THE time has passed to argue that a Mini SUV is a paradox of terms. Since the original Countryman launched in 2011, buyers have flocked to other brands in the small SUV segment in increasing droves. However, buyers have not been overly drawn to the Countryman.

The initial debate over its validity in the Mini range has become so stale, in fact, that the brand actually has now argued that it was the first-generation model’s lack of space and versatility that turned punters away.

Enter the second-gen Countryman, which now proudly becomes the largest Mini to date. It is a roomier, far better equipped, quicker and a more frugal offering than before, which all sounds like the German-owned British brand has built a better small SUV. But has it made a merrier Mini?

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