Mini unveils Sterling Edition Countryman

 

ICONIC British brand Mini has unveiled and launched a new special-edition Countryman, produced specifically for the Australian and New Zealand markets priced from $62,900 plus on-road costs.

 

Dubbed the Sterling Edition, just 50 examples of the new limited-run Countryman have been produced with 40 to be sold Down Under, leaving just 10 for the New Zealand market.

 

Priced just $3000 below the flagship John Cooper Works, the Sterling Edition Countryman is powered by the same turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine as the Countryman Cooper S which develops 141kW of power and 280Nm of torque.

 

Just like in the Cooper S, the power is fed to the front wheels via an eight-speed torque converter automatic transmission.

 

Official performance figures claim the limited-edition Countryman will go from 0-100km/h in 7.5 seconds and return a combined fuel economy figure of 6.6 litres per 100km.

 

Where the Sterling Edition stands apart however is in its standard equipment and enhanced styling, including unique ‘White Silver’ metallic paint with black roof and mirrors, fully electric seats with Mini Yours Carbon Black Leather Lounge, bespoke 19-inch Mini Yours Britt Spoke alloy wheels with Union Jack design, unique silver bonnet stripes, Mini Yours badge on the rear glasshouse, unique floor mats, illuminated interior surfaces, panoramic sunroof and exclusive Sterling badging on the dash denoting its vehicle number out of 50.

 

Real time traffic information, MINI Connect Services and Apple CarPlay are also included in the package which can be accessed and operated via a large dash-mounted screen.

 

Mini Australia general manager Brett Waudby said the Sterling Edition took the Countryman’s elegance to new heights.

 

“With refined and elegant detailing including limited edition badging, a new eye-catching metallic finish along with the Mini performance and personality that we all love, this is a vehicle that fans will not want to miss out on,” he said.

 

Last year Mini shifted 895 Countrymans, accounting for 5.4 per cent of the $40,000-plus small SUV segment, 125 units down on 2018 (-12.6 per cent).

 

So far this year ending January, 83 units have been shifted as opposed to the 98 sold in January 2019.

 

2020 Mini Countryman pricing*

Cooper (a)	$42,200
Cooper D (a)	$46,200
Cooper S (a)	$49,200
Cooper SD (a)	$54,200
S E PHEV (a)	$57,200
Sterling Edition (a)	$62,900
JCW Countryman (a)	$65,900

*Excludes on-road costs