新款 Mini Countryman 和新款 Volkswagen Tiguan 与 Volvo XC40
Mini and Volkswagen have launched new models to counter Volvo's family SUV workhorse, the XC40. Let's see if this means a change of manager......
competitor
全新 Mini Countryman C 专属 1 级
List price £34,640
The redesigned Countryman is much larger than its predecessor and more family-friendly. It's also the most powerful and cheapest car here
全新大众 Tiguan 1.5 eTSI 150 生活
List price £36,720
The latest version of the Volkswagen family SUV builds on the success model with the latest technology, an updated engine, and a larger interior
Volvo XC40 B3 core
List price £36,685
The XC40 has been around for several years, but it's still one of our favorite family SUVs, with an elegant and functional interior and a comfortable ride
Forgive us if you think we're saying something obvious, but SUV sales don't seem to show any signs of slowing down. In fact, it has been predicted that in just a few years, three-quarters of all new car registrations will be SUVs. This could mean that the number of SUVs parked outside homes in the UK will be nearly twice as many as the number of households with gaming consoles.
Currently, we have two new cars entering the family SUV segment. The first is the Mini Countryman. While its predecessor was a competitor to small SUVs like the Volkswagen T-Roc, this latest version has a significantly larger body size, so as you can imagine, it's more family-friendly. If you're no longer fit to drive a Mini Cooper hatchback, then this is definitely good news. The entry-level petrol version (known as the Countryman C) is powered by a 1.5-litre engine, and we're testing our recommended mid-range Exclusive interior, which includes a Level 1 option package worth £2,800 to cover all the equipment you might need.
In contrast, the evolution of the best-selling Volkswagen Tiguan has taken a more deliberate approach. This latest version features new technology, a slightly larger interior than its predecessor, and a more fuel-efficient engine. Considering the balance of performance and value for money, we prefer the mid-range Life interior and the more powerful of the two 1.5-liter petrol engines.
One of the main competitors of these two new cars is the Volvo XC40 – the 2018 Car of the Year and one of our favorite family SUVs. With a similar price to the Tiguan, you can buy this high-end model in the entry-level B3 petrol version and Core version. Over the years on the market, the XC40 has beaten new cars many times in our comparisons; Can it win again?
drive
Performance, ride, handling, refinement
While you won't choose any of our competitors for expecting impressive performance, they're fast enough for everyday driving. The Countryman's engine is at its most powerful (168 hp) and accelerates 0-60 mph in just 8.4 seconds, just over the 161-hp XC40 (8.7 seconds) and the 148-hp Tiguan (9.0 seconds).
The Countryman and XC40 also have plenty of mid-range power when you need to accelerate abruptly (for example, to highway speeds or overtake a slower car), while the Tiguan's engine has to work harder in the same situation.
To compensate for this, the Tiguan's automatic transmission shifts faster than the competition, with the quickest downshift response when the accelerator pedal is pressed. Luckily, it shifts as smoothly as the gearboxes of the Countryman and XC40. The Countryman and Tiguan may be a little hesitant to start from a standstill, though, while the XC40 reacts faster, so it's the smoothest and easiest ride in town.
Since the Tiguan's engine reaches the higher end of the rev range more often, it tends to be the noisiest of the three. Except for some turbocharger whistles, passengers are completely cut off from the XC40's engine, while the Countryman's (three-cylinder engine, while the other four-cylinder) engine hums farther away. At highway speeds, the Tiguan produces slightly louder road noise than other models, but not enough to have a huge impact on the overall quiet; All three cars are fairly quiet cruising cars.
Whether you're running errands in town or traveling long distances, the XC40 is the most comfortable companion. It best isolates passengers from bumps and potholes, providing a calm, comfortable ride.
The Countryman isn't inferior, either, though it's slightly bulkier than the XC40 at low speeds. The Tiguan is the smoothest of the three, it cushions bumps well, maintains comfort, and has the advantage of being the most tightly controlled on undulating roads with little to no vertical wobble.
The Tiguan's steering system is moderately weighted and confident, and its uncluttered body controls allow you to speed through country roads at a pleasant pace. At medium speeds, it feels the most agile of all our competitors, although its front tires lose grip the fastest if you push it hard in corners.
The XC40 is the softest of the cars and has the best driving experience when driving smoothly. The body slopes heavily when cornering, the nose sinks when braking, and the lightweight steering system does not provide a strong sense of connection with the front wheels. Although it has a stronger cornering grip than the Tiguan, drivers often have to believe that it exists. The Countryman is a hybrid of the two, with better grip than the Tiguan and better body control than the XC40. However, the steering, while more powerful than the XC40, is the easiest to pull your hand on when accelerating out of corners.
