The 2027 Mini Countryman Untamed Edition Can Climb Like a Goat, But Its Software Stumbles

The expected view out of a Mini Countryman is the sooty stone of London, or the dizzying expanse of the Italian Alps from a winding highway. Something European, or at least, something paved. Which makes the precarious boulders and silty grades of an off-road trail above Lake Tahoe on the California/Nevada border both unexpected and intimidating as the first drive of the 2027 Mini Countryman Untamed Edition. Despite its history with rally racing in Monte Carlo and Dakar, Mini is not a brand name regularly associated with anything more outdoorsy than a ski weekend. With the Untamed, Mini hopes to change that.

The Untamed is a light off-road spec that will be available for 2027 models on the Countryman S All4 and SE in North America. Europe only gets the electric option. The major underpinnings of the Untamed are the same as its host vehicle. In the case of this first drive, we drove the Countryman S All4 Untamed Edition, with its 241-hp turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder, seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, and standard all-wheel drive.

There are numerous aesthetic changes that give the Untamed a more hiking-friendly appearance, including an Untamed-only dark gray trim color and a slatted grille in place of the Countryman’s usual checkered-flag mesh. The Untamed also wears strips of textured wrap on areas that might be prone to rock chips or trail stripes, like the hood, wheel arches, and side sills.

The major mechanical differences between the base Countryman S and the Untamed are the struts and the wheel/tire package. The Untamed gets a different damper assembly to increase the ride height by 0.6 inch, and its 19-inch wheels wear Pirelli Scorpion All Terrain Plus tires.

The lift kit and the taller rubber gives the Untamed 8.8 inches of ground clearance, about 0.8 inch more than a standard Countryman S, but it means the Untamed can’t be upgraded with Mini’s optional adaptive dampers.

The small lift and reshaped front and rear overhangs, for better approach and departure angles, make the Untamed surprisingly adept over rough spots. It handled a rutted-out trail with far less scraping and crunching than expected, and it managed some up-and-overs that looked impossible from the passenger’s seat. It needed a running start for a few steeper inclines, but its torquey engine was happy to rev up and send it with a roostertail of dust.

If that sounds like faint praise, we don’t mean it as such. The Untamed can absolutely handle the sort of unpaved roads that lead to campsites, mountain bike trails, and good fishing. It’s just that for those with a vigorous outdoors lifestyle, there are small crossovers like the Ford Bronco Sport Sasquatch or Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness that are more dedicated to the dirt.

The Countryman Untamed has enough lift to tackle gravel and hard-packed sand, but it will eventually run into obstacles it can’t overcome with throttle alone. It has brake-based torque vectoring, and it doesn’t articulate through obstacles so much as teeter-totter over them. In sandy or steep sections, we could feel the software sending torque to different wheels until it found one with enough traction to move us through; and when it didn’t, even with the Dynamic Stability Control set to off, the Untamed would cut all the power, making backing up and trying again the only option to get going.

While the suspension and tires clearly had off-pavement driving in mind, the Untamed’s settings for off-roading felt a little last minute. Although it has a Trail mode that shows incline angles and a compass, that’s not the mode Mini suggests for trail driving. Instead, we shifted to “L” using the gear selector and opted for Go-Kart mode, because it’s the only one that allows for reduced stability-control interference. Besides being confusing, the sharp throttle and brake responses of Go-Kart mode weren’t ideal for dirt driving, where gentle throttle sensitivity makes for a smoother ride. Mini says there’s a possibility for over-the-air updates in the future, but for now, go Go-Kart. While we’re on the topic of eventual upgrades, we’d love to see the JCW’s paddle shifters in the Untamed for some extra torque control on the trail.

If the Countryman Untamed isn’t all that wild, what makes it worth its $45,250 starting price, which is $1600 over what a Countryman S in the equivalent Iconic trim costs? We’d say “style,” and we’re not being snippy. The Untamed looks good with its lift and its mountain-themed interior. The same features that make a small SUV reasonably competent on a trail often make it more comfortable and less stressful in suburban and city driving. A little extra sidewall when navigating potholes, better ability to navigate steep driveways, and an easy-to-clean interior with washable rubber mats are all beneficial in a daily driver as well. That the Untamed can tow a small trailer to a scenic nature spot without bogging down, or shoulder a rooftop tent, is just a bonus.

The Countryman can do all of the above. It comes standard with a tow hitch and is rated to tow up to 3500 pounds. The roof is rated for 165 pounds in motion and 661 pounds static; Mini capitalized on that, partnering with Italian camping company Autohome for a Countryman-size pop-up rooftop tent. The Mini may look small, but we tested the tent with two adults, and there was plenty of room.

Getting back to style, the Untamed gets exterior paint options in gray, blue, white, black, and a new matte finish option called Frozen Nomad Blue. Roof finishes are available in white or black. Icy blue is the Untamed signature color, and it finds its way inside with a blue option for the seats and Cornflower Blue accents throughout the cabin. The back seats are roomy enough for adults or child seats, and the cargo area can hold 25 cubic feet behind the passengers or 56 cubic feet when the rear seats are folded.

Since the Untamed is based on the Iconic trim, it includes an upgraded stereo system and power-adjustable front seats. Mini’s unique round center touchscreen is a pleasant change from various large rectangles, but it is slow to respond, and the volume and climate control can be frustrating to use while in motion.

Mini hasn’t released EPA numbers, but it’s safe to assume a slight drop from the Countryman S’s 24 mpg city, 32 mpg highway, and 27 mpg combined. We expect 60 mph to arrive in 6.0 seconds.

The cynical among us might look at the Mini Countryman Untamed as an uncommitted attempt to snag market share in the U.S. among buyers who want to look like they’ve scaled Half Dome but who are more comfortable in an air-conditioned climbing gym. That may be partially true, but the Untamed is still an attractive standout in a mostly cookie-cutter segment. It is a smart move for Mini to offer an option in such a popular trim style. There are more gym climbers than Half-Domers, and they are less likely to fall off a cliff and miss their car payments.

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