ALL ACES
COPENHAGEN, Denmark – Hot on the wheels of the launch of the all-new Mini Cooper hatch and the Mini Countryman SUV, both in petrol and electric versions, Mini has invited us for a first look at its electric crossover, the Mini Aceman.
What is it: A totally new model for the Mini brand, the Aceman EV slots in neatly between the Cooper and Countryman in size. If you find the Cooper to be too tight for everyday use, and the Countryman just too bulky for your idea of spirited driving, the Aceman may the car to satisfy your cravings for the style and driving characteristics of a Mini.
Power: Mini Aceman is a pure electric vehicle, full stop. There will be two versions available. The Aceman E with 135 kW (184hp) and 290Nm, can go from 0 to 100kph in 7.9 seconds, on to a top speed of 160kph. Range is 309Km on a full charge.
For greater range and performance, there’s the Mini Aceman SE, with 160kW (218hp) and 330Nm, zipping to 100kph in 7.1 seconds, and goes slightly faster at 170kph. Range is up to 405km. With a fast charger, either Mini Aceman can charge from 10 to 80 percent in just under 30 minutes.
Design: Unmistakably a Mini, the Aceman does a good job of interpreting the classic styling cues of the brand into a thoroughly modern design. The angular headlamps feature daytime-LEDs that light up differently depending on driving mode. The faux grille, with its glossy black inserts, does a good impression of the classic Mini bulldog countenance.
The car’s lines are refreshingly simple and streamlined, with very little extraneous decoration—this can be seen in the flush-mounted glass and door handles. Black cladding on the wheel arches, front and rear skid plates, and roof rails signify that this is a crossover.
Aceman, of course, features the floating roof design. Roof and door mirrors can be ordered in a contrasting color. At the rear, taillights in the classic Mini size and shape contain matrix LED elements that contain the Union Jack signature.
Interior: This may be the Goldilocks Mini for both current owners and those new to the brand. At just under four meters in length, the Aceman has four doors (plus hatch) and five seats. The rear is sufficiently roomy for two adults, for anything short of a cross-country drive. The front seats are quite roomy even for long drives, with plenty of elbow room and headroom. There’s no trunk, but the back has 300 liters of space, expandable to 1005 liters with the split-fold rear seats.
The panoramic glass roof has built-in LEDs as part of the ambient lighting package. The lighting helps the Mini feel more expansive inside, and more lively. There’s a thick steering wheel and available body-hugging sport seats that are great for spirited driving.
Aceman uses the new Mini interface that’s comprised of a huge 240-mm center OLED touchscreen, a head-up display, and a row of toggle switches. The toggle switches are the electric parking brake, gearshift, start-stop “key,” mode selector (sport, normal, eco), and (thankfully) a rotary volume knob. There are buttons for frequently-used functions like driving assist and rear camera below the toggles. The rest of the secondary controls can be accessed via touchscreen, or buttons on the steering wheel. An animated bulldog assistant called “Spike” can be called up via voice command: “Hey Mini!”
Chassis: Mini Aceman was designed to deliver steering and handling closer to the Cooper hatchback than the Countryman SUV. Instead of adaptive dampers, Mini chose a simpler and more direct approach: pre-stressed stabilizers that aim to deliver steering precision and accuracy. 18 or 19-inch wheels with low rolling-resistance tires are the options on the Aceman.
Safety and connectivity: Mini Aceman is equipped with lane-keeping assist, interactive speed-limiter and speed-limit reminders, where applicable. The monitor shows a panoramic view and rear camera view when parking. The Aceman can even be parked remotely using a smartphone, when equipped with the optional Parking Assistant Pro. A digital key can be installed on one’s phone, with multiple functions such as remote locking and unlocking.
The Aceman is Mini playing a new card, once again distilling the brand’s core characteristics into a right-sized, all-electric crossover that’s coming to the Philippines next year.
