In a big win for the plug-in hybrid market, MINI Australia has confirmed the Countryman S E All4 will be available in Australia from the second quarter of 2019.
And in promising environmental news, it looks as though the electric motor will be doing much of the heavy lifting especially for standard drives up to 80km/h.
The Countryman’s hybrid system is composed of a 1.5-litre, three-cylinder turbocharged petrol combustion engine, which drives the front wheels. This engine develops peaks of 100kW and 220Nm and drives through a six-speed Stepronic automatic transmission.
Meanwhile a synchronous electric motor powers the rear axle, via a two-stage, single-speed transmission. It produces a 65kW power peak, with 160Nm of torque that is instantly available.
Combined output is rated at 165kW, enabling a 0-100km/h time of only 6.8 seconds, while an electronically-controlled interaction between the two power units enables all four wheels to be driven when required, maximising traction.
In normal driving the Countryman S E All4 relies solely on the electric motor, at speeds of up to 80km/h. From this point, the combustion engine is gently engaged, ensuring a continued flow of smooth, responsive power at all speeds.
So in layman terms the Countryman will handle most of your city and suburban drives in its electric mode and then switch over to the combustion engine for long term country or freeway drives.
How does the lithium-ion battery work?
Located underneath the rear seat, the lithium-ion battery pack offers 7.6kWh gross capacity.
Using the supplied charging cable, the MINI Countryman S E All4 can be charged using a standard domestic socket. Via this method, charging the lithium-ion battery pack to 80 per cent is completed in 3 hours, 15 minutes.
Customers can also purchase a MINI Wallbox, which can be installed at a place of work or home, for example. When using the Wallbox, the same recharge is completed in only 2 hours, 15 minutes.
The battery pack carries a six year, 100,000km warranty.
The MINI Countryman S E All 4 is due for release on Australian shores in the 2nd quarter of 2019.
