Mini Aceman SE Review: It's really funky, but an ICE version would have widened its appeal

The Mini ‘reincarnation’ at the turn of the millennium was a stroke of genius on the part of BMW, even if it was really the fruit of a messy separation with MG Rover after years of fruitless investment from the Bavarian automaker.

Trouble is, there are only so many times one can reinvent the Mini concept before it becomes a little tired and hence it comes as no surprise that BMW has introduced numerous variations over the years.

The latest one could be something of an ace up the brand’s sleeve.

The new Mini Aceman capitalises on the market’s obsession with SUVs and crossover-type products while also expanding its electric vehicle range in line with the brand’s ambition to become electric-only by the early 2030s.

The concept is well executed in my opinion, being smaller than the not-so-mini Countryman, thereby providing a fashionable alternative to those who would previously have considered the Mini hatch.

It’s also instantly recognisable as a Mini, although its frontal resemblance to Kermit the Frog might not be to everyone's liking.

Nonetheless, I can’t help but feel they have limited its appeal by making it available in fully electric guise only, particularly given how slowly many markets are warming to EVs.

The Aceman E, with a 135kW motor and 310km claimed range, is priced at R800,000 on the dot, while the 160kW Aceman SE, with 406km of claimed coverage, is yours for R892,000.

That puts it into direct contention with the lower parts of the Volvo EX30 range, which starts at R835,500, and the upper end of the GWM Ora 03 line-up, which tops out at R835,950.

What's the interior like?

At 4,079mm in length it has a relatively compact footprint, and it’s not exactly family-sized, with rear legroom being fairly limited and the boot only coping with about 300 litres of luggage.

But the Aceman is more about being funky than practical and that shows up in one of the most stylish interiors that I’ve seen in ages.

Everything about it shouts high-end boutique store, from the knitted material on the dashboard, through which the lower colour shines through the upper one, to the slim, circular OLED touchscreen display that’s shaped like a record. And let’s not forget the small but spunky details like the decorative straps on the driver’s side of the dashboard and on the central storage compartment.

Mini’s stylists get top marks in my book for making the interior look and feel really unique as well as special.

But is it functional? The central screen impresses with its crisp graphics and comprehensive menu layout, and in a nod to the past, the console also has mechanical toggle switches for the gear selector, stop-start process, parking brake, volume control and Experience Mode selector.

The Experience Modes are quite an interesting feature, offering eight ‘immersive’ experiences that change everything from the ambient lighting to the graphics, driving sounds and driving characteristics. Go-Kart Mode, for instance, paints the town red, while also sharpening the throttle response and stiffens the steering. A digital voice also shouts “Woo Hoo” when you activate this mode.

Most often I slotted it into “Green” mode in order to maximise my driving range, but apart from the obvious colour scheme employed here, it annoyed me on numerous occasions by changing the radio station whenever I activated the mode.

Besides those two, drivers can also select from: Vivid, Core, Timeless, Balance and Trail modes, and there’s a Personal Mode that allows you to mix things up and upload a personal photo for the display background.

While all this may have seemed rather hip when it was being pushed through the development process by that eager young design consultant with blue or pink hair, some normal and easily accessible driving settings would have made this car a bit more practical.

For instance, activating the one-pedal driving mode, which is not quite that even in the most aggressive brake regeneration mode, requires extensive menu digging on the screen, and you have to do it a few times at start up before the vehicle learns that you actually want it on a regular basis.

The climate system is also operated through the screen, activated via a small short-cut icon, but this set-up is less than ideal and can be distracting.

What’s it like to drive?

Producing 160kW and 330Nm, the Aceman SE is brisk enough in town and holds its own on the highway. 

While its 7.1-second 0-100km/h sprint time is respectable enough, it doesn’t push you back in your seat like a performance EV. It’s not slow by any means. But for what’s essentially trying to be the electric equivalent of a Cooper S, it could have been a bit more exciting.

With a 54.2 kWh battery under its floor, the Aceman SE has a WLTP range of 406km.

These claimed range figures are always a bit on the optimistic side, but I didn’t feel too much range anxiety in the Aceman and the mileage correlated fairly well with what the on-board range prediction was telling me.

A slight drawback though is the maximum charging speed of 95kW, which means it doesn’t juice up at DC fast chargers quite as quickly as some other EVs.

The driving characteristics are more or less what you’d expect from a Mini crossover vehicle with an electric twist. The ride can feel a little firm on harsher surfaces, as with most European cars with sporty pretenses, but the handling is certainly neat enough. 

VERDICT

We can’t help but feel Mini has missed an opportunity by making the Aceman electric only, but it does present an interesting alternative to lower-end EVs such as the Volvo EX30 and GWM Ora 03. 

The cabin is extremely funky, and built with many recycled materials, and there are plenty of fun experience modes to play around with. It’s a vehicle that can entertain, but perhaps not in the same way as Minis of old. It has certainly kept with the times though.

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