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The electric-only MINI Aceman is a five-seater compact crossover, larger than the MINI Cooper, and smaller than the Countryman; is it the perfect-sized MINI?
The MINI Aceman is the brand’s new all-electric crossover, positioned between the MINI Cooper and the MINI Countryman. The MINI Cooper isn’t the most practical of cars in terms of size, and the latest Countryman is too big to be a proper MINI in many people’s eyes, so is the Aceman the optimum-sized MINI?
The Aceman is available exclusively with an all-electric powertrain in two output levels, E and SE.
The MINI Aceman E features a battery with a capacity of 42.5 kWh, offering up to 192 miles of electric range (WLTP). A 135 kW/184 hp electric motor generates torque of 290 Nm, with a 0-62 mph acceleration time of 7.9 seconds.
With an increased output of 160 kW/218 hp and maximum torque of 330 Nm, the MINI Aceman SE accelerates from 0 to 62 mph in 7.1 seconds and offers an increased range of 252 miles thanks to a 54.2 kWh battery (49.2 kWh net).
The Aceman is 4,079 mm long, compared to 3,858 mm for the MINI Cooper Hatch, and 4,445 mm for the MINI Countryman. It has a 300-litre boot, which can be increased to 1,005 litres with the rear seats folded. A compartment under the boot floor can just about accommodate the charging cable.
The exterior is unmistakably MINI (although the round headlights have gone) and creative design has been applied to the interior. The entire width of the dashboard is covered in textured fabric, with a range of colourful ambient lighting options, and a large circular central touchscreen sitting in the middle of the dash.
The driver’s seat offers a good driving position but the manual adjustment, including a strap for the backrest, isn’t as precise or as easy to adjust as an electric seat.
Driving the original MINI was huge fun, and the latest MINI Cooper aims to come as close as possible to that experience, even though it has grown in size and weight.
The MINI Aceman is a larger, crossover version of the Cooper Hatch, but the MINI ‘go-kart’ driving experience is still there. This means that it loves corners – turn the steering wheel and the Aceman instantly changes direction. This is thanks to its sharp steering, and minimal body roll, achieved by the battery being positioned low down under the floor, and firm suspension. Primary ride on smooth roads is comfortable – and the Aceman is refined at motorway speeds other than some road noise on certain surfaces – but watch out for potholes with those 19-inch wheels and relatively low profile tyres.
The trademark MINI cornering is also a result of its front-wheel drive layout. However front-wheel drive combined with 218 hp of power and 330 Nm of torque from the electric powertrain can result in challenges with grip and wheelspin, especially on cold and wet winter roads. With a 0-62 mph acceleration time of 7.1 seconds, performance is good, but not blistering.
The gear selector, offering options of D, or B for increased brake regeneration, is a very small toggle switch on the dashboard, and the button next to it to select Park is even smaller.
To the left of the gear selector is a toggle switch for ‘Experiences’, which gives eight options of Core, Green, Personal, Vivid, Timeless, Balance and Trail and Go-Kart. In terms of what the different modes mean for the driving dynamics, Go-Kart mode is probably obvious, as is Green. But what about the other modes? The main difference that you’ll see is a change in the cabin ambient lighting. Ambient lighting is something that we’ve considered to be a bit of a gimmick – in most cars you just get a light strip running around the cabin. But the Aceman takes ambient lighting to the next level. The lighting can be seen through the material on the dashboard and in the door trims, and the colours change depending on the Experience Mode chosen. You even get coloured lighting above your head, in a strip running alongside the edge of the sunroof.
As well as changing colours, different Experience Modes also result in a different appearance of the large circular central touchscreen, ranging from displaying an old-fashioned speedo in Timeless mode to a compass in Trail mode. You can even select your own image in Personal mode.
As well as the gear selector and the Experiences switch, the Aceman still retains a few physical controls including a volume dial and a button for driver assist settings, such as to switch off the lane departure warning system. There’s no instrument display in front of the driver, but there is a head-up display above the steering wheel.
Many of the latest EVs have all controls on the touchscreen and there is usually some frustration with the user experience. MINI, and BMW, seem to have (mostly) cracked the useability issues of in-car infotainment systems (although selecting radio stations seems to be more of a challenge in the Aceman than other BMW Group models). At the bottom of the screen are five shortcut buttons, comprised of Climate, Radio/Apple CarPlay, Home, Nav and Phone.
Either side at the bottom of the touchscreen are cabin temperature controls, and next to them are very small buttons for the heated seats, and next to the driver’s heated seat button is possibly the smallest touchscreen icon in the world, for the heated steering wheel.
The MINI Aceman SE Exclusive has an official WLTP electric driving range of 244 miles. The real-world range after a week on test in winter was 200 miles. Energy consumption is 4.3 miles/kWh, which is good.
The Aceman has a maximum rapid charging rate of 95 kW, enabling the battery to be charged from 10% to 80% in around 30 minutes. It can also be charged via 11 kW AC charging.
The Aceman E has a range of 192 miles, and 75 kW DC charging.
The MINI Aceman E is priced from £31,800 and the MINI Aceman SE is priced from £36,300. The Aceman is available in three trims: Classic, Exclusive and Sport.
The Aceman SE Exclusive is priced at £41,600 and our test car had options including Level 2 pack (£2,000) which includes Harman/Kardon Surround Sound Audio System, Comfort Access, Panoramic Glass Sunroof, MINI Head-up Display, Rear-view Mirror with Auto dimming, Folding Wing Mirrors with Auto-dimming, Storage for wireless charging, Adaptive LED Headlights, Sun Protection Glass, Front Heated Seats and High-Beam Assistant.
Read the Ford Puma Gen-E review and book a test drive
The MINI Aceman drives like a proper MINI, ie. it’s fun through the corners. But it’s also a practical size, with five seats and better rear legroom than the Cooper Hatch, with a creative interior design which reflects the car’s character. So in our view the Aceman is one of our favourite MINIs – and the optimum size. Performance is good rather than outstanding, the same applies to the electric driving range, and the maximum charging speed of 95 kW could be better. The MINI Aceman is awarded a Green Car Guide rating of 9 out of 10.
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