The All Electric Mini Aceman is Ace Man.
The Mini Aceman is incredibly hip, trendy, and fun to drive. Dashes of colour and textured fabrics adorn the interior alongside a massive central circular infotainment display. The Mini is fully electric and will appeal to a major public buying sector, as Jeremy Webb found out.
Since its launch in the 1960s, the Mini has remained popular in all its guises. Now, as vehicles turn to alternative power supplies, the brand has addressed this and retained the essence of Mini in the electric Aceman.
The Mini Aceman keeps the iconic Mini look within its new design exterior, and just as the original Mini led in fashion in the swinging ‘60s, the current vehicle does, too.
Climb into the Mini Aceman, and you sit pretty low compared to most current vehicles. However, you get plenty of seat adjustment, so your view is never hampered. The seats are also comfortable and offer a decent driving position. The front driver and passenger get a good amount of space all around, and you never feel hemmed in. The rear seats lack the same amount of space, although adults can get in and benefit from the two rear doors so they are not climbing over folded front seats. If you have children, they will have plenty of space in the rear.
The Mini Aceman has two core versions. The basic E trim has a 42.5kWh battery that can travel up to 192 miles on a charge. The Mini Aceman SE has a 54.2kWh battery, which increases the official range to 251 miles.
Classic versions have LED lights front and rear, roof rails, and 17-inch wheels made from 30% recycled aluminium. The interior has a huge circular touchscreen with sat-nav, Apple CarPlay and Android Airplay. You also get two-zone climate control and a long list of driver-assistance systems, including Speed Limit Info, Speed Limit Assist and Dynamic Cruise control, Lane Keep Assist with blind spot detection, Rear collision prevention and vehicle exit warning and Forward Collision Warning with brake intervention.
If you opt for Exclusive, you have a different interior trim, more colours to choose from, roof options, and bigger wheels, but it costs £ 2,200 more than the Classic.
All Mini Acemans get the ‘Level 1’ pack with a superb head-up display. This means the driver does not have to look over to the infotainment system for key details. There is also wireless phone charging and heated front seats. ‘Level 2’ has a panoramic roof, tinted windows, and a Harmon Kardon stereo, while ‘Level 3’ has electrically operated massaging front seats, virtual-reality navigation, and extra safety features.
The Mini Aceman has a slight issue with torque steer if you slam your foot down to pull away rapidly. The front end quivers until the power and grip balance out—the only real grumble about the handling.
One of our testers said, “ Don’t make the car so quick off the mark if it can’t control this power. Mini should make the Aceman less torquey and concentrate on the handling because a car doesn’t have to be fast to be fun.”
“ A car doesn’t have to be fast to be fun.”
At four metres long, the Mini Aceman benefits in the urban environment, nipping into small parking spots and slipping through traffic jams. You suffer from less interior storage space, and the boot only has a 300-litre capacity.
The small car sector is crammed with models from all competitors, so the MINI Aceman faces the Vauxhall Mokka, Peugeot E-2008, and Citroen e-C4, to name a few. These rivals lack the character, fun and engagement the Mini Aceman gives the driver
The entry-level Mini Aceman isn’t the car for long journeys. Its usable range is around 180 miles on a full charge, which is somewhat restrictive for mile-munching on motorways. However, you aren’t likely to buy one for significant journeys; you buy a Mini Aceman to dash around town or, for short commutes, you could park up for the day and plug the car in while you go about your work, leisure activity, or shopping. It ticks the box for being a fun car to drive even with the stiff ride, but that firmness aids the handling, which Minis are famous for.
The range starts at £28895 Mini Aceman E
Mini Aceman SE £31000