All three cars' mild hybrid systems turn the engine on or off quickly and smoothly when you're parked, but the Tiguan also has a coasting feature that further reduces fuel consumption (more on that later). All three cars use regenerative braking to collect power when you press the brake pedal. While the XC40 and Countryman (which also have the most responsive brake pedal) are easy to stop smoothly, the Tiguan has a hard time judging how much pressure to apply to make a smooth stop.
新款 Mini Countryman 和新款大众 Tiguan 与沃尔沃 XC40：内饰
Mini and Volkswagen have launched new models to counter Volvo's family SUV workhorse, the XC40. Let's see if this means a change of manager......
drive
Driving position, visibility, build quality
Each of our models offers a condescending driving position that gives you a clear view of the dashboard and hood. In terms of all-round visibility, the Volkswagen Tiguan is the best; The Mini Countryman and Volvo XC40 have thicker rear pillars, making it a little difficult to see behind your shoulders. Thankfully, all three cars are equipped with rearview cameras and rear parking sensors to help with low-speed maneuvering. While the Countryman and Tiguan also include front parking sensors, you'll have to upgrade to a Plus or Ultra trim to use them on the XC40.
Each car's seats have plenty of room to adjust to keep you at the right distance from the pedals, but the Countryman (unlike its competitors) doesn't have enough room for steering wheel adjustment. The Countryman is also the only car here that doesn't come with adjustable lumbar support (it's only available as part of the £7500 Level 3 package, without which the lower back support is poor). What's more, the fixed headrest pushes your head very forward, while the steering wheel shifts slightly to the right, which means the driver quickly becomes restless.
Volkswagen Tiguan
The XC40's digital dashboard is fairly basic, with no layout options, which somewhat betrays its age. Countryman doesn't really have a dashboard, but if you specify the Level 1 kit, that car does have a head-up display (which projects key information like vehicle speed onto a plexiglass panel in line of sight). Sadly, you'll have to look at the round infotainment screen to see most of the other content. Tiguan's digital dashboard, on the other hand, stands out for being clear and highly customizable.
We're glad to see that our competitors all have physical steering wheel controls that are intuitive and easy to use, but physical dashboard controls are rare. Most of the functions are located on its infotainment touchscreen (or performed via voice commands), including the Air-Conditioning feature of the Countryman and XC40. While the Tiguan has separate touch-screen sliders below the screen to adjust the temperature, these sliders are no more distracting to use while driving than pressing the touchscreen in other models.
In terms of interior quality, the XC40 can still learn a trick or two from its newer rivals, with most surfaces on the dashboard and doors covered in tight-touch, soft-touch materials. The door storage compartment is lined with a felt-like material that reduces vibration, while the cheap, scratch-prone plastic hides better than the Countryman and Tiguan.
While the Tiguan struggled to cover the dashboard and the upper part of the doors with a leather-like material, it only applied it to the front doors (and the XC40's door rear was similarly luxuriously trimmed).
The Countryman's interior looks luxurious, with knitted fabrics bringing in some color but not feeling as sturdy, and textured plastic making it difficult to hide its stiff nature.
Infotainment system
Mini redneck
The 9.6-inch round touchscreen looks very clear and has a variety of colorful themes to choose from, but it's more style than substance. With a lot of information on the screen and very busy, menus could be more logical to help you find what you're looking for. It's a shame that phone mirroring only takes up a small portion of the screen, and even the upgraded Level 2 or Level 3 sound system sounds a bit bland. We haven't tried the standard system yet.
Volkswagen Tiguan
The 12.9-inch touchscreen is equipped with the brand's latest software and is a big improvement over the old Volkswagen system in terms of usability. It's clear and responsive, plus you get customizable icons for quick access to the features you use most. If that's not enough, you can opt for the larger 15.0-inch screen, which is part of the £1100 Infotainment Suite Plus. The sound system is punchy, but the sound quality is actually quite deep. The Harman Kardon upgrade costs £1420.
Volvo XC40
Although the 9.0-inch portrait touchscreen responds quickly enough to input, it can be a challenge to see what's on the screen because everything is fairly small and it's hard to tap the icons while driving. It has one of the best (Google-based) navigation systems, though, and voice control is also the best when it comes to recognizing voices. The standard sound system sounds pretty bland, and you'll have to choose top-of-the-line Ultra trim to get an upgraded Harman Kardon setup.
