New MINI JCW Countryman gets 296bhp petrol engine

MINI has revealed the new MINI John Cooper Works Countryman, just weeks after it revealed the new generation MINI Countryman.

For those wondering, this JCW Countryman comes with a 2.0-litre engine that delivers a total of 296bhp, and 400Nm of torque. This power is put to the road via the firm's All4 all-wheel drive system.

Just as with the regular Countryman, the Countryman JCW gets a newly designed C-pillar, although here it comes finished in Chili Red and sports the new JCW logo

Those values are lower than the 302bhp and 450Nm of torque delivered by the previous Countryman JCW, and the new car subsequently takes 5.4 seconds to hit 100km/h from a standstill, longer than the 5.1 second century sprint time of the replaced model.

On to the design. This Countryman JCW has been given added touches to up the visual aggression next to the regular Countryman, as you might expect. These include the intakes at either side at the front of the car, which have gained vertical reflectors to better emphasise the car's wide stance.

The car's LED head lights and taillights also get a JCW Signature Mode, said to deliver a more expressive look. The octagonal grille of the SUV has also been redesigned and comes complete with the new three-colour JCW logo. And of course, the MINI John Cooper Works Countryman also differs from the electric Countryman at the rear thanks to the addition of two exhaust pipes at either side of the rear bumper of the car.

The taillights of the performance SUV also get a John Cooper Works Signature Mode that better frames the vehicle's upright body and underline its increased width

This new design is said to deliver a drag coefficient of just 0.26, which MINI claims is one of the best in its class. Aiding this figure is the fact that the SUV will be offered with aerodynamically optimised 19 and 20-inch wheels that are exclusive to JCW.

The cabin of the Countryman JCW mirrors its exterior with a red and black colour scheme dashboard which houses a central, high-resolution OLED display as seen on the rest of the new generation MINI lineup.

First deliveries of the MINI John Cooper Works Countryman to U.K. customers are expected to begin early 2024.