery
- Optional ornamental wheels
- Optional mirror-mounted digital compass

Exterior Features
The 2012 Mini Cooper Countryman, now in its second year of production, is the crossover SUV version of the Cooper. The Countryman, with 4 side doors and a hatchback, seats 4 passengers. The base model features a boxy profile, 17-inch alloy wheels, adjustable steering and throttle, and roof rails. The Countryman S, the premium trim, adds exterior styling touches, fog lights, and an adjustable traction control system.

Interior Features
The interior of the Mini Cooper Countryman features the brand's distinctive instrument panel, vinyl upholstery, air conditioning, cruise control, some power accessories, and a 6-speaker sound system. The Countryman S adds sport seats. Cargo space behind the rear seats is 12.2 cubic feet, which expands to 16.5 cubic feet with the rear seats slid forward and 41.3 cubic feet with the seats folded down and the partition lowered.

Optional Features
Optional features on the Mini Cooper Countryman include 18-inch wheels, automatic headlights, Xenon headlights, and an adaptive headlight option. Also available are leather/cloth or all-leather upholstery, heated front seats, sport suspension, automatic climate control, dual-pane sunroof, and a 10-speaker Harman Kardon sound system. The Mini Connected system manages the optional communications features and navigation system. Many color combinations are available, as well as exterior graphics.

Under the Hood
The Mini Cooper Countryman features front-wheel drive (FWD); all-wheel drive (AWD) is optional on the Countryman S. The standard power plant is a 1.6-liter inline 4-cylinder engine rated at 121 horsepower and mated to a 6-speed manual transmission (standard) or a 6-speed automatic transmission (optional). The Countryman S is fitted with a turbocharged version of the standard engine, but is rated at 181 horsepower. All models require premium fuel.

Fuel Economy
EPA fuel-economy figures for the 2012 Mini Cooper Countryman are:
- Countryman with manual transmission and FWD: 28/35/31 mpg (city/highway/combined)
- Countryman with automatic transmission and FWD: 25/30/27 mpg
- Countryman S with manual transmission and FWD: 26/32/29 mpg
- Countryman S with automatic transmission and AWD: 23/30/26 mpg

Safety
Standard safety features on the Mini Cooper Countryman include anti-lock disc brakes, front-seat side air bags, and side curtain air bags.

To date, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has not tested the 2012 Mini Cooper Countryman. In tests conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Countryman received "Good" ratings--the Institute's highest--in all crash protection tests.