2013 Mini Countryman John Cooper Works Preview

Exterior Features

The 2013 Mini Countryman John Cooper Works is a performance-tuned compact crossover SUV with standard all-wheel drive. It is equipped with 18-inch aluminum wheels, and can be upgraded with contrasting-color paint for its roof, mirror caps, and available sport stripes.

Interior Features

The Mini Countryman JCW seats 5 passengers and can carry up to 41.3 cubic feet of cargo with its rear seat folded. Cloth sport seats are standard, as well as a sport steering wheel, dark-color gauge faces, air conditioning, HD radio, and satellite radio. This model also comes with power windows, power mirrors, power door locks with remote keyless entry, tilt-and-telescopic steering wheel, and cruise control.

Optional Features

When the 2013 Mini Countryman JCW goes on sale, buyers will be able to customize it with a variety of paint colors, interior trims, and unique materials. Leather seats, a set of 19-inch wheels, and an automatic transmission will be among the many extra-cost features that buyers can add to this model, in addition to Mini Connected with Bluetooth, a Harmon/Kardon premium sound system, and more.

Under the Hood

The John Cooper Works version of the Mini Countryman is equipped with a turbocharged, 1.6-liter 4-cylinder engine making 211 horsepower. Torque measures 207 lb.-ft. between 2,000 and 5,600 rpm, and an overboost feature allows the engine to develop 221 lb.-ft. of peak torque from 2,100 to 5,200 rpm, but only for short periods of time.

All-wheel drive is standard, fed power by a standard 6-speed manual gearbox. An automatic transmission is optional. Mini says that the new 2013 Countryman JCW will accelerate to 60 mph in less than 7.1 seconds with the standard manual gearbox (7.5 seconds with the optional automatic).

Fuel Economy

The EPA has not rated the 2013 Mini Countryman JCW as this preview is written, and Mini is not offering any fuel-economy estimates for U.S.-spec models.

Safety

The new John Cooper Works Countryman is expected to have seven air bags, anti-lock brakes with Cornering Brake Control, traction and stability control, and run-flat performance tires when it goes on sale in the fall of 2012. Crash test ratings have not been assigned for the 2013 JCW version as this preview is written, but the 2012 Mini Countryman is called a "Top Safety Pick" by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.