JOHN MURDOCH'S DRIVE TIME: We get behind the wheel of the new MINI Countryman John Cooper Works and discuss how Mazda is increasing the warranty on its new cars

The John Cooper Works' quadruple exhausts make it stand out from the crowd.

In this instalment of John Murdoch's Drive Time, John gets behind the wheel of the new MINI Countryman John Cooper Works model and discusses how Mazda is increasing the warranty on all its new cars from the start of next month.

The latest Countryman is the largest MINI to date and it offers lots of space and stacks of style as well as lots more MINI characteristics that you expect from the brand.

In this third and latest generation of the Countryman there is room for four adults to travel in comfort and surprisingly it is larger than some of the opposition - including the Ford Puma.

The John Cooper Works version I have been driving is the flagship of the range and its two-tone paintjob and and quadruple exhausts make it stand out from the crowd and its funky looks mean it gets lots of attention.

This SUV version of the iconic MINI gives the driver almost 300bhp to play with as well as all wheel drive and sports suspension.

The car may be bigger and heavier than before but the JCW version is impressively quick and is still agile and athletic.

I liked its style and think it looks better than the regular five-door MINI.

The steering is sharp and body roll is minimal, allowing you to have fun on twisty roads.

The ride is not harsh despite the sports suspension and it always feels composed.

The JCW is also very quick and 62mph arrives in just 5.4 seconds, making it faster than most hot-hatches and its exhaust just increases the fun.

Its extra height provides excellent visibility and you can select from three driving modes, Eco, Mid for general driving and Go-Kart for when you want to dial up the fun.

The 1.5 engine featured in the normal Countryman is ditched for this 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine which sounds sporty when revved and is responsive and eager.

One of the main attractions of the MINI is its retro styling, both externally and in the cabin.

The new interior is both premium and ultra smart, blending tradition with state of the art tech and new materials.

A massive crystal clear round OLED touchscreen operates everything from climate control to sat nav and media.

Gone are the switches and toggles of the past but some may still long for them - especially for heating control.

Passengers now have greater comfort thanks to the increase in cabin size and head, leg and shoulder room is generous and compares well with others in the sector.

Luggage space at 460 litres is more than ample and the rear seats slide forward to allow extra cargo room.

With the rear seats folded there’s 1530 litres of luggage space available.

The two sets of twin exhausts produce a pleasing sporty sound on acceleration but at cruising speeds the JCW is very quiet and refined.

The seven-speed DSG auto box is an ideal companion to the engine and makes driving a pleasure.

As usual the price you pay for performance is economy and I struggled to get better than 35mpg during my time with the car, but it did not put me off this JCW version of the Countryman.

There is a lot to like about the new Countryman and if you don't want, or cannot afford, the sporting JCW, lesser versions start from just over £29,000 and offer just as much style and space.

Iconic, practical and family friendly, the Countryman delivers more fun than any other SUV or Crossover and is guaranteed to put a smile on your face.

FAST FACTS:

Price: From £42,750.

Mechanical: 2.0-litre, 4cyl, 296bhp, petrol engine driving four wheels via automatic gearbox.

Max speed: 155mph.

0-62mph: 5.4 seconds.

Combined mpg: 35.3.

Insurance group: 33.

CO2 emissions: 180g/km.

Bik rating: 37 per cent.

Warranty: Three years/60,000 miles.

Overall rating (out of 5): 4.7.

In other motoring developments, from the start of next month all new Mazda cars registered will benefit from a full six-year manufacturer warranty, while the mileage limit rises from the current 60,000 miles to 100,000 miles.

Commenting on Mazda UK’s new warranty, Mazda UK managing director, Jeremy Thomson, said: "It’s great that we can now offer our customers in the UK a six-year warranty.

"If you consider that just 21 per cent of cars registered in the UK year-to-date have longer than a three-year warranty, this is a fantastic reflection of our commitment to the quality, reliability and engineering of our cars."

He added: "I’m delighted that our dealers can now sell our new cars with one of the best warranties in the industry and in the years ahead our excellent approved used scheme will benefit with customers able to buy previously owned cars with added confidence of a full manufacturer warranty."

With a six-year 100,000-mile warranty that simply requires the car to be serviced within manufacturer prescribed service programme, mileage and time parameters - 12,500-miles or 12-months on the majority of cars - the new Mazda warranty will benefit fleet users with longer term periods and high mileage usage.

The Mazda 2 Hybrid model is set at 10,000 miles.

David Wilson-Green, customer service director, Mazda UK, said: "Our new warranty will be a great differentiator in an ever more crowded and competitive landscape.

"It highlights our focus on customer service, whether that’s retail, fleet or used cars, while for our dealers it represents a great opportunity to maintain customers in our network for longer in sales and service for years to come."

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