MINI Malaysia has introduced the JCW version of the facelifted Countryman today. This hot crossover comes just over four months after the launch of the cooking variants, receiving the same minor redesign inside and out. Priced at RM 375,493 on-the-road without insurance, the JCW is nearly RM 19,000 more expensive than before, although it comes with some extra kit as standard. That figure, in case you were wondering, is inclusive of the sales and service tax (SST) rebate and a two-year, unlimited-mileage warranty; include the five-year warranty and service package and you’re looking at a bill of RM 383,463.
No changes under the bonnet, so the fettled B48 2.0 litre turbo four-cylinder engine – also found in the BMW M135i and X2 M35i – continues to churn out a heady 306 PS from 5,000 to 6,250 rpm and 450 Nm of torque between 1,750 and 4,500 rpm. Equipped with an eight-speed automatic gearbox, MINI’s All4 all-wheel drive system and a mechanical locking front differential, the JCW gets from zero to 100 km/h in 5.1 seconds.
Tweaks to the exterior include redesigned adaptive LED headlights (with square projectors and daytime running light rings that run the full perimeter of the lamp units), darkened Union Jack LED taillights and a more angular rear bumper with larger vertical reflectors. The aggressive triple-intake front bumper remains unchanged, as do the deep side skirts, twin exhaust pipes and a sizeable tailgate spoiler. The JCW also comes with a red roof, red door mirrors, red bonnet stripes and 19-inch Circuit Spoke two-tone alloy wheels, the latter shod with run-flat tyres and hiding larger brake discs measuring 360 mm at the front and 330 mm at the rear.
Inside, the JCW gets a new five-inch digital instrument display from the electric Cooper SE 3 Door and flat gloss black bezels and buttons above and below the 8.8-inch centre touchscreen. Unique JCW touches include heavily-bolstered JCW sports seats upholstered in Carbon Black leather and Dinamica microfibre, as well as a thicker Nappa leather-wrapped steering wheel and gloss black dash trim with a red accent strip.
Standard kit includes keyless entry, push-button start, dual-zone automatic climate control with rear vents, auto-dimming mirrors, manual seat adjustment, parking assist, a head-up display, Apple CarPlay connectivity, a 12-speaker Harman Kardon sound system, a reverse camera, a rear picnic bench and a hands-free powered tailgate. For the first time, the JCW also gets a Qi wireless smartphone charger. As per the 3 Door, the JCW Countryman also now comes as standard with the Driving Assistant package, which adds autonomous emergency braking and the new lane keeping assist. Six airbags, stability control and rear ISOFIX child seat anchors remain.
