The Mini Countryman Plug-In Hybrid has arrived in Australia and is on-sale now from $57,200+ORC boasting a 40km range on battery charge.

The Mini Countryman Plug-In Hybrid has arrived in Australia from $57,200+ORC boasting an electric driving range of up to 40km which is more than the average Australian daily commute of less than 30km.

In announcing pricing and specifications, MINI Australia General Manager, Brett Waudby said, “The MINI Countryman Plug-In Hybrid is the first step in what will be an exciting journey into the world of MINI future mobility.

“With performance on-par to the famous Countryman Cooper S but even greater efficiency, thanks to its plug-in hybrid drivetrain, the Countryman Plug-In Hybrid offers exceptional all-round performance, versatility and economy,” he said.

The dual-motor Countryman Plug-In Hybrid offers a 1.5-litre three-cylinder petrol engine making 100kW and 220Nm of torque while the electric motor offers 65kW and 165Nm of torque and drives the rear wheels. The petrol engine drives the front wheels via a six-speed automatic making the thing an all-wheel drive with a combined 165kW and 385Nm of torque. This is enough to get the Countryman PHEV to 100km/h in 6.9 seconds which is the same as the Countryman Cooper S.

Based on the New European Driving Cycle the Countryman PHEV returns 2.1L/100km claimed combined and emits 49g/km of CO2.

How’s it work? The driver can adjust the level of petrol-electric involvement on-the-fly. Standard is AUTO eDrive which sees the electric motor drive the vehicle at up to 80km/h. Once you reach 80km/h the petrol motor will kick in and both will work together. If the driver selects MAX eDrive then the electric motor will exclusively drive the vehicle at speeds of up to 125km/h. Or the driver can select SAVE BATTERY which sees the petrol engine recharge the battery to a 90% charge and then keep it topped up at that point.

Even with the battery pack and motor at the rear of the vehicle, the Countryman PHEV still offers 405L of storage space with the back seats in use. The battery pack is warrantied for six years or 100,000km and charging times range from 3 hours, 15 minutes via a regular household socket to 2 hours, 15 minutes via the MINI Wallbox, which can either be installed at your home or office.