Pocket Rocket — a new vehicle that’s as small as it is powerful

The Volkswagen Golf GTI came to our shores in May, the Skoda Octavia VRS will hit the road next month and right on time, BMW owned MINI launched the hottest avatar of its most practical offering– the MINI JCW (John Cooper Works) Countryman All4. We must admit that all the JCW styling has added just the right kind of sass to the otherwise cute and quirky design. Even the body colours - Midnight Black with Chilli Red roof, Legend Grey with Chilli Red roof and British Racing Green with Jet Black roof, complement the aggressive stance.

All you need to know about the MINI JCW (John Cooper Works) Countryman All4

It has a sporty demeanour, courtesy a chiseled front apron and healthy dose of piano black treatment. The Mini livery, roundish wing mirrors and the squarish Projector LED headlights with DRLs retain the much-loved quirkiness and in profile this MINI doesn’t look tiny. At 4447 mm it’s almost the BMW X1 size and at 2692 mm has the same wheelbase. Both models share the same UKL2 platform but the Countryman looks a lot sexier, doing justice to the MINI badge. We love the tapering roofline and those swanky 19-inch black alloy wheels with bigger brakes and red calipers.You also can’t miss admiring the bold JCW badge prominently positioned on the quarter glass. The rear too carries that sporty vibe featuring quad exhaust tips and blacked-out lettering.

On the inside, styling gets even quirkier and finish is more upmarket.The entire upholstery is draped in premium soft fabric sporting incredibly integrated ambient lighting while the brushed rose gold finish on the air-con vents and vertical door handles gives it a beautiful contrast.

Interiors

The roundel touchscreen is the party piece with a premium look and feel, and the interface is user-friendly. It gives access to all the connected features and has wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, but we still don’t appreciate accessing basic climate control and media features using the screen instead of switches. You do have those iconic toggle knobs for start-stop and gear shifter and the vehicle offers other standard features like a dual-zone climate control, interior camera, wireless charger, powered front seats, auto-dimming IRVM, panoramic sunroof, Head-up display, ADAS, 360-degree view and an awesome Harmon Kardon audio system. The rear seat is practical with 130 mm of adjustment and a generous kneeroom, though under-thigh support could be slightly improved. The 500-litres boot (1450-litres expandable) seems adequate as well.

Powerplay

Under the hood is the familiar 2.0-litre twin-turbo petrol engine belting out 297 bhp and 400 Nm of torque. It is mated to a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission driving both the front and rear wheels and helping it sprint to 100 km/h in 5.4 seconds, unleashing an electronically limited top-speed of 250 km/h. Power output feels optimum for the chassis, and up the revs it maintains a seamless progression in boost mode.The chunky steering feels sporty to hold and engaging to use. It is direct but not overly sharp.

The suspension has decent stiffness allowing you to carry higher double-digit speeds around bends while the rear end slightly floats if you go too hard. MINI has been mindful of Indian roads, not making the ride quality too firm for regular use and giving it a 190 mm ground clearance. Overall the MINI JCW Countryman ALL4 is a serious hot hatch for performance junkies.

Priced at INR 64.9 lakh, ex-showroom

(Written by Shubham Parashar)