新款 Mini Countryman 和新款大众 Tiguan 与沃尔沃 XC40：实用性
Mini and Volkswagen have launched new models to counter Volvo's family SUV workhorse, the XC40. Let's see if this means a change of manager......
Space and practicality
Front space, rear space, seat flexibility, luggage
Space and practicality are important considerations for any family SUV, and thankfully, none of our competitors have made serious mistakes in this regard.
Even if the front seat passengers are taller than average, they will find plenty of legroom and headroom, and there is no danger of hitting their shoulders. While the panoramic glass roof installed on our Mini Countryman test car (which is part of the Level 3 kit) doesn't have much of an impact on headroom, it would have been more headroom if the panoramic glass roof hadn't been installed.
The Volvo XC40 doesn't have as much legroom in the rear as other models, but it's still enough for a six-foot-tall person, while headroom is great for all models. The middle passenger of each vehicle must straddle the floor bulge with their legs, but the Countryman's seat base is flatter and slightly more comfortable to sit on; Other models have seats that are more suitable for two passengers on the outside.
While the XC40's rear seats are fixed, the Countryman and Volkswagen Tiguan come with reclining seat backs, which can improve comfort on long journeys and free up some extra headroom when leaning back. In addition, their rear seats are 60/40 split and can be slid forward or backward, freeing up extra space in the trunk in exchange for some rear legroom.
The Countryman and XC40 come with a power tailgate, while this feature on the Tiguan is optional and is part of the £905 Comfort Package. Open the tailgate, and you'll find that the Countryman has a higher loading edge than the other models, and the trunk floor is slightly sagging. The XC40's loading floor is flush with the inlet, making it easy to slide in heavier items, while the Tiguan's height-adjustable floor is also easy to slide in heavier items when tuned to the highest position.
Lower the Tiguan's floor to the lowest position, and you'll get the largest loading area in the group, with a height and total capacity large enough to accommodate nine carry-on suitcases under its loading lid. The XC40 can accommodate seven suitcases, while the Countryman can only accommodate five, partly due to its shorter trunk length.
Mini redneck
Luggage compartment 460-1450 liters luggage 5
Volkswagen Tiguan
行李箱652-na 升行李箱9
Volvo XC40
Trunk capacity: 443-1336 liters, trunk 7
新款 Mini Countryman 和新款大众 Tiguan 与沃尔沃 XC40：成本
Mini and Volkswagen have launched new models to counter Volvo's family SUV workhorse, the XC40. Let's see if this means a change of manager......
Buy and own
Cost, equipment, reliability, safety and security
If you're planning to buy outright, the Mini Countryman is the cheapest option, priced a few thousand dollars less than its competitors. If you're willing to bargain or buy online through our new car trading service, the price remains the same even after the discount.
The Countryman will also be the cheapest model for private buyers over the next three years, largely because it is expected to depreciate at a slower rate than its competitors.
However, at the time of writing, the Volvo XC40 has some cracked PCP financing deals that may tempt you to go this route.
Since the manufacturer paid a £4000 deposit for our core model, the minimum payment was £419 per month, compared to £502 for the Countryman and £551 for the Volkswagen Tiguan (which had a much smaller deposit of £750). In each case, this is based on a three-year contract with a deposit of £3600 and a limit of 10,000 miles per year.
For corporate car drivers, Countryman is cheaper and has a lower benefit tax rate, which means that when paying monthly expenses by sacrificing salary, the monthly expenses are minimal.
"Countryman has the lowest purchase cost and the cheapest for private buyers", while the XC40 costs £20 more per month than the Tiguan.
In terms of fuel costs, the three cars are fairly close, with the Tiguan's actual fuel economy figure of 38.1mpg on our test route, slightly higher than the Countryman's 37.2mpg and the XC40's 35.6mpg.
All competing models come standard with keyless ignition and cruise control, but only the Countryman comes with keyless entry, a heated steering wheel, and faux leather upholstery. For simplicity, the Countryman only has three optional packages, while the Tiguan can be customized with numerous packages and individual options. The XC40 has fewer options, but you can specify larger wheels and a climate package (£700) that includes heating for the steering wheel, outboard rear seats and windshield.
These iterations of the Countryman and Tiguan are too new to appear in the latest What Car? reliability survey, but the XC40 ranks 22nd out of 34 family SUV models. The Mini is third on the brand list (32 models in total), while Volvo is ninth. Volkswagen ranked even lower, at 22nd.
The average warranty for all three vehicles is three years, although there is no mileage limit for the Countryman, while the other models have a maximum warranty of 60,000 miles.
