The Mini in the middle
The first Aceman mixes quirky charm with peppy performance to drive Mini to new territory – but does it go far enough?
[COPENHAGEN] If the Mini Cooper is a feisty puppy and the Countryman a well-fed Labrador, the Aceman sits in the middle like some sort of perfectly-sized Golden Retriever. At just over four metres long and with a slightly tiptoed stance, it’s what Mini’s marketing folks call an “urban crossover”, which sounds a bit like what happens when a hatchback gets slightly over-enthusiastic about doing CrossFit.
There’s never been an Aceman before, but then again there’s never been a Mini like this before; it has five doors, five seats and is built purely for battery power. You can still buy a petrol five-door Mini hatch, but only the politest of folk would refrain from telling you that the newest one is more heavily facelifted than Cher.
In any case, think of the Aceman as Mini’s clear signal that its future is electric. It uses the space efficiency of battery propulsion well, so it’s shorter than a Volkswagen Golf but is somehow as roomy inside, especially in the back.
But the Mini brand began life making the most of very little anyway, and the Aceman plays that game well. The boot starts at a modest 300 litres but can expand to 1,005 litres if you fold the rear seats, which split 60/40. The floor can drop down to accommodate taller items too, giving the cargo area a dose of extra versatility.
Meanwhile, the interior is what you would get if Wes Anderson designed a car cabin. It’s an eye-catching riot of colours, textures and textiles that makes German luxury cars look like they were decorated by undertakers.
The dashboard is dominated by a massive, circular OLED screen that looks like a cross between a frisbee and an iPad, and its slick graphics only add to the sense of colourful fun.
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Yet, someone thought it was a good idea to make the central air-con vent a slender slit with all the gusting capacity of a tired hamster. It wasn’t. The lack of rear air-con vents won’t win the Aceman any fans in our climate either.
Two versions are available, and if you’re wondering whether to call them Acemans or Acemen, join the club. In Singapore, the base Aceman E (yours for S$215,888) comes with 150 horsepower, down from 184 hp elsewhere so it can limbo under the bar for a Category A Certificate Of Entitlement, and a 38.5 kWh battery good for 310 km, which is fine if your idea of an epic drive is Changi to Jurong.
The SE I tested packs more punch with 218 hp and a 49.2 kWh battery that stretches to 405 km, though in reality you’ll probably be hunting for electrons after around 300 km. That’s because the batteries’ nickel manganese cobalt chemistry means they find it a bit degrading to be charged all the way to 100 per cent.
At least charging itself is relatively quick – the SE can gulp electrons at up to 95 kW, taking it from 10 to 80 per cent in 31 minutes, or roughly the time it takes to grab a coffee and wonder when EVs will finally charge as quickly as we can fill petrol tanks.
Extra range aside, the SE feels properly peppy, even if its 1.7-tonne weight (blame the batteries) means it’s more spirited car than sports car. The suspension is tuned more towards the Cooper’s agility than the Countryman’s comfort, meaning it corners like it wants to do its rally-winning ancestors proud, but might make you spill your bubble tea over speed bumps.
Inside, you sit relatively high up, so there’s no uneasy feeling of vulnerability that comes with driving a small car around buses and lorries. And while the traditional round headlights have been replaced with more grown-up looking lamps (probably because Mini has caught on that not everyone wants their car to look like a cartoon character), there’s still enough of the brand’s DNA in the design to make it instantly recognisable.
That’s really what the Aceman is about. It’s a proper Mini that just happens to run on electricity instead of petrol. It’s engaging to drive, quirky to look at and puts a smile on your face. To be sure, it’s a small car for the money, but if you can live with its compromises (and that mostly means planning your charging stops), the Aceman proves that going electric doesn’t mean losing your sense of fun.
Mini Aceman SE
Motor power/Torque 218 hp / 330 Nm
Battery type/Net capacity Lithium-ion / 49.2 kWh
Charging time/Type 31 mins 10 to 80 per cent (95 kW DC), 5 hours 30 minutes 0 to 100 per cent (11 kW AC wallbox)
Range Up to 405 km (WLTP)
0-100 km/h 7.1 seconds
Top speed 170 km/h
Efficiency 15.1 kWh/100 km
Agent Eurokars Habitat
Price S$239,888 with COE
Available Now
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