The Mini Cooper SE is my favourite EV of the 12 months

The model new all-electric Mini Cooper SE is a far cry from my first automotive. That was a Seventies Mini panel van, which was cute however hopelessly unrefined and hideously sluggish. This EV, alternatively, is actually a scorching hatch, though there’s a trunk lid moderately than a liftback. It’s additionally very refined, with the mannequin I’ve been driving this final week that includes numerous extras that give it a premium really feel.

For me, nevertheless, the primary attraction of the Mini Cooper SE is the best way it drives. Anybody who finds most EVs mundane to drive ought to strive one out as a result of it’s a riot, with oodles of efficiency and nice dealing with on faucet. Whereas the most recent incarnation of the Mini may feel and appear one million miles away from the unique imaginative and prescient, it’s bought a stunning quantity in widespread with earlier automobiles. That ranges from retro styling touches via to the go-kart type buzz delivered when behind the wheel.

I’ve pushed among the best electric cars this 12 months, together with the sensible Hyundai Ionic N. The Mini Cooper SE can now be a part of the record; it’s a blast. Even in the event you’re a purist and assume the brand new mannequin is a bit too far faraway from the unique, it’s price experiencing if just for the shock you’ll get when pushing down on the accelerator pedal.

Editor’s selection

Mini Cooper SE

The Mini Cooper SE hits the spot on nearly each degree. It’s an important wanting automotive, each in and out. The up to date inside advantages from some sensible tech, together with a retro-but-modern central touchscreen. It’s comfy too, however one of the best bit is the driving expertise, which is all the pieces a small EV needs to be.

Engine

Electrical motor powered by Lithium-ion battery

Drive Format

Two-wheel drive

Horsepower

330 kW / 215 hp

0-60mph

6.7 seconds

Torque

330 Nm

High Pace

106 mph

Transsmission

Computerized

Professionals

• Enjoyable to drive, with efficiency and dealing with to match
• Refined with consolation and loads of tech on faucet
• Glorious revisioning of unique Mini

Cons

• Trunk lid must be slammed shut
• Costly if all of the trim choices are added

Broaden

Worth, specs, and availability

The mannequin I’ve been testing is a top-of-the-range trim version, which is fitted with greater than £5,000 price of non-obligatory extras. Meaning it comes with a hefty £33,920 (simply over $45,000) price ticket. Anybody who can do with out the additional trimmings can lop a bit of change off the asking value, and it isn’t going to be to any actual detriment of the driving expertise both.

Design and construct

Basic seems simply bought higher

To be sincere, I haven’t been a giant fan of the trendy Mini. They’re massively standard, and I see them all over the place, however I’ve by no means felt like I wished to personal one. All that has modified with the arrival of the Mini Cooper SE. Perhaps it’s the colour mixture I bought to strive, which featured a Blazing Blue exterior topped with an excellent white roof, black tinted glass and sporty 18-inch alloy wheels. It seems the enterprise.

Whereas the general design is likely to be very fashionable, there’s additionally sufficient retro stuff occurring that helps to maintain the essence of what made the unique mini so tempting. There are nonetheless loads of styling touches that assist hold the automotive related although, with my take a look at automotive that includes wonderful adaptive LED headlights and folding mirrors that helpfully auto-dimmed as and after I wanted them to. A panoramic glass sunroof offered the icing on the cake.

The inside take

Premium really feel on the within

Admittedly, my take a look at automotive had unique trim content material and over £5,000’s price of choices, nevertheless it was nonetheless an actual deal with to sit down within the cockpit. The white trimmed seats have that basic Mini look, however are far more comfy. There’s an excellent little steering wheel too, which lets me perform loads of automotive management choices as a substitute of utilizing the touchscreen, and the electrical heated seats helped to take the sting off cooler fall temperatures.

I might need been spoiled with this trim degree, nevertheless it left me feeling like the additional price was justified. The inside of the Mini Cooper SE is actually fairly particular and one of many comfiest small automotive cockpits I’ve been in not too long ago.

The expertise breakdown

A lot of tech treats to get pleasure from

My outdated Mini had nothing in the best way of tech, and the Cooper SE reveals simply how far we’ve include interiors. The beauty of that is that Mini’s designers retained the unique feel and appear. Living proof: The central Speedo, which is now a touchscreen that bristles with all the pieces I want, together with a wonderful satellite tv for pc navigation system. It may be personalized too and even switched into Go-Kart mode, whereby the display adjustments to swimsuit the event. The retro mode, in the meantime, makes the show seem like it did in outdated Minis.

My Cooper SE additionally got here with a small heads-up show, a number of the same old driver aids and wi-fi cellphone charging, plus consolation touches, together with heated seats. Cleverly, it’s the little particulars that make all of the distinction, with a button panel beneath the Speedo display, which has an on/off toggle for the ability the place the unique automotive ignition key was positioned. The Harmon Kardon encompass audio system sounded excellent, too.

Battery, vary and efficiency

I drove an earlier model of the all-electric Mini, and it was high quality, however nowhere close to pretty much as good as the brand new mannequin. With 215 horsepower to play with, this automotive is all the time desperate to get on down the street, with the 0 to 60mph time of 6.7 seconds seeming even faster than that as a consequence of its compact dimension. The opposite main attraction of the Cooper SE is its vary, with the official determine of 244 miles proving actually sensible. I additionally discovered the battery to be quick and easy to charge, with the 95kW most charging capability that means my stops have been typically finished and dusted in lower than half-hour.

Do you have to purchase the Mini Cooper SE?

I’m completely offered on the Mini Cooper SE. It’s bought all the pieces I like about small electrical automobiles. There’s the efficiency and dealing with, which will be tweaked and fine-tuned to offer much more enjoyable relying in your temper and the driving scenario. This automotive has a sensible vary too, with the power to get it charged in subsequent to no time as properly. Add on the fab design, nice shade mixture and old-meets-new styling touches and that is one very robust bundle. Nice stuff.

Editor’s selection

Mini Cooper SE