Countryman and Tiguan have not yet undergone safety testing by the European New Car Assessment Association (Euro NCAP). The XC40 received the highest five-star rating in the 2018 test, indicating a good level of protection for adults in a head-on crash. Each vehicle is equipped with a large number of active safety aids.
Second-hand alternatives
2022 款奥迪 Q5 45 TFSI
With other cars here for about the same price, you can buy a larger and more premium used Audi Q5. The car is fitted with a smooth and powerful 261 hp mild hybrid petrol engine under the hood, which is a great driving experience and sophistication; It is a very relaxing car when traveling long distances. Its interior is one of the best in its class: elegant and made of top-quality materials.
The new Mini Countryman and the new Volkswagen Tiguan vs. Volvo XC40: Reviews
Mini and Volkswagen have launched new models to counter Volvo's family SUV workhorse, the XC40. Let's see if this means a change of manager......
Our verdict
The latest Countryman is more recommendable, more practical, and better to drive than its predecessor, and we can see the appeal of its stylish interior. However, it has more trivial compromises to endure than the other two competing models. It should have won the "Best Improvement Award" in this group, but it didn't improve as well as its competitors.
It's much harder to choose between the Tiguan and the XC40. Considering their list prices are very similar, it will be a no-brainer for some private buyers to opt for the higher-end XC40, and the enticing PCP financing deal should not be overlooked. With a relatively low monthly payment, you can get the best interior quality, the smoothest driving style, and the most comfortable ride.
The Tiguan is the most practical of all our competitors, and it has a huge trunk, which is the biggest attraction for a lot of people. While the Tiguan didn't have any major flaws, its higher cost and slightly rougher engine worked against it, so it narrowly lost out to the XC40.
1st place – Volvo XC40
Advantages: the smoothest power transmission; The ride is the most comfortable; The interiors are the most luxurious; The trunk is beautifully shaped; The driving position is condescending; PCP offers are enticing; Adequate security suite Cons:
Lack of flexibility in the rear seats; poor posterior vision; There are few options
2nd place – Volkswagen Tiguan
Pros: the largest luggage; Rear seats have the most space; The infotainment system is the best; The most responsive handling
Cons: PCP financing has the highest purchase price; The ride is a bit bumpy; Brakes are prone to problems; The engine is the weakest and the noisiest
Recommended options: Comfort Pack (£905), Winter Kit (£425)
第三名——Mini Countryman
Advantages: Strong performance; Cheapest to buy directly; Rear seats are flexible; Projected depreciation is the slowest disadvantage driving position
Under the weather; The quality of the interior needs to be improved; The trunk is comparatively smaller
Recommended option: None
规格：Mini Countryman C Exclusive Level 1
Engine 3-cylinder, 1499cc, turbocharged, petrol
峰值功率168bhp @ 4700-6500rpm
峰值扭矩207lb ft @ 1500-4400rpm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic
0-60mph 8.4sec
30-70mph 7.7sec
Top speed 132mph
制动 30-0mph 8.4m
制动 70-0mph 45.1m 30mph
Noise 61.0dB
70mph 噪音66.9dB
The curb weight is 1620kg
Tire size (standard) 225/55 R18
Fuel tank 54 liters
Tested fuel economy 37.2mpg
Official fuel economy 47.9mpg
CO2 排放量134g/km
规格: 大众 Tiguan 1.5 eTSI 150 Life
Engine 4-cylinder, 1498cc, turbocharged, petrol
峰值功率148bhp @ 5000-6000rpm
峰值扭矩185lb ft @ 1500-3500rpm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic, curb weight 1616kg
0-60mph 9.0 秒
30-70mph 8.5 秒
Top speed 130mph
制动 30-0mph 8.7m
制动 70-0mph 45.5m
30mph 时噪音60.0dB
70mph 时噪音67.3dB
Curb weight 1616kg
Tire size (standard) 235/55 R18
Fuel tank: 55 liters
Tested fuel economy 38.1mpg
Official fuel economy 45.6mpg
CO2 排放量141g/km
Specifications: Volvo XC40 B3 core
Engine 4-cylinder, 1969cc, turbocharged, petrol
峰值功率161bhp @ 4750-5250rpm
峰值扭矩195lb ft @ 1500-4000rpm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic
0-60mph 8.7 秒
30-70mph 8.2 秒
Top speed 112mph
制动 30-0mph 8.7m
制动 70-0mph 44.8m
30mph 时噪音60.4dB
70mph 时噪音66.8dB
Curb weight 1688kg
Tire size (standard) 235/55 R18
Fuel tank 54 liters
Tested fuel economy 35.6mpg
Official fuel economy 42.7mpg
CO2 排放量150g/km