After many leaks and official teasers, the all-new all-electric MINI Cooper has finally been officially unveiled to the world. Now known as the MINI Cooper (and not just the MINI hatch or MINI One), the first versions of the fifth generation of the MINI to be unveiled are the electric versions of it – both the Cooper E and Cooper SE.
The changes to the outside are quite drastic compared to its predecessor despite maintaining the recognizable MINI look – short overhangs, short bonnet, and a contrastingly long wheelbase with large wheels.
The headlights now appear larger, and the taillights look like the eye holes on Spiderman’s mask. The door handles are flush, and the new MINI makes do without fender flares and classic side scuttles. MINI says, “This reduction to the essentials places even more emphasis on the body paint finish on the larger body surface. In this way, typical MINI design features such as the visual three-part division of the vehicle body, the all-round window area and the contrasting roof have a greater impact, helping the new design style to take effect”.
Back to the lights on the all-new MINI Cooper, the headlights get a new look thanks to the LED DRLs that circle the cluster itself. The headlights also no longer get a surrounding trim, further simplifying the look of the car. In between the headlights is a new octagonal design of the front grille. Some have even pointed out that it resembles Hulk Hogan’s mustache. There are four trim levels – Essential, Classic, Favoured, and John Cooper Works.
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As for the powertrain, it differs between the MINI Cooper E and the more powerful MINI Cooper SE. The MINI Cooper E gets a single electric motor that can produce 184 hp and 290 Nm and it powers the front wheels. This enables the MINI Cooper E to go from 0 to 100 km/h in 7.3 seconds.
As for the MINI Cooper SE, it makes 218 hp and 330 Nm from a single electric motor that also drives the front wheels only. It does the century sprint in 6.7 seconds.
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As for battery and range, the MINI Cooper E gets a 40.7 kWh battery pack which gives 305 km of range (WLTP). The MINI Cooper SE, on the other hand, has a larger 54.2 kWh battery that gives 402 km of range (WLTP). Although increased, the range of the new MINI Cooper Electric still makes it an urban EV and not quite the one you’d take on a road trip.
Charging can be done at a maximum rate of 11 kW with AC charging for both the all-new MINI Cooper E and MINI Cooper SE. As for DC charging, it can be done at a maximum rate of 75 kW for the MINI Cooper E and 95 kW for the MINI Cooper SE. The SE can be charged from 10% to 80% in just under 30 minutes with DC charging.
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Inside, things have also been changed drastically with the new circular head unit which is 240 mm in diameter. While the previous head unit was also circular, the one in the new generation finally has the screen reaching out to the brim of the circle instead of just being a rectangle slapped in the middle of a circular housing. The new OLED screen runs on the latest MINI Operating System 9.
The dashboard sports a new curved design, and the cabin is generally simpler with a smaller number of components. Also new in the all-new MINI Cooper is a new steering wheel with a two-spoke design. The ‘third’ spoke is just a fabric that doesn’t quite contribute to the structure of the steering. One significant change in the all-new MINI is its new gear selector which is now just a toggle switch located under the circular head unit. There is no more traditional gear selector here.
Other new things in the new MINI Cooper include the new MINI Experience Modes, the new “Hey MINI!” first MINI Intelligent Personal Assistant, and new driver assistance systems.
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