MINI Countryman Untamed Edition: The Off-Road Countryman Is Finally Here

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MINI’s off-road Countryman is official, and it arrives wearing a familiar name. The MINI Countryman Untamed Edition, revealed today at Lake Tahoe days before the brand’s Rebelle Rally debut, brings a suspension lift, newly developed Pirelli all-terrain tires, recalibrated chassis electronics, new underbody protection and the first matt paint MINI has put into series production. It is the most capable Countryman MINI has ever sold through a showroom, and in North America it’s the most complete version of the idea.

It also lines up almost point for point with what we first reported in 2025 and have tracked through Colorado testing and the Rebelle Rally entry. The question was never whether MINI would build it. It was whether MINI would build a more capable Countryman or just a better-dressed one. The answer depends heavily on where you live.

Mostly what we expected and a few things we didn’t

Our original reporting described a subtle lift, unique wheels, all-terrain tires and revised trim inside and out, and Holger Hampf later confirmed the car was engineered with off-road intent from the start. All of that holds. The lift is 15 mm, the wheels are bespoke 19s, the tires are a Pirelli developed specifically for this car, and the design changes run well beyond a graphics pack.

The suspension is where that reporting mattered most. We expected a reworked, firmer setup with a subtle lift rather than a pile of bolt-on hardware, and that’s what MINI delivered. It paired the lift with recalibrated ABS, DSC and steering, all tuned around the new ride height and tires. In our look at what might be under the skin, we explored how far MINI could push the concept, from terrain modes to more ambitious suspension options. MINI took the simpler path. For a Countryman that still has to be a comfortable daily driver, that’s a defensible choice.

The name is the real surprise. MINI’s own teasers leaned on Rugged Edition, a badge MINI South Africa had already used on a 100-unit paint-and-tires run in January. Instead, MINI has brought back Untamed, a name we once called arguably the worst MINI had ever used when it appeared on the F60 Countryman. Fourteen thousand miles in our own F60 Untamed won us over on the car, if not the name. Still, the old car was mechanically identical to any other Countryman. This one finally gives the name something to live up to.

The technical changes are small numbers with real consequences

The suspension lift is 15 mm, which translates to up to 19 mm of additional ground clearance depending on market and powertrain. MINI doesn’t break down where the extra 4 mm comes from, but the taller all-terrain tyre is the likely contributor. Approach and breakover angles are improved, though MINI hasn’t published figures yet.

For perspective, the 2020 X-Raid Countryman ran a 40 mm lift. This is a measured step rather than an overlanding kit, and that’s deliberate. It keeps the Countryman a Countryman, with the U25’s on-road composure largely intact, rather than turning it into a caricature of something from Moab.

The tires matter more than the lift. The Pirelli Scorpion All Terrain Plus is new, and it replaces the approach MINI has taken until now: port-installed General Grabber AT3s on the US Adventure packages and the South African car. We described those as grip, not engineering. The difference here is that ABS, DSC and steering have been tuned around the tyre, so the car’s electronics actually know what’s on the corners.

There’s a tension in the wheel choice. Nineteen inches is a lot of wheel for an all-terrain tyre, since sidewall is exactly what you want when airing down on rocks or washboard. It’s also what preserves steering precision and handling on tarmac, where these cars will spend nearly all their lives. MINI chose the road, and for most buyers that’s the right call.

Then there’s all-wheel drive. MINI’s release leans hard on ALL4, but three of the five launch variants (C, D and E) are front-wheel drive. Only the S ALL4 and SE ALL4 send power to both axles. A front-drive Untamed on all-terrain rubber will be perfectly happy on a gravel road to a trailhead. It is not the car the dust-cloud press photo implies.

Load ratings round it out. An optional tow bar allows up to 2,000 kg, while roof load is 75 kg on the move and 300 kg when parked. That static figure is the one that matters, because it’s what makes the new roof tent viable with two adults inside.

The roof tent and camping kit are the lifestyle play

The tent is developed with Italian specialist AUTOHOME and opens in seconds thanks to integrated gas struts. The hard shell and tent are handcrafted in Italy, with a glass-fibre reinforced construction for insulation and durability, plus panoramic openings. MINI and AUTOHOME aren’t new partners; an F60 Countryman carried one of their tents through the Swedish archipelago in 2022, back when those accessories simply weren’t sold in North America. Given that this car’s strongest specification is the North American one, it would be odd if that remained true.

MINI has also partnered with HELINOX on a camping collection of folding chairs and tables in Untamed design. Pleasant, lightweight, and exactly the kind of thing that looks better in a launch video than it will ever matter to the car.

How the Untamed Edition differs by market

This is where the story gets interesting. Depending on the market, the Untamed Edition will be offered on the Countryman C, D, S ALL4, E and SE ALL4. There’s no JCW. But the hardware that actually makes it more capable is split sharply by region.

Market	15 mm suspension lift	Pirelli Scorpion All Terrain Plus tires
United States and Canada	Available on all Untamed variants	Standard
Europe	Electric models only (E, SE ALL4)	Optional
Other regions	Not specified	Aftersales equipment

North America gets the real thing. Every Untamed variant can have the lift, and the all-terrain tires come standard. MINI USA hasn’t confirmed its variants, but since it doesn’t sell the Countryman C or the diesel, expect the US lineup to centre on the S ALL4 and SE ALL4. That’s fitting. The Rocky Mountain testing, the Rebelle Rally entry and the Lake Tahoe dateline all tell you which market this car was built for.

