Mini Countryman vs Isuzu MU-X
What's the difference?

Mini Countryman

$45,900 - $81,800

2025 price

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Isuzu MU-X

$49,900 - $77,100

2026 price

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Polestar 2 Long Range

Polestar 2 Standard Range

Summary

2025 Mini Countryman

2026 Isuzu MU-X

By Emily Agar

By Marcus Craft

Safety Rating

Engine Type

Inline 4, 2.0L

Diesel Turbo 4, 3.0L

Fuel Type

Premium Unleaded Petrol

Diesel

Fuel Efficiency

7.7L/100km (combined)

8.3L/100km (combined)

Seating

Likes

Gorgeous Mini styling
Strong on-road performance
Lots of personalisation available

Suitably refined on-road (for a 4WD wagon!)
Retains off-road capability
Eight-speed auto is good. (It should be in the 3.0-litre as well)

Dislikes

Lacking a few features for a top-grade model
An expensive endeavour for a Mini
Not much separates the two trim levels

Extra gruff
Laggy take-off
More power and torque wouldn't hurt

2025 Mini Countryman Summary

The Mini Countryman is the not-so-mini cousin to the iconic and smaller Mini Cooper.

The new generation offers a larger body-size, fun new interiors and a whole suite of updated technology.

We're in the flagship John Cooper Works grade in Favoured trim to find out if this small SUV is still urban-friendly and fun after all of these changes.

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2026 Isuzu MU-X Summary

Isuzu’s 3.0-litre MU-X has attracted plenty of fans over the years – and for good reason: it’s a seven-seat 4WD wagon packed with features, driver-assist tech and it has a decent 4WD set-up including a recalibrated rough terrain mode.

But the Japanese brand's 1.9-litre experiment has now officially ended – it’s a Gary-goner. So, for this test I’m driving its replacement: the 2.2L MU-X. This 4WD wagon has a, you guessed it, 2.2-litre engine – offering better claimed fuel consumption than the 3.0L, as well as an eight-speed automatic transmission and idle stop-start technology. And this MU-X has the same 3.5 tonne towing capacity as the 3.0-litre version, that’s 500kg more than the outgoing 1.9L MU-X.

So, how does this new 2.2L MU-X perform off-road? And does it make more sense as an adventure wagon than its 3.0L stablemate?

Read on.

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Deep dive comparison

2025 Mini Countryman 2026 Isuzu MU-X

Verdict

The new Mini Countryman John Cooper Works in Favoured trim offers everything you’d expect it to - the iconic Mini styling, a powerful driving performance and a well-equipped cabin. It’s a wonderfully quick urban dweller that you can park anywhere but is just as happy on the open-road. For me, this is pure fun and offers more personality than a lot of its rivals.

Verdict

The MU-X has plenty of appeal as a daily driver – dependable and it’s a proven 4WD wagon.

Does the 2.2-litre engine add anything substantial to the mix?

Well, it's better than the 1.9-litre, that's for sure, and there's a lot to like about this MU-X in terms of its off-road capability, driver-assist tech, standard features and all-round driveability. And, while the LS-T lacks the top-shelf polish of the X-Terrain, it’s still an appealing potential purchase.

But the 3.0-litre option is better because while the 2.2L is very effective off-road and general day-to-day driving, it lacks grunt and has to work that much harder and is that much noisier under load than the 3.0-litre in most driving scenarios, including 4WDing.

Mini Countryman vs Isuzu MU-X What's the difference?

Summary

Deep dive comparison

Verdict

Verdict

Mini Countryman vs Isuzu MU-X
What's the difference?