Jonathan Crouch looks at the bigger-battery SE version of MINI's smallest EV crossover, the Aceman.

Ten Second Review

The MINI Aceman is the first premium full electric compact crossover - or the first one this small anyway. And of the two battery sizes available, you'll probably prefer this 54.2kWh SE version.

Background

The idea of an electric MINI for secondary family duties has always been quite an appealing one but recently when many customers have drilled down into the detail, they've ended up choosing something else. You can see why. The ordinary MINI Cooper Electric can only be had with three doors. And the MINI Countryman Electric crossover is rather too expensive for most to choose as a second family car. That was why in mid-2024, MINI introduced the Aceman, a small Chinese-built crossover based on the same J01 platform and running gear as the MINI Cooper Electric. But with a more accommodating five-door faux-crossover body. And of the two main Aceman powertrains available, you're properly ideally going to want the bigger-battery SE version we look at here. There's quite a plump price to pay for this mind you, so to want an Aceman SE, you're going to have to buy into MINI's claims of 'premium-ness' for this car. Can the recipe add up? Let's take a closer look.

Driving Experience

Opting for this Aceman SE gets you not only a bigger 54.2kWh battery but also a much perkier 218hp motor which makes 62mph in 7.1s en route to 106mph. For reference, the base Aceman E has a 42.5kWh battery and a 184hp motor. Its performance stats are 7.9s and 99mph. Either way, the drive motor's front-mounted (unlike Countryman Electric, there's no twin motor AWD version). But you can have a faster motor tune - that's with the pricey top John Cooper Works version, where the motor develops 258hp, propelling the car to 62mph in just 6.4s on the way to 124mph. Like all MINIs, the Aceman's quite fun to punt around and as with the brand's other current models, there's a choice of 'Experience' drive modes, not many of which have much to do with driving. Select from 'Core', 'Green', 'Go-Kart', 'Personal', 'Vibrant', 'Timeless', 'Balance' and 'Trail'. 'Go-Kart' is obviously the setting for speed and comes with a rather unnecessary 'woohoo' when you select it, then introducing a fake rocketship thruster noise under acceleration; you might think that fun - or irritating; take your pick. Selecting the eco 'Green' mode affects acceleration quite a lot. And 'Balance' sounds like you're in some sort of new age mediation session.

Design and Build

Apart from the badgework, there are no visual differences to set this Aceman SE apart from its smaller-battery SE counterpart. Essentially, the Aceman is a shrunken MINI Countryman; that's certainly what it looks like. Both cars employ the same so-called 'charismatic simplicity' design philosophy and share quite a few styling cues - rhombus-shaped headlamps, an octagonal grille and a 'floating' roof effect that the brand has achieved by blanking off the pillars. The Aceman has plumper 'chubby cheek'-style looks though and its wheelarches are more pronounced and angular though, contributing to an SUV vibe embellished by roof rails, front and rear skid plates and lower side cladding. Dimensionally, the Aceman measures 4,079mm long, 1,754mm wide and 1,514mm tall. That's about the same as a Jeep Avenger, but another obvious rival, Volvo's EX30, is about 150mm longer and nearly 100mm wider. Since this car is fundamentally based on the MINI Cooper Electric hatch, you wouldn't expect its interior to differ much from that car - and it doesn't. So as usual with modern MINIs, the cabin is dominated by an ultra-slim dinnerplate-sized 9.4-inch OLED circular screen that takes care of both the infotainment and drive instruments. Most customers will add a head-up display, viewed through the unusual wheel with its fabric 6 o'clock lower spoke. The knitted recycled polyester fabric dashboard covering is also recognisable from other modern MINIs, bringing what the brand thinks is a 'homely' feel. Given that this Aceman is so much shorter than Countryman, there's a surprising amount of space in the back; a six foot passenger could sit behind a similarly tall driver. But that's because the designers have compromised a bit on boot space; there's just 300-litres of it (55-litres less than Jeep Avenger EV). Fold the 60/40 rear bench and that extends to 1,005-litres. There's no under-bonnet 'frunk' space for the charging leads.

Market and Model

Prices for the 54.2kWh Aceman SE start at around £36,000 - that's £4,500 more than the 42.5kWh Aceman E. There are three trim levels - 'Classic', 'Exclusive' and 'Sport'. There's also an uprated 258hp version of this faster Aceman badged at the 'John Cooper Works' Aceman and costing just over £40,000. Across the range, MINI boasts that all Aceman variants are amongst its most connected cars ever, courtesy of a revised 'My MINI' app; and a "Hey MINI" personal assistant voice control system, via which owners can choose digital depiction of a British bulldog named Spike as their screen avatar of choice. Standard equipment across the range includes the round OLED fascia screen with its wireless smartphone connectivity. Plus you get a rear view camera, a heated steering wheel, cruise control and various bits of drive assistance tech. The Aceman SE gains a head-up display as standard, and also features a wireless charging pad, heated front seats, customisable front and rear light signatures and keyless entry. Key available features include 'Park Assist Plus' parking set-up, 'Digital Key Plus' (which allows you to unlock the car with your smartphone) and the 'Remote 360' surround view monitoring system. On longer journeys, the Active Cruise Control with Stop & Go function, and the 'MINI Driving Assistant' enhance comfort. That central round 'MINI Interaction Unit' screen offers 'Apple CarPlay' and 'Android Auto', but only the former fills the whole circumference of the 24cm-diameter OLED round display. Third-party apps like Spotify fit and work in it too.

Cost of Ownership

We gave you the battery range figures in our 'Driving' section - 252 miles from the Aceman SE variant's 54.2kWh battery. Up from 193 miles from the 42.5kWh battery in the Aceman E. The John Cooper Works Aceman manages up to 243 miles. Across the line-up, various tools help you maximise range: the 'Green' 'MINI Experience' mode - and a charge-optimised routing function for the navigation. Opting for this rangier SE variant gets you an increase in charging speed from 75kW to 95kW. Neither figure is particularly impressive, but at a rapid DC public charger, a 10 to 80% spell of replenishment can be completed in around 30 minutes. AC home charging as possible via the usual 7kW or 11kW wallbox options. You'll need five hours and 45 minutes to charge the SE model 0-100% with an 11kW wallbox. By using MINI Navigation, the vehicle will ensure the high-voltage battery reaches the ideal temperature for efficient charging in advance, thus reducing charging time. Customers can also optimise charging for their schedule, setting charging start times, active charging windows, and target battery capacity by departure time. Finally, drivers can instruct that the interior cabin is air conditioned by a set departure time. The 'My MINI' app provides a convenient overview of the vehicle status and charging process, including current battery status, charging-optimised route plan and charging history.

Summary

The Aceman's a cute thing. And makes more everyday sense in this bigger-battery SE form. Whether it makes enough sense to justify spending the kind of money MINI is asking for here is another question - probably one that only you can answer. If the sums add up, you'll property think that the car does too. In this 54.2kWh form, it's a perky, fun thing with the reasonable everyday range you're going to need to justify the substantial price premium over the base E version. It's a pity though, that to get a really appealing small EV, you have to pay this much.