Europe is more complicated. The lift is reserved for the electric models, and the tires are an option. Our read, and it is analysis rather than anything MINI has said, is that this comes down to emissions. A taller Countryman on knobbier tires carries more drag and rolling resistance, which would push WLTP CO2 figures up on the combustion cars at a time when every gram counts against fleet targets. An EV pays for the same changes in range, not grams.

The consequence is that a European Countryman C Untamed on standard tires is, mechanically, very close to a regular Countryman C. It gets the grille, the underbody pieces and the interior, but not the lift. That’s essentially the F60 Untamed formula again: a strong design edition wearing an adventurous name.

Range deserves a note too. MINI quotes the standard WLTP figures for the electric models, 454 to 500 km for the Countryman E and 424 to 467 km for the SE ALL4, which reflect the range increase that arrived with March 2026 production. No Untamed-specific numbers have been published. With a lift and all-terrain tires, expect the real-world figure to land at the low end of those ranges or below.

The exterior finally looks the part

The design centrepiece is a reworked front grille with vertically oriented geometry and angular inserts, framed by a surround in a new accent finish called Dark Steel. It makes the front end look more upright and more purposeful, which is precisely what the U25’s face needed for this role.

Below that, new side sills, redesigned front and rear underbody protection elements and a newly sculpted rear diffuser add bulk. Textured matt black protective films cover the wheel arches, side sills and the Power Dome, the raised section of the bonnet, guarding against stone chips. Films are a clever way to add texture and protection without the weight or bulk of plastic cladding, though they’re protection from gravel, not from rocks. How robust those underbody elements actually are is one of the first things we want to see in person.

Dark Steel is doing a lot of work here. It covers the MINI emblems front and rear, the Countryman lettering, the grille surround and the underbody pieces. The Untamed logo, now a stylised mountain motif, sits on the C-pillar rather than splashed across the side scuttles as it was on the F60.

The new 19-inch Untamed Edition Spoke wheel takes its cue from classic off-road steel wheels, with five heavy spokes, technical fastening details and a Dark Steel MINI wordmark on the centre cap. It’s the most convincing wheel design MINI has done for the U25 so far.

Five colours are offered. Hideaway Grey, Nomad Blue and Frozen Nomad Blue are exclusive to the edition, with Nanuq White and Midnight Black also available, and roofs in Glazed White or Jet Black. Frozen Nomad Blue is the first matt finish in MINI series production, and it suits the Countryman’s surfacing, making its contours read more clearly than any gloss colour does.

Inside, outdoor gear is the brief

The cabin borrows from technical outdoor equipment. The headline is a set of Vescin Nightshade Blue sport seats, combining perforated Vescin with knitted surfaces at the shoulders and headrests. The knit pattern is inspired by rock formations, with Cornflower Blue piping and stitching and an integrated Untamed mountain logo.

Knit continues on the dashboard and door panels in a new Millennial Melange tone, dark grey over a blue base. Interior accents switch from Vibrant Silver to Dark Steel, with Cornflower Blue on the steering wheel strap and spoke. The centre console storage box gets a chunkier shape with elastic retaining straps that reference backpacks and climbing gear. Rubber floor mats and a matching boot mat, with a three-dimensional rock pattern, are the kind of practical detail that actually earns its place in an adventure edition.

It’s a thoughtful interior, if a more restrained one than the F60 Untamed’s Highland Green leather, which remains some of the best seating MINI has offered. Whether Vescin and knit can match that is something only time in the car will answer.

Production, timing and price

Production begins at BMW Group Plant Leipzig in November 2026, with market launch in early 2027. Pricing hasn’t been announced. With the Countryman S ALL4 already at $40,500 before destination, our expectation is that a US-spec Untamed S ALL4 lands in the mid-$40,000s.

Our take

This is the Countryman MINI needed. Nobody was asking for a MINI-badged Defender or Wrangler. What many owners and shoppers wanted was a Countryman that’s slightly more capable on a forest road or a snowy trailhead, and one that looks the part when it gets there. The Untamed Edition delivers exactly that, and it’s smarter for knowing where to stop.

The name is the regret. It was a misstep on the F60 special edition, and it hasn’t improved with a second outing. It’s the kind of word that might land differently for non-native English speakers, but to native ears it tries far too hard. A car this carefully judged deserved a name with the same restraint.

Everything else is a genuine upgrade. The wheels look fantastic, and even the graphics, from the textured films to the mountain logo on the C-pillar, are more interesting than they had any right to be. Frozen Nomad Blue gives MINI its first matt paint at series level, and it suits the car. Most importantly, the mechanical changes underneath aren’t there for show. The lift, the tires and the retuned electronics are critical to what this car is meant to do, and they’re what separates it from the dress-up editions that came before.

The market split says the most

MINI has spent more than a decade building off-road credibility it never sold, from the Dakar-winning X-Raid Countryman to the Beachcomber and Clubman Scrambler concepts. The Untamed Edition is the first time that story reaches a dealer lot with real engineering attached, and the fact that North America gets the most complete version is telling. MINI clearly sees this car as a way to compete for buyers who would otherwise look at a Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness or a lifted rival, not just as another trim.

It won’t satisfy anyone hoping for air suspension, terrain modes or a JCW version. But with the next Countryman moving to Neue Klasse in 2032, the more interesting question is whether Untamed becomes a permanent part of the range rather than a one-generation experiment. If it sells in America the way MINI clearly expects, it will be.

We’ll have first-hand photos and impressions from the debut shortly.

2027 MINI Countryman Untamed Edition Photo Gallery

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