2024 Mini Cooper SE: Energy re-Cooperation
The pure electric new Mini Cooper is gimmicky in some ways, but it’s faithful to the sense of fun that defines the brand’s cars
[SITGES] Say you took a tremendous bang to the head 25 years ago and only just woke up from the resulting coma. The world would be completely unrecognisable to you (except for Tom Cruise, who sort of still looks the same), and don’t even ask how much a plate of chicken rice costs now or you’ll wish you’d stayed comatose.
But one glance at the cheerful little hatchback here with its limpid round headlights and you would know you were looking at a Mini Cooper.
Except this happens to be the new Cooper SE, so it isn’t quite a Mini as you know it, for instead of an engine and fuel tank, it has a motor and batteries. As a matter of fact, this is the first Mini Cooper conceived to run on battery power from the get-go; the last electric one was converted from combustion.
The styling hints at its pure electric nature, certainly. Instead of a front grille, it has an octogonal bit of trim that suggests one. Gone are the retro chrome rings around the headlights (or anything chrome at all, come to think of it).
Also missing are the wheelarch extensions that added a bit of playfulness but don’t gel with the sustainability crowd’s view that plastic is evil. The visual reboot continues with tail lamps and door handles that are flush with the body.
As designs go, it’s unfussy and restrained, so much so that it looks like it was carved from a bar of soap, which is apt because the clean lines make the Mini more slippery through the air, boosting its range.
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At this point, you’ll either run screaming in search of a time machine (in which case, you’ll be glad to know that Mini is also releasing two petrol Coopers based on the previous model), or perk up at the thought of an exciting future in which cars no longer fart on your feet and need new spark plugs every so often.
Myself, I’m glad the electric vehicle (EV) world has room for cultural touchstones like the Cooper. It artfully blends the modern with the retro without losing sight of what a Mini Cooper ought to be, namely a zippy car that makes you smile when you look at it and giggle when you drive it.
Two versions take aim at your heart (and from there, your wallet). The Cooper E kicks things off with a 184 horsepower motor that pulls it to 100 kmh in a respectable 7.3 seconds. At 75 kilowatts (kW), its maximum charging rate is surprisingly slow, but it only has a 36.6 kilowatt-hour battery so that might not matter; an hour at one of the many 50 kW chargers on the island and it’s topped up.
Then again, its range is just 305 km, which is better than before but not enough to last a week for the typical Singapore driver in typical Singapore traffic. You would be much better off with the Cooper SE, which has a bigger battery and longer range (49.2 kWh, 402 km). That’s useful, but it’s also more fun.
With 218 hp under the bonnet, the Cooper SE skips merrily to 100 in 6.7 seconds, and you can intensify the experience by engaging the Go-Kart driving mode. That sharpens the motor response and fires up a soundtrack that’s half-spaceship, half-fighter jet, and it makes your foot press harder on the accelerator, the same way the right music makes your feet tap automatically.
And when it comes down to it, the Cooper SE is simply a delightful car to drive. It jinks and dances like Muhamad Ali in his prime, and like other EVs it wears its weight low, so it’s very composed through corners. Through the steering wheel, you can feel what the front tyres are up to, so when the road gets twisty you feel like rolling up your sleeves and getting down to some serious fun.
It’s a world away from the numb experience that many EVs deliver, and though many are powerful enough to knock the Mini’s teeth out, the Cooper SE entertains by being engaging rather than being ballistic.
That said, it’s just as good at being the calm, quiet electric car that works well in rush hour. It has up to seven (yes, seven) driving modes but the ideal one for stressful Singapore traffic is probably the Green setting, which uses an animated hummingbird to encourage you to drive sedately.
That sounds gimmicky, but it’s faithful to the general sense of fun that seems to infect Mini. What I did find too overtly Gen-Z for my liking is the 9.4-inch circular Oled touchscreen, which looks sharp, vibrant and content-rich, but gets complicated in a hurry.
You swipe and tap to find apps and use them, because Mini modelled its OS9 interface on smartphones. I’m not sure that’s entirely a good thing, because I sometimes hunt through my phone for stuff I want, and it’s the same here.
Thankfully, key functions (navigation, media, phone and the air-con controls) have a permanent spot on the screen. Even better, there are still physical switches for the important things in a cluster that Mini calls the “toggle bar.”
Otherwise, OS9’s complexity sits at odds with the disarming simplicity of the Cooper’s interior. The cabin is very deliberately pared down, so much so that it’s made of fewer components. The dashboard and doors are covered in a recycled polyester textile that looks fresh and fashionable.
The one area where Mini really did more with less is the back of the car. The electric Cooper is roughly the same size as before but its wheels are pulled further toward the corners, capitalising on the compactness of electric hardware to carve out more cabin space.
The back seats used to be a place to banish naughty children, but the Cooper SE has room for four well-nourished adults.
On the other hand, the boot is tiny, at just 210 litres. You can trade rear seating for cargo room and expand it to 800 litres, but Mini Cooper drivers know what they’re in for. Expecting the brand’s smallest car to be practical is like wanting your fridge to heat up your leftovers for you.
Whether the electric Coopers are competitive comes down more to price than size. Both are only due in Singapore around July or August so this is highly speculative, but at today’s Certificate Of Entitlement (COE) premiums I would guesstimate the Cooper E’s price at around S$215,000 – although who knows, Mini could detune it and gift us a Category A COE version, which would bring its price closer to S$200,000.
Still, an EV with only 305 km is going to be a tough sell (not to mention, a tough re-sell), so the one to go for is the Cooper SE, which I’m guessing will cost S$250,000 or thereabouts.
You could certainly get more for your money, with the electric car world now crowded with strong offerings. Peugeot’s E-2008, the Hyundai Kona Electric and Ioniq 5 and the Smart #1 Pro+ are all strong alternatives that simply offer more car for the money.
But none of them is a Mini, and that means something to the brand’s fans. Put it this way – when Hollywood remakes The Italian Job again (or worse, does a sequel), it won’t be Hyundais that star as the getaway vehicles. And even Tom Cruise won’t stay youthful forever, but the switch to electric power means the Mini Cooper will still be around long after his star has faded.
Mini Cooper SE Motor power/torque 218 hp/330 Nm Battery type /net capacity Lithium-ion/49.2 kWh Charging Type/Time 7 hours 45 minutes 0 to 100 per cent (7.4 kW AC), 30 minutes 10 to 80 per cent (95 kW DC) Range 402 km 0-100kmh 6.7 seconds Top speed 170 kmh Efficiency 14.1 to 14.7 kWh/100 km Agent Eurokars Habitat Price To be announced Available Third quarter, 2024
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