Written by Alan Taylor-Jones Published: 8 May 2024 Updated: 8 May 2024

Overview

If we’re honest, the old MINI Electric was a bit of a bodge amongst the best electric cars. Trying to cram batteries into a car that was never designed for them meant a lousy range and less rear headroom on account of the raised rear seat necessary to accommodate them. Thankfully, the new MINI Cooper Electric gets an all-new platform that was designed to be electric from the start.

That means a far better range – up to 249 miles – and far fewer packaging compromises. You also now get a choice of models, the entry-level Cooper E with 184hp and a 190 miles range or the Cooper SE with 218hp and a 249-mile range. Both are nippy enough to warrant the Cooper name, with the E doing 0-62mph in 7.3 seconds and the SE 6.7.

Both are three-door only and are within a few mm of the old car’s dimensions, things that both go against the grain when it comes to a new generation car. The MINI’s key rival has to be the Fiat and Abarth 500e, although we wouldn’t be surprised to find the Volvo EX30 being cross shopped, too. The plushily-lined Peugeot e-208 is also well worth considering.

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What’s it like inside?

The old car’s interior was undoubtedly one of its highlights. However, an all-new MINI Electric means an all-new interior that’s only partially successful. We like the knitted fabrics on the dashboard and doors, solid switchgear and the crisp graphics of the circular infotainment system. It’s a responsive touchscreen that’s certainly big enough, but it’s here you’ll find key functions such as the heating and most of the stereo controls. A head-up display is available, but without it you’ll be looking at the central screen for your speed.

While the menu system isn’t too hard to fathom when you’re stationary, it’s more distracting than physical controls on the move as you have to take your eyes off the road to do almost anything. You do get toggle switches to turn the MINI off and on, one for your ‘gears’, and another for the drive mode select. These are joined by a handbrake button and a volume control knob, plus useful icons for driver assists, the parking assists and screen demisters, but the panel is a bit too low for our liking.

The steering wheel feels good and we welcome the buttons over touch sensitive icons. There are a few woven strips to be found that lift the ambiance, but the plastics used look cheaper than its predecessor. Space is much as you’d expect. Head and legroom up front are no issue, although only the driver gets an armrest. Rear headroom isn’t terrible, but rear legroom could be an issue if you’ve got a couple of tall adults up front. Once again, it’s a four rather than five-seater.

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The boot is a mere 210-litres but you do get a false floor to hide your cables and other accessories. Fold the 60/40 split rear bench and space is boosted to 800-litres.

Comfort

So far we’ve only tried the electrically adjustable sports seats with, lesser models getting manual seats. They have a good range of adjustment as does the steering wheel, so all shapes and sizes should find a driving position that suits. They proved comfortable after a couple of hours and support well during hard cornering.

All models get steering wheel heating, with most getting front seat heating, too. You’ll no longer be able to order real leather seats. The Vescin ‘vegan’ alternative isn’t unpleasant, but it’s not as nice as hide.

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Safety

Euro NCAP hasn’t yet crash tested this generation of MINI, but there’s plenty of safety kit. All models get automatic emergency braking, lane departure assist, blind spot monitoring and a system that’ll warn if you’re about to open your door into the path of a bike or car.

What’s it like to drive?

You don’t have to travel far to feel the car’s inherent MINIness. Test cars were fitted with 18-inch alloy wheels that worked with the stiff suspension to deliver a firm, tightly damped ride that should feel familiar to MINI owners everywhere. You’re aware of the road’s texture beneath you without it becoming annoying, and it takes the sting out of sharper intrusions.

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Smaller, narrower wheels are standard and should give a little more squish if you prefer a bit more comfort, but you’re not buying a MINI for that, are you? It’s the handling that really matters in a MINI, and here the Cooper SE ranks amongst the best handling electric hatchbacks. The steering has a reassuring weight and precision that makes it easy to place, with a few messages from the front tyres being relayed through the wheel’s rim.

It feels planted, with little body lean and sharp responses even with the larger of the two battery packs. You can certainly have some fun whether you’re on a twisting mountain pass or a roundabout, with limits far higher than most owners will dare tread. It’s certainly a less jittery wheelspin frenzy than an Abarth 500e, especially in the wet, although there are petrol hot hatches that are more thrilling.

The brakes have good feel and a high level of regenerative braking when you come off the accelerator. Sport mode livens the throttle response, tightens the steering and adds a futuristic soundtrack that rises and falls far more convincingly than the Abarth. It’s telling the noise wasn’t turned off on the entire drive, partially because of the entertaining Pod Raceresque noises when braking heavily.

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Off the line it feels initially a little lazy, presumably to prevent wheelspin, before acceleration builds into what you’d expect from a car with a sub-7.0-second 0-62mph time. It’s not at the pointy end of the hot hatch world, but it’s definitely on the planet.

Range and charging

The entry-level Cooper E gets a 40.7kWh battery that’s good for 190 miles of range in official tests. You can rapid charge at up to 75kW for a 28 minute 10-80% time, while an 11kW charge takes four and a quarter hours. Expect a longer wait on a normal 7.4kW wallbox.

Go for the Cooper SE and battery capacity in increased to 54.2kWh for a range of up to 250 miles. Rapid charging rates are increased to 95kW to give a 10-80% time of 30 minutes, with an 11kW charger taking five and a quarter hours. Again, you’ll need to add some time for a regular wallbox.

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What models and trims are available?

Once you’ve decided if you want the Cooper E or SE, there are three basic styles to pick from. Entry-level Classic gets 16-inch alloy wheels, a body-colour roof, dual-zone climate control, LED front and rear lights, the 24cm diameter touchscreen with navigation, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, a front armrest, a rear camera, front and rear parking sensors, and the safety kit we mentioned earlier.

Exclusive is a more luxurious twist and gets 17-inch wheels as standard, silver rather than black accents on the exterior, piping for the seats, the knitted dashboard and doors, the choice of a black or white roof.

Sport gets more aggressive front and rear bumpers, lower side skirts, 18-inch wheels and a rear spoiler. Inside is trimmed in black with red accents and there’s a perforated sports steering wheel, too. You also get the option of red for the roof and/or body, and black or red stripes.

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SE cars get a Level 1 pack as standard that’s optional on the E. This gives you adaptive headlights, keyless entry, folding auto-dimming door mirrors, an auto-dimming rear-view mirror, heated front seats, a useful head-up display and wireless smartphone charging.

Level 2 adds more advanced driver assistance tech, a Harman Kardon stereo, a panoramic roof and tinted windows. Level 3 is only available on Sport or an SE Exclusive and includes ventilated electric memory seats with massage, an interior camera accessible via an app, augmented reality sat nav shown on the touchscreen, a 360-degree camera and 5G capability.

What else should I know?

The augmented reality sat nav shows a view from the forward-facing camera overlaid with arrows showing you where you need to go. It works better in practice than similar Mercedes systems and proved very handy on unfamiliar roads. If you’re prone to getting bored whilst waiting to charge, there’s an Airconsole feature that lets you play games using your smartphone as a controller.