A MINI Shouldn’t Survive A Trail This Rough. The Countryman Untamed Did

On the first stretch of MINI’s off-road course at Twin Peaks, a loose dirt climb above Lake Tahoe, I was already picturing the social media captions: “Even my VW Golf can do that.” Then the trail turned steep, the rocks got big and the holes got bigger, and more than once I was sure the 2027 MINI Countryman Untamed was about to break something underneath. It never did.

The US unveil came right after MINI Takes the States wrapped its California weekend at Lake Tahoe, where off-road-ready vehicles are everyday transport and real trails start close to the water. MINI picked the most extreme course it could have, and I’m glad it did, because the Countryman Untamed can do far more than its marketing photos suggest. It’s a good first attempt at an off-roader MINI, and it left me convinced MINI should go much bolder with whatever comes next.

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The Untamed is essentially an edition package for the U25 Countryman, and it’s not limited in numbers. In the US it comes on the 241-hp Countryman S ALL4 and the 308-hp electric SE ALL4, and I drove the S ALL4. Both get a 15 mm (0.6-inch) lift that adds up to 0.75 inches of ground clearance (8.75 inches on the S ALL4, 8.15 on the SE), 245/45 R19 Pirelli Scorpion All Terrain Plus tires developed for this edition, and a factory hitch rated for 3,500 pounds as standard.

The lift comes from longer dampers on the standard springs, with one non-adjustable setting. MINI says it improves approach and breakover angles, but it hasn’t published the numbers. The Experience Modes are unchanged, and the software work is in the ABS, DSC and steering, recalibrated for the height and tires.

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North America is the only region where every Untamed gets ALL4, the lift and the tires. The UK fits the lift only to the SE, and mainland Europe only to the electric E and SE ALL4. The S ALL4 Untamed starts at $43,900 before destination ($45,250 with it), and MINI hasn’t priced the SE yet. UK prices run from £33,595 for the front-drive C to £40,775 for the SE, just £250 more than the S, and in Germany the package adds €4,700. Production starts at Plant Leipzig in November, and the first cars should reach US dealers around January.

Dealers will also sell the Medium AUTOHOME roof tent for about $5,000. It sleeps two adults and a child, and according to MINI, it uses most of the roof’s 165-pound driving limit (661 pounds parked). Closed, it adds about 12 inches of height, so check your garage first. MINI has also teamed up with HELINOX on folding camp chairs and tables in Untamed styling.

Beyond the lift and tires, the Untamed is a styling job: a new grille with angular vertical inserts, Dark Steel trim and front and rear underbody guards, new sills and a rear diffuser, and textured matte film on the arches, sills and hood to fend off stone chips. The five-spoke wheels mimic old-school steelies, a mountain logo finally gives the oversized C-pillar something to do, and Frozen Nomad Blue is MINI’s first series-production matte paint. It joins Nomad Blue and Hideaway Grey as colors exclusive to the Untamed. Inside, knit fabrics patterned after rock formations cover the seats, dash and doors.

How The Untamed Handled A Steep, Rocky Trail At Twin Peaks

That opening dirt climb was a good test of traction on slippery surfaces. I floored it several times on the way up, and the traction was always there as long as I didn’t let the speed drop too much. I can’t think of another MINI that finds this much grip on loose dirt, and the quick steering made it easy to place the car as the surface kept changing. Where a road calibration would cut power at the first slip and kill momentum, MINI’s retune lets ALL4 and the traction control keep these tires digging in.

Then it got steep and aggressive, with big rocks, granite slabs, huge holes and little room to maneuver around them. The Countryman Untamed managed it anyway, even with drivers like me who don’t have much off-road experience.

On terrain like this the car often hangs one wheel in the air, and with no low-range gearbox or locking differentials, it relies on that retuned traction control to keep moving. Three-quarters of an inch doesn’t sound like much, but it got the nose over a few approaches I’d have hesitated to try in a regular Countryman.

There were a few spots where we felt this was it, something underneath would break. The skid plates front and rear are plastic and only lightly reworked, and the bottom of the front bumper is the first thing to touch on steep approaches, so this is where MINI has the most room to improve. Also, keep in mind that you will accept some risk of damage on a course like this.

Coming back down, the terrain went from rocks and holes back to slippery sand and dirt, and the car kept finding enough grip to inspire confidence. It was fun too, with the tail swinging out a bit whenever I floored it on the loose stuff and it was a lot of fun.

Could it do even more on bigger tires? Commenters on social media think so, and they have a point: a 245/45 R19 has only about 4.3 inches of sidewall to soak up rocks, and a taller tire would add clearance too. MINI says these Pirellis are the best balance between off-road ability and on-road comfort. A bigger lift was out too, since MINI says the taller nose would clash with European pedestrian-protection rules.

Is The Countryman Untamed Livable On The Road?

The drive back to the hotel, over smooth and rough pavement, tested the suspension. The ride was adequate for a short drive, but you feel the stiffer setup without a doubt, and it isn’t as comfortable as a regular Countryman. The taller stance and chunkier tread also bring a little more lean in corners and a softer turn-in. The cabin is louder as well, though never intrusive, and I’ll measure the difference with a decibel test during a longer drive.

The upside of the tire profile is that you feel a lot through the steering wheel, on and off road. For me it’s an easy trade, because I love the look of off-road cars and can live with a little extra noise to have one.

Overall, the Countryman Untamed delivers off-road, and the American car, with ALL4, the lift, the tires and the hitch standard, is the version that does it best. The hardware is modest and the design mostly skin-deep, so MINI has plenty of room to go further, starting with metal skid plates and taller tires. The Golf joke didn’t survive Twin Peaks, and I’m hoping the Untamed is just the beginning.