Enlarge / The new Mini Countryman is 5.3 inches (135 mm) longer and 3.9 inches (99 mm) taller than before. But it's only 0.9 inches (23 mm) wider. (credit: Jonathan Gitlin)

CASCAIS, PORTUGAL—Mini is in the process of revamping its entire model lineup. Later this year, the small one—now called the Mini Cooper—will hit the streets with a predictable lashing of brio. But first out of the gates is the big one, Mini's SUV, aka the Countryman. It's now built in Germany, and there's a fully electric variant, but you'll have to wait until next week to read about that one. Today, we're looking at the all-wheel drive, range-topping John Cooper Works model.

With a starting price tag of $46,995 (plus delivery charge), this Countryman might feel like more of a maxi than a Mini. The JCW Countryman's amped-up attitude is on clear display, with styling touches like the bright red brake calipers, side mirrors, and roof trim. That impression isn't dispelled upon a walkaround—not when you see the four fat exhaust pipes nestled under the rear bumper.

That works out to one pipe per cylinder; under the hood of the JCW Countryman ALL4 (to give it its full name) lives a 2.0 L four-cylinder engine that, in US market spec, generates 312 hp (232 kW) and 295 lb-ft (399 kW). That's about 4 percent more powerful than the Euro-spec JCW Countryman, which makes do with a little less power thanks to a gasoline particulate filter.