2017 Mini Countryman JCW price and features announced

Mini Australia has announced local specifications and pricing for the new-generation Countryman JCW, its biggest model to ever wear a John Cooper Works badge on its tailgate, and the fastest SUV from the BMW-owned British marque.

It’s also cheaper than before – provided you’re shopping for an auto-equipped model. While the outgoing Countryman JCW automatic retailed at $59,250, its 2017 successor (which sports an eight-speed automatic rather than a six-speed) lands at a more reasonable $56,900 before on-roads – the same as the outgoing manual-equipped variant.

The new-gen Countryman manual retains a $56,900 price tag, meaning buyers will no longer be slugged a surcharge for opting for the auto.

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Standard specification levels are high, building on the already-generous feature list of the regular 2017 Mini Countryman range.

A head-up display, 19-inch JCW alloys and Brembo brake package are factory-issue on all Countryman JCWs, as are unique-to-JCW sports seats in leather/microfiber upholstery, a 12-speaker Harman/Kardon premium audio system, LED headlamps, Mini’s higher-spec infotainment system and integrated satellite navigation.

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Creature comforts include adaptive cruise control, keyless entry and ignition, dual-zone climate control, a powered tailgate and front and rear parking sensors – features shared with garden-variety Countryman variants.

With both manual and auto able to sprint from zero to 100km/h in 6.5 seconds, the 2017 Mini Countryman JCW is half a second faster to 100km/h than its predecessor and boasts hot-hatch speed in a small-SUV form factor. For those keeping score, that’s just 0.2 seconds behind the much smaller Mini JCW hatch’s zero-to-hundred time.

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Powered by the same 170kW/350Nm 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol four-cylinder engine as the Mini Clubman JCW, the Countryman JCW’s grunt goes to the ground via Mini’s All4 AWD system, which is specially tuned to help reduce understeer and enhance cornering performance.

Fuel economy is a claimed 7.8L/100km for the manual-equipped Countryman JCW, and 7.4L/100km for the automatic.

Deliveries of the 2017 Mini Countryman JCW are expected to begin in late June, with retail pricing as follows:

• Mini Countryman John Cooper Works 6-speed manual: $56,900
  Mini Countryman John Cooper Works 8-speed automatic: $56,900