► More range and power for second-gen Mini Electric
► Big improvement on the old car
► Still keenly priced
This latest Mini Cooper Electric isn’t just a new small electric car on the scene – it’s the embodiment of a change in tack for Oxford (via Munich) –based manufacturer. For the last two decades, the brand has regularly dipped into its past to market its stock, with chrome aplenty across the range and retro interior trims to match. But this latest model is a wholly modern car – one that’s dismissed the rear-view mirror in favour of a contemporary touch. But does it work?
Read on for our Mini Cooper Electric review to see how it fares. Spoiler: it makes our list of the best electric hot hatches. And to find out why we think it’s so good, read how we test here.
Should I buy a Mini Cooper SE? Yes. Iconic looks and an engaging drive make this an easy one to recommend.
At a glance
Pros: Handling, keenly priced, improved range.
Cons: Some questionable interior plastics, tiny boot, old car felt plusher inside.
What’s new?
Although it’s within a few millimetres of the old Mini Electric, this rides on a new platform rather than hacked-about ICE combustion hardware. That means you don’t get a practicality penalty for going electric, although you wouldn’t call the Cooper Electric spacious.
The interior trades the soft plastics and chrome trim of the old car for fabric coverings for the top of the dash and the doors. If that wasn’t different enough, there’s a projector hiding behind the 24cm diameter touchscreen that shines patterns onto the fabric depending on your drive mode, at least in higher-spec models. It’s quite the impressive light show at nighttime.
A few subtle nods to the past still linger around the interior, including a circular infotainment screen in the middle of the dash to stir memories of the old speedo, but this latest Cooper E has been the subject of a overhaul. The interior and exterior have both been heavily updated, while the model now comes with a choice of battery packs to address the previous edition’s biggest flaw, its fairly pitiful range.
What are the specs?
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 a slower 11kW wallbox charge takes four and a quarter hours. Expect a longer wait on a normal residential 7.4kW wallbox.
Go for the Cooper SE and battery capacity increases to 54.2kWh for a range of up to 250 miles. Rapid charging rates are increased to 95kW to counter the larger battery, giving 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.
As for performance, the Cooper E gets 187bhp for a 0-62mph time of 7.3 seconds. That’s less than half a second behind the Abarth 500e, a car with a significantly shorter 158-mile range despite costing slightly more. The Cooper SE’s 215bhp is good for 0-62mph in an Abarth-beating 6.7 seconds.
There’s also a John Cooper Works version which packs in 254bhp.
What about the interior?
Classic and Sport trims get a predominantly black dashboard, with Exclusive getting a more interesting Houndstooth knit for the dash and majority of the door cards. It looks great, but parents will no doubt wonder how easy it’ll be to clean up after their kids have got their grubby mitts all over it.
Mini’s quality feel leans heavily on the fabric wrapping and a solid feel to regular touchpoints. Move away from these and the plastics look a bit cheaper than on the old car, although everything feels put together well enough.
Unless you have the Level 1 option pack that’s standard on the SE, you’ll need to rely on that central screen to see your speed. Cars with the pack get a head-up display that makes checking your speed less distracting. At least all the driving info is located at the top, with content in the middle band and shortcut icons along the bottom. Heater controls are in the bottom corners and are a faff to use when on the move.
Space is as tight as you’d expect, but better than the old Mini Electric with its raised rear bench needed to fit the battery pack. It’s now much the same size as this car’s predecessor, meaning lots of space up front, enough for kids and shorter trips in the back and a tiny 211-litre boot.
A false floor to separate your cables is handy, assuming you’ve not got a full boot.
How does it drive?
If you’ve driven a 21st century Mini, this will feel pleasingly familiar. As for ride quality, both the Cooper SE and Cooper E walk a fine line between relaying information about the road and being fidgety. Though there’s very little to split the two in terms of chassis set up, the suspension is softer in the former to accommodate the weight of the bigger battery pack without compromising ride quality.
Mini says it gave the SE a softer set up to engineer a consistent ride across both models, but in reality, the more powerful and heavier car (around 70kg splits the two depending on spec) has become the more comfortable of the two. Well-judged damping with good body control mean it’s a pleasant thing to spend time in, even after you’ve been driving for a couple of hours.
Those optional 18s are 20mm wider than standard. The Cooper SE puts its power down cleaner than an Abarth 500e, although some might wish it had you a little more poke off the line. The steering is well weighted and there’s even a bit of feel, giving you the confidence to press on.
There’s plenty of front-end bite and not a lot of lean, giving an agile feel lacking in so many modern EVs. In other words, it’s far closer to an electric hot hatch than the Abarth 500e or MG4 XPower.
Before you buy
Once you’ve decided on either the Cooper E or SE, there are three trims to pick from. Base Classic still gets niceties like two-zone climate control, 16-inch alloys, parking sensors and a rear camera, it’s just a bit plain with a body-colour roof.
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 and 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.
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.
The John Cooper Works model is one we’d steer clear of though. It does offer more power, but an unrelentingly stiff suspension puts it on the wrong side of sport.
Verdict: Mini Cooper E and SE
Considering the second-generation electric MINI costs about the same as its predecessor yet has significantly more range, it’s a far easier thing to recommend. There are downsides: it’s small inside and more doors would lend extra practicality, but it’s all part of the Cooper experience.
So too is the performance and handling. It might not be as fast as a single-motor Volvo EX30, let alone an MG4 XPower, but the Cooper SE is fast enough and corners far more tidily.