The interior of the Mini Countryman in detail

Minimalist interior design and a new OLED screen for the 2024 Mini Countryman, available in an electric version for the first time.

By: Massimo Grassi

Feb 9, 2024 at 4:33am ET

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With this new generation, the Mini Countryman is quite different. Not so much in terms of shape, as an evolution of what has been seen in previous generations, but more in terms of size, increased by 13 cm in length, but also in terms of powertrain, since for the first time it is available in 100% electric. But let's not forget the interior, which has also changed.

It's here that the main stylistic innovations are concentrated, on the one hand taking up the Mini's classic style and, on the other, revolutionising it. The interior is even more minimalist, but does not forego technology. Quite the contrary, in fact.

Mini Countryman 2024, the interior

To analyse the interior of the Mini Countryman 2024, we can only start with the dashboard where, compared to the previous generation, one element is missing. Gone is the digital instrumentation, making the space in front of the driver extremely uncluttered. The optional head-up display is projected not directly onto the windscreen but onto a small retractable surface. This latter solution is a little dated and doesn't provide as much information at a glance as before.

The one that doesn't skimp on screens and data is the central monitor, 24 cm in diameter. The shape remains circular, in keeping with tradition, but the technology has changed completely. It is in fact a thin OLED panel, an acronym of (Organic Light-Emitting Diode), a technology that uses organic diodes to emit light when stimulated by an electrical voltage. This makes it possible to achieve what is known as absolute blackness (by simply switching off the diodes), energy savings and particularly thin screens.

The Mini OS9 operating system, based on Android and compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, is also completely new. The menu structure has been redesigned from the ground up, with revised graphics and different screens depending on the driving mode chosen or the Mini Experience mode, a set of graphics and lights for the interior.

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^{Mini Countryman, comment l'intérieur change entre l'ancienne et la nouvelle génération}

Most of the controls have been digitised, including the air conditioning. A few physical buttons remain under the central screen, such as those for starting and stopping the car, and for the driving mode. Wireless smartphone charging is available as an option. The digitisation has not affected the steering wheel buttons, which have been completely redesigned.

Of particular note is the interior lighting, which has been studied down to the last detail, both in terms of the range of colours and the possibility of creating special lighting effects on the dashboard using a special projector. There are four Mini Experience modes that change not only the lighting but also the graphics on the central display.

In terms of materials, the Mini Countryman 2024 uses a variety of coverings, including a special fabric made from recycled materials treated using a special technique, 2D.

Connectivity

The Mini Countryman 2024 also offers a 5G module for a high-speed mobile connection and a voice assistant called Spike, capable of understanding natural language. These are two additional options

Mini Countryman 2024
Digital instrumentation	No
Head-up display	Yes
Central monitor	24 cm
Mirroring	Android Auto (wireless) Apple CarPlay (wireless)
OTA	Yes (optional)
Voice assistant	Yes

MINI Countryman 2024, the central monitor

Mini Countryman 2024, the space

The extra centimetres of length allow the Mini Countryman 2024 to offer significantly improved interior space. This applies not only to the front, where heated, massaging and electrically adjustable seats are also available, but also, and above all, to the rear.

This is also thanks to the bench seat, which can slide 13 cm to create even more space in the passenger compartment, or in the boot, which has a load volume ranging from a minimum of 450 to a maximum of 1,460 litres. The space can be modulated thanks to the reclining backrest, which reclines in a 40:20:40 pattern. A partition net is available as an option to prevent objects in the load compartment from invading the passenger compartment.