Regardless of its acquainted appears to be like, the brand new Mini Cooper has simply undergone its greatest replace this century. The ionic headlights, white roof, and city-friendly dimensions stay, as they’ve all through BMW’s 20 years on the helm of the Mini model. However beneath that acquainted pores and skin, it’s all-new.
For starters, the 2024 Mini Cooper sits on a brand new electrical platform. It has extra vary and straight-line efficiency than its predecessor, plus an all-new inside that boasts extra tech and extra space, regardless of the outside being barely shorter (however somewhat wider) than earlier than.
That new platform comes from a partnership between BMW and Nice Wall Motor, the Chinese language agency whose catalog of EV manufacturers contains Ora, makers of the unremarkable and unrelated 03 (née Funky Cat). The brand new electrical Cooper is made in China, with further manufacturing to start in Oxford, England, in 2026. Solely then may the automobile head to North America, since it’ll not fall sufferer to import tariffs imposed on Chinese language-built EVs.
Along with a brand new platform, there’s new nomenclature to get your head round: All variations of the smallest Mini are actually referred to as “Cooper.” This contains the electrical Cooper E and higher-performance Cooper SE, each reviewed right here, but in addition the internal-combustion Cooper C and Cooper S, which can be found in a three- or five-door configuration.
Though additionally “new,” these ICE variations sit atop the previous platform, and are extra closely facelifted than actually all-new. If the Cooper is simply too small for you, there’s the equally new (and electric-only) Mini Aceman, or for those who want much more area there’s the range-topping Mini Countryman, which is obtainable with each gasoline and electrical drivetrains.
All clear? Good. Truly, no, yet another factor: Mini doesn’t make a scorching John Cooper Works model of its EV hatchback—a minimum of not but, anyway. So whereas the SE pushed right here was positively dripping in JCW equipment, that is all obtainable from the choices catalog, and modifications nothing in regards to the automobile’s efficiency. Provides a lot to the value, thoughts you, however we’ll come again to that later.
Additional Mini Miles
WIRED drove each the usual Cooper E and faster Cooper SE. The bottom automobile is powered by a 135-kW (181-hp), 290-Nm (214-foot-pound) motor driving the entrance axle. Mini claims a 0-62 mph time of seven.3 seconds, a prime pace of 105 mph, and a variety of as much as 190 miles from the 36.6-kWh battery, utilizing the WLTP customary. It additionally claims an electrical consumption of 4.4 miles per kWh. For context, the earlier era of Mini EV claimed a circa-140 mile vary from its 28.9-kWh pack.
