AFTER arriving Down Under in 2011, Mini’s take on an SUV, the Countryman, arrived in all-new second-gen guise in March this year.

The largest model in Mini’s stable, the range launched with two petrol and two diesel-powered variants, joined later by the performance-honed John Cooper Works hero.

Topping the range of non-JCW Countryman models is the 2.0-litre turbo-diesel SD, the market’s most powerful diesel-powered small SUV.

Mini’s brand ethos has always been about making cars that are small, lightweight and a hoot to drive. At 1535kg, the Countryman SD is not only the largest Mini in its history, but is also the heaviest variant in the range.

Can the Countryman SD strike the balance of being a practical, small family hauler while still offering the potent performance and dynamics for which Mini has become known?