Category Archives: NEW CARS

NEW CARS

2026 MINI Countryman: Big MINI, Small Tweaks

MINI’s biggest SUV carries into 2026 with little fuss and few changes—but that’s not a bad thing. After a full redesign last year that ushered the Countryman into its third generation, the British brand’s largest offering remains cheeky, premium, and more than a little fun to drive. For 2026, the updates are subtle: a new John Cooper Works Style Package, some tech polish, and a reaffirmation that MINI knows exactly what its small SUV should be.

A Familiar Face, Now with More Flair

The most noteworthy addition is the $1,400 John Cooper Works Style Package, which sprinkles some visual spice and adds Dynamic Damper Control for a sharper drive. New 18-inch wheels round out the lineup, while MINI’s “Digital Key Plus” system receives behind-the-scenes improvements—though buyers now get just one physical key and a credit-card-style digital backup.

Beyond that, the 2026 Countryman looks, drives, and feels almost identical to the model that debuted last year. That’s fine by us, since the latest generation brought significant upgrades in refinement, cabin tech, and overall composure.

Turbocharged Familiarity

Every Countryman ships with standard all-wheel drive and a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. Under the hood of the Countryman S ALL4, MINI borrows BMW’s proven 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder (B48), producing 241 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque—enough to sprint to 60 mph in a claimed 6.2 seconds.

The hotter John Cooper Works ALL4 turns up the boost to 312 horsepower, while torque remains unchanged. It drops the 0–60 run to 5.2 seconds, backed by bigger brakes, quad exhaust tips, and more aggressive styling. We’ve previously praised the JCW’s solid power delivery and traction, though its hefty curb weight and somewhat numb steering keep it from feeling truly mini in spirit.

Efficiency and Everyday Livability

Fuel economy is right in line with its luxury-compact peers. The Countryman S nets an EPA-estimated 27 mpg combined (24 city / 32 highway), while the JCW dips slightly to 25 mpg combined (23 city / 30 highway). Both figures are competitive, if not class-leading.

Inside, MINI continues to emphasize sustainability. There’s no leather here—only Vescin synthetic upholstery or an eco-friendly cloth alternative. Manual seat adjustments are standard, though power seats can be added for $1,000. Heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, and a panoramic moonroof are all standard, giving the cabin an upscale, thoughtfully designed feel that punches above its price point.

Cargo capacity remains a respectable 56.2 cubic feet with the rear seats folded—slightly behind the BMW X1 and Mercedes-Benz GLB, but better than the sleeker X2 and GLA.

Tech: Circular and Smart

At the center of it all is MINI’s playful, round OLED infotainment display, running MINI OS 9. The system feels intuitive, quick, and packed with features, including wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. A head-up display comes standard, while Augmented Reality Navigation hides behind the optional Comfort Package Plus.

Driver assistance coverage is solid: Blind Spot Monitoring, Lane Departure Warning, and Frontal Collision Warning are all included. Spend a bit more—$1,500 for the Comfort Package Plus or $2,400 for Active Driving Assistant Pro—and you unlock the full suite of 360-degree cameras, self-parking, and adaptive cruise. Higher trims bundle these in more affordably.

Price and Positioning

In an era of creeping sticker shock, MINI earns points for restraint. The 2026 Countryman S ALL4 still starts at $38,900, while the JCW ALL4 begins at $46,900—the same as last year. That’s thousands less than similarly equipped rivals like the Volvo XC40, Audi Q3, and Mercedes-Benz GLB, and about $5,000 below BMW’s own X1 M35i, with which it shares much of its mechanical DNA.

A Big MINI That Still Feels Special

Calling the Countryman “underrated” might sound cliché, but it fits. MINI sold just over 3,300 Countrymans in Q3 2025, up 34 percent from the previous year, yet still less than half of BMW’s X1 sales. Those numbers hint at its niche appeal: this is a crossover for drivers who value personality over practicality, and who like their premium SUVs with a wink and a smile.

If you can look past its size and price tag, the 2026 MINI Countryman remains a refreshing antidote to the sameness of small luxury SUVs—still quirky, still quick, and still unmistakably MINI.

Source: Mini

NEW CARS

The Ocelot: Porsche’s Wildest Cat Yet

There are special editions. There are one-offs. And then there’s this — the 2025 Porsche 911 GT3 Touring “Ocelot”, a jungle-born, track-bred creature that marks the dawn of Porsche Latin America’s Icons of Latin America Sonderwunsch series.

At first glance, it’s familiar. That taut 911 silhouette, those clean haunches, that ducktail spoiler standing proud like a victory flag. But look closer and the paint begins to move. Seriously. Porsche calls it Forest Green Metallic, a bespoke Paint to Sample Plus finish, but in the sunlight it seems alive — shimmering from deep emerald to misty jade, the way the rainforest canopy breathes in the morning haze. It’s less a colour, more an ecosystem.

A Cat from the Canopy

The inspiration? Colombia’s Amazon rainforest — and one of its most elusive residents, the ocelot. A feline that stalks through dappled shade, all muscle and grace wrapped in a coat that would make Versace weep.

Porsche’s Miami-based Latin America division, celebrating 25 years of bringing Stuttgart metal to South American soil, decided to honour the region’s biodiversity and culture with a series of one-off Sonderwunsch creations. Colombia got to go first. And naturally, they didn’t mess about.

The “Ocelot” GT3 Touring also marks 30 years of Autoelite, Porsche’s Colombian importer, so this is as much a love letter as it is a supercar.

