Mini gives the Countryman a more serious off-road treatment with this latest Untamed Edition.
If you’re in the market for a small to midsize SUV, odds are you’ll be able to pick up an off-road version of some sort. You have your Wilderness, your XRT Pro, your Tremor, your TrailSport, your AT4 or TRD Off-Road — the list goes on. Now, Mini is rolling out another adventure-focused option with the Untamed Edition, aiming to make it more of a “get out there and do stuff” rig than your average Mini Countryman would be. At least in our neck of the woods, I’ve seen a fair few lifted Countrymans on all-terrain tires, so this is your factory option.
To create the Untamed, Mini took the existing Countryman and made some appropriately dirt-worthy mechanical changes. That is, you get a lift of about 0.6 inches, new 19-inch wheels and Pirelli Scorpion All Terrain Plus tires. It’s a relatively modest lift of just less than an inch, but that does bring the total clearance figure up to about 8.8 inches, so it’s in line with other crossovers you might cross-shop with Mini’s offering.
Other changes to fill out the Untamed Edition’s $1,600 package price are protective decals along the wheel arches, side sills and hood, Nightshade Blue sport seats and Untamed-specific decals. you also get a redesigned storage box for the center console, rubber floor protection and a mat in the cargo area. Hideaway Grey and Nomad Blue are new exterior colors specific to the Untamed, and you also get a trailer hitch thrown in as standard fare (offering up a 3,500-pound towing capacity).
Starting from the base $40,250 Countryman S ALL4, building up to the Untamed requires the specific package as well as the $3,400 Iconic Trim with Comfort Package Plus. All-in, then, you’re looking at a price tag around $45,250 for a gas-powered Untamed. Since it is based around the S model and not a JCW, you’re getting the standard 2.0-liter turbo engine with 241 horsepower on tap. You will be able to get the Untamed with the electric 308-horsepower, dual-motor Countryman SE, though pricing is not available for that version just yet.
Along with the off-road upgrades, including tweaks to the ABS and traction management systems, the Mini Countryman Untamed’s roof supports up to 165 pounds of load while moving, or 661 pounds when standing still. So this Untamed leans further into that adventurous lifestyle in that you can fit a rooftop tent, at least for yourself and one other person.
