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Mini ditches four-seat Countryman

Mini is walking away from the rear bucket seats in its Countryman crossover. MotoringFile.com reports that starting in 2013, the CUV will no longer offer just two seats in the second row. Originally, Mini was forced to offer the buckets due to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration rules governing the the minimum vehicle width for the allowance of three-wide seating. That rule was recently changed, which allowed Mini to offer the bench seat. Not surprisingly, few buyers have opted for the awkward bucket-and-rail configuration since. Moving forward, all Countryman models will also come with the vehicle's flat-load rear floor as well.
During our time with our long-term Countryman, we found the middle rail between the two buckets to be a bit gimmicky, especially given the fact that the cup holders were only large enough to accommodate a 12-ounce can.

2020 Mini Cooper SE promises electrified 'go-kart feeling'

Mini calls its new Cooper SE "the first solely electrically powered model of the British brand." We're pretty sure that the 500 U.S. owners of the Mini E from 2008 would disagree, but there's no questioning the fact that this new Cooper SE is a better vehicle and one that was designed from the get-go to incorporate batteries and an electric motor. That electric motor sends 181 horsepower and 199 pound-feet of torque right from zero rpm to the front wheels. We expect the motor is borrowed from the rear-wheel-drive BMW i3s. Mini says the Cooper SE is limited to a top speed of 93 miles per hour, that it'll do 0-62 miles per hour in 7.3 seconds and that its "innovative driving dynamics system with wheel slip limiting close to the actuator" (whatever that means) will offer "particularly intense and unmistakable agility, known as the go-kart feeling." We look forward to driving the Cooper SE and putting those statements to the test. The Cooper SE offers four driving modes: Sport, Mid, Green and Green+, in descending order of sporty to efficient. There are also two levels of brake regeneration. A 6.5-inch screen (a larger 8.8-inch unit is optional) inside displays powertrain information and offers suggestions to improve efficiency, and the standard navigation system features a range circle so drivers know how far they can travel at the current state of charge. Power comes from a 32.6-kWh lithium ion battery pack that Mini says is "situated deep in the vehicle floor" to ensure a low center of gravity and luggage space that's equal to the gas-powered version. Mini quotes a range of 235 to 270 kilometers (146 to 168 miles) "based on the new WLTP test cycle and adapted to NEDC for comparison purposes." We can expect official U.S. range figures to be down a bit from there. Suffice it to say, the Cooper SE won't come close to the 226 miles of range offered by the Nissan Leaf E+, let alone the 238 of the Chevy Bolt or 258 of the Hyundai Kona Electric. It's easy to tell the Cooper SE apart from gas-powered Minis. The grille has a much smaller opening than other Mini models — the electric powertrain doesn't have the same airflow requirements as a gas engine — and the bodywork is highlighted with yellow accents on the grille, wheels and mirror caps. Plus there's a cute little plug icon on the tailgate near the Union Jack-shaped taillights. The charge port is located just above the passenger-side rear wheel, right where the standard model's gas cap would be found.

Drive On The Left | The List #0033

When you've been driving on the right side of the road your whole life, driving on the left can be incredibly disorienting. In this episode of The List, hosts Jessi Combs and Patrick McIntyre brave the traffic-filled streets of London as they take in the sights in a Mini Cooper. "London is not a driving city. There are millions of people and millions of cars," said Patrick. "And the streets seem to have been laid out at random over the centuries." Even Jessi found herself battling old habits in the right-hand drive Mini. "I've already gone over to reach for the door twice to shift it," she said. Our hosts dig into the history behind the traffic swap on the other side of the pond as they attempt to check "Drive On The Left" off their List. Click here to find more episodes of The List Click here to learn more about our hosts, Jessi and Patrick MINI Coupe The List Videos Original Video right hand drive