Heritage in Silver

Look along the flanks and you’ll notice subtle glints of Centenaire Silver — on the mirrors, the rear grille, the door handles, even the gurney flap. Little nods to the chrome trim of the 1960s 911s, anchoring this wild new beast firmly to its bloodline. Even the wheels — 20s at the front, 21s at the back — are Forest Green Metallic with silver pinstripes so fine you could shave with them.

It’s tasteful. It’s nostalgic. And it’s just theatrical enough to tell you that someone cared deeply about this car.

The Jungle Inside

Open the door and you’re greeted not by German minimalism, but by an interior that practically purrs. The cabin is wrapped in Cohiba Brown leather, stitched in Truffle Brown and Crema — a warm palette echoing the ocelot’s coat. The Pepita-pattern seat centres, in black, brown and cream, recall Porsche’s ‘60s racing heritage and the feline’s rosette markings in one clever stroke.

Then you spot it — embossed into the headrests — the silhouette of the ocelot itself. Not some over-the-top mural or gaudy logo, but a crisp outline inspired by Colombian wildlife road signs. A symbol not of dominance, but of coexistence. The rainforest and the racetrack, side by side.

Everywhere you look, there’s that same obsessive balance between homage and horsepower. The B-pillar badges read “Iconos de Latinoamérica”, the illuminated door sills quietly remind you of both anniversaries — 25 years of Porsche Latin America, 30 years of Autoelite. Even the luggage compartment has been upholstered in matching Cohiba Brown leather and Pepita fabric. You could eat your heart out, Louis Vuitton.

The Heart of the Matter

Underneath all this bespoke leatherwork and poetic symbolism beats the same naturally aspirated 4.0-litre flat-six you’ll find in a standard GT3 Touring. 502 bhp. 9,000 rpm. Six glorious gears to stir manually. And the sound — that shriek — as if the rainforest itself just roared back.

This car isn’t about speed figures or Nürburgring lap times (though, let’s be real, it would still embarrass most things with a roof and a number plate). It’s about meaning. It’s about connecting a continent’s culture and ecology to one of the most legendary shapes in motoring history.

Sonderwunsch, Rewilded

The Sonderwunsch programme itself is Porsche’s way of letting owners and artists turn dreams into driveable reality. Want a one-off colour? Done. A hand-stitched interior that tells your country’s story? Done. A leather-trimmed frunk? Sure, why not.

Back in the late ’70s, this programme birthed some of the wildest Porsches ever built. Now, it’s being reimagined for a new generation — one that cares about craftsmanship, culture, and continuity. The Ocelot is proof that personalisation doesn’t have to mean ostentation. It can mean poetry.

So here it is: a GT3 Touring that hums with the heartbeat of the Amazon. A car that celebrates 25 years of Porsche Latin America and 30 years of Autoelite with class, purpose, and feline elegance.

If Porsche ever wanted to prove that soul and speed can share the same chassis, this is it. The Ocelot is more than a car — it’s a statement that even in the age of electrification, the combustion-fired heart can still tell stories worth hearing.

It’s wild. It’s beautiful. And like the animal it’s named after, it may never be seen again.

Source: Porsche

NEW CARS

iCaur V27: China’s Defender Slayer Rolls Up Its Sleeves

Move over Land Rover and Toyota — there’s a new tough guy on the block, and it’s wearing a badge you’ve probably never heard of. Meet the iCaur V27, a burly new 4×4 from Chinese car-making behemoth Chery, which has clearly been eyeing the Defender 110 and Land Cruiser with a mix of admiration and quiet menace.

At first glance, the V27 looks every inch the off-roader: boxy stance, upright proportions, and enough purposeful cladding to make it look like it’s ready to chew through Mongolia before breakfast. It’s the biggest model yet from iCaur (known as iCar back home in China — until Apple’s lawyers got twitchy). Still, despite its bulk, it’s actually a touch shorter and narrower than the Defender, which means it might just squeeze into a British car park without tears.

Underneath the rugged styling lies something much more modern: a range-extender hybrid setup. There’s a 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine, but don’t expect it to drive the wheels — that’s not its job. Instead, it quietly hums away as a generator, feeding electrons to one or two electric motors depending on spec. In the dual-motor version, you’re looking at 449bhp, which means it’ll have enough grunt to fling its chunky frame up a muddy incline with a smug grin.

iCaur claims the V27 will go 124 miles on electric power alone, though that’s under China’s optimistic CLTC cycle — so maybe shave a few miles off in the real world. Combine the 33kWh battery with a full tank of fuel, however, and the total range balloons to over 621 miles. That’s Land Cruiser–beating endurance in theory, though we’ll need a real-world test to see if it delivers.

Inside? We’ll find out soon enough — the full interior reveal is pencilled in for 21 November. Expect lashings of leatherette, big screens, and more ambient lighting than a Shanghai nightclub.

Now for the kicker: price. In China, it starts at the equivalent of £27,000, which sounds laughably cheap for something with Defender aspirations. But once it crosses oceans and picks up taxes, shipping, and the usual “UK market adjustments,” it’ll likely land closer to the £50k+ mark. Still, if iCaur can maintain that spec-to-price ratio, Land Rover should start sweating.

And here’s the interesting bit: the V27’s platform is reportedly being evaluated for use in the upcoming Ineos Fusilier, suggesting that even the Brits are eyeing Chery’s engineering with interest. Not bad for a brand barely out of nappies.

With Chery, Omoda, and Jaecoo already gaining traction in the UK — the Jaecoo 7 even outsold the Nissan Qashqai last month — it’s clear that Chinese carmakers aren’t just knocking on the door anymore. They’re barging in, boots muddy and grins wide.

So when the iCaur V27 lands next year, expect more than raised eyebrows. Expect a proper showdown in the mud, the mountains, and maybe even the Waitrose car park.

Source: Autocar