MINI infotainment review: MINI Operating System 9 touchscreen tech tested vs rivals
The MINI's round screen looks the part, but how does it fare in our test?
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Just as with the rest of the modern MINI line-up, the Countryman pays tribute to its heritage by displaying the entirety of the dashboard on one central screen. The panel in question is a 10-inch OLED display that has plenty of colours, so it’s undoubtedly pretty to look at. While the graphics are sharp, there’s a lot of information on offer, so each section has its own smaller bit of display space, and this means things can get a bit busy.
On the plus side, you can operate it while keeping an eye on your current speed. There are a couple of physical buttons, but most functions are operated via the screen. With a bit of practice, the system is fairly straightforward to fathom, although you will need to memorise your way around a few sub-menus.
Temperature and heated seat and steering wheel controls can be accessed via shortcuts, but the fan speed can only be adjusted via a sub-menu. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are included, but the apps are crammed into the centre of the screen. They are readable, but aren’t as clearly displayed as in many cars.
If you can forgive the limited space, the software is pretty responsive, so you won’t be left waiting around for the various menus to load. This particular MINI Countryman had previously spent several months on our long-term test fleet, and we did experience some glitches with the sat-nav system during this time. An over-the-air update could solve this problem, but it was one of the few major frustrations to be caused by an otherwise capable system.
| Touchscreen task | Time | Ranking |
| Lane-keeping assistance task | 10.4 secs | 5th |
| Sat-nav task | 15.7 secs | 6th |
| Cabin temp. task | 3.7 secs | 3rd |
| Heated seat task | 4.1 secs | 7th |
| Radio tuning task | 4.5 secs | 2nd |
| Distracted lap time | Over 18 secs | 2nd |
Test team views
- Dean says: “I quite like it, because it’s straightforward to use. Even though it looks fairly funky, it’s still pretty easy. There’s a shortcut button to the Driver Assist, so you only have to press two buttons to turn lane-keep assist off. The controls for the temperature and heated seat are fairly straightforward. There is animation involved, but it doesn’t intrude.”
- Shane Says: “It is a very good-looking system. Obviously, it's all on the one central screen, but I experienced some problems with loading speeds, which could be down to the processor or maybe the phone signal. There are a few sub-menus, but nothing too irritating – although lane-keep assist requires you to scroll a bit to get to it. However, I think it’s a pretty good system overall.”
- Victoria says: “I’m a fan of the design, and the colour scheme for the map graphics is really nice. I liked how just about everything is on the main screen, such as the heating, the radio, the location – it’s all very easy to find. For instance, if you press the heating, the menu just expands. You can see the seats and the steering wheel heating at once, so it’s very straightforward.”
Display and navigation
- Destination: Large screen offers a big keyboard and auto-fill addresses, too. You can have the map filling the whole screen
- Settings: Minimalist colours help when finding your way through the options, while a physical driver-assist button offers quick access to that menu or shared with other functions.
- Home: Main display shows apps in a nine-by-nine grid that can be scrolled down. CarPlay and Android Auto are viewed in a square in the centre of the touchscreen.
What's the app like?
Customisation is a key aspect of MINI ownership and this philosophy is embedded right from the start in the brand’s companion app, allowing users to choose from a range of different ‘themes’. Not only is it good to look at, MINI’s app is also pretty slick to use; we found it to be one of the quickest and easiest companion apps to set up.
Users can schedule their MINI’s servicing and maintenance, check the car’s state of charge/fuel level, organise charging and even send sat-nav instructions directly to the Countryman’s infotainment screen. It ranked in 3rd place overall.
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