Background
MINI wants to transition into being an EV-only brand as quickly as possible and a milestone on that journey comes with the introduction of this car, the Aceman. It's the first of the company's models that will be sold only as an EV and is essentially an SUV version of the latest J01-series model MINI Cooper Electric hatch. Which means that it's very much a Chinese product. The Cooper Electric was designed by Spotlight Automotive, a joint venture partnership between BMW and Great Wall Motor which has also produced another model, the GWM Ora 3 supermini. Acemans will also be initially built at a Spotlight factory in Zhangjiagang north of Shanghai, before European production moves to BMW's usual MINI Oxford plant in 2026.
The Aceman fits into the MINI line-up between the Cooper Electric hatch and the Countryman Electric, though unlike both of those models, Acemans can't be had in petrol form as an alternative. There seems to be a bit of overlap with both those other MINIs (particularly perhaps with the 5-door version of the Cooper Electric hatch). So does the Aceman have what it takes to stand out? Let's see.
Driving Experience
When final touches to the engineering of this Aceman were being completed at the beginning of this decade, it must have seemed a clever and forward-thinking idea to make it electric-only. Today though, as EV sales and public charging infrastructure programs falter, you wonder whether MINI wishes that, as with the current Cooper hatch and Countryman, a combustion-powered variant had also been allowed for in the line-up. Anyway, what we have here is an EV-only range that kicks off with a base Aceman E variant propelled by a 184hp front-mounted motor energised by a 42.5kWh battery offering a 192 mile range. 62mph takes 7.9s en route to 99mph.
The mainstream alternative is the Aceman SE, which gets a 218hp motor, again front-mounted (unlike Countryman Electric, there's no twin motor AWD version). This variant uses a larger 54.2kWh battery, hence its longer 251 mile range. 62mph takes 7.1s en route to 106mph. At the top of the line-up is the Aceman John Cooper Works, which uses the same motor as the SE but putting out 258hp, so the 0-62mph time is reduced to 6.4s en route to 124mph; there's a 242 mile range.
Like all MINIs, the Aceman's quite fun to punt around and as with the brand's other current models, there's a choice of 'Experience' drive modes, not many of which have much to do with driving. Select from 'Core', 'Green', 'Go-Kart', 'Personal', 'Vibrant', 'Timeless', 'Balance' and 'Trail'. 'Go-Kart' is obviously the setting for speed and comes with a rather unnecessary 'woohoo' when you select it, then introducing a fake rocketship thruster noise under acceleration; you might think that fun - or irritating; take your pick. Selecting the eco 'Green' mode affects acceleration quite a lot. And 'Balance' sounds like you're in some sort of new age mediation session.
Brake regen control is available, but buried in a touchscreen menu rather than being accessible where it should be, with paddles behind the steering wheel. As far as the driving experience is concerned, the main thing you're going to have to like in choosing an Aceman is ride quality on the firm side - but that doesn't seem to have put legions of MINI customers off in the past. But arguably this firm demeanour is all part of the sporty vibe which sets the Aceman apart from the legions of dull-to-drive rivals that clog up this part of the small car EV segment. And it's in a completely different league from the rather unconvincing drive dynamics of the larger Countryman Electric model we tried last year. The sharp turn-in that comes with the feelsome steering rack is part of this; so is the tenacious traction and the strong brakes.
Design and Build
Your first thought might be that this Aceman is merely a shrunken MINI Countryman; the so-called 'charismatic simplicity' design cues are certainly supposed to suggest that - and disguise the fact that what we actually have here is a super-sized Cooper Electric hatch, with the same platform and drivetrains, which rolls down the same Chinese production line. As you might note from the 4-metre body length (354mm shorter than a Countryman), it's quite a bit bigger than a Cooper Electric, 221 longer and 54mm taller. And looks a more sophisticated thing, with short overhangs, flush door handles and an almost seamless transition between body and glass to optimise aerodynamics.
Since this car is fundamentally based on the MINI Cooper Electric hatch, you wouldn't expect its interior to differ much from that car and it doesn't. So as usual with modern MINIs, the cabin is dominated by an ultra-slim dinnerplate-sized 9.4-inch OLED circular screen that takes care of both the infotainment and drive instruments. Most customers will add a head-up display, viewed through the unusual wheel with its fabric 6 o'clock lower spoke. The knitted recycled polyester fabric dashboard covering is also recognisable from other modern MINIs, bringing what the brand thinks is a 'homely' vibe.
Not everyone's going to feel that but what you can't argue with is the solid sense of quality here. The doors thunk, nothing squeaks or rattles and the BMW stalks behind the thick-rimmed wheel click smartly about their business. Through that wheel, aside from the head-up display, there's nothing to see apart from a stitched trim strap - and there are plenty of other interesting design touches scattered around this cabin; like the 'floating' door pulls, the little toggle switches beneath the centre screen, the flecked dash top and the neat little Harmon Kardon door speakers. A nice finishing touch would have been the potential to slide back and forth the cup holders and lidded box that sit in a long lower tray between the seats - maybe that's a job for the facelift.
Given that this Aceman is so much shorter than Countryman, there's a surprising amount of space in the back, where a six foot passenger could (just about) sit behind a similarly tall driver. You'd struggle to fit anyone in the middle back here though, thanks to the kind of high centre tunnel you'd think a front-driven EV wouldn't need.
Space in the rear was clearly prioritised here over boot capacity, as you'll see when lifting the tailgate, which rises to reveal just 300-litres of luggage room - one of the smallest spaces in the segment. Since unlike some rivals this EV doesn't provide any under-bonnet 'frunk' space for the charging leads, it's just as well that you can fit at least one of them in this deep well below the floor, even with the Harmon Kardon audio upgrade fitted - as here. Push the adjustable-height floor into its lowest position and this is a deep space, though there's a high sill to get your stuff over in order to access it.
Market and Model
At the time of our Review in Spring 2025, prices were starting at around £29,000 for the 42.5kWh Aceman E; it's around £32,000 upwards for the 54.2kWh Aceman SE model we tried. Overall, you've to think in terms of a £2,000 premium over the donor Cooper Electric three-door Hatch. Bear in mind that the prices just quoted are based on entry-level 'Classic' trim; you're probably going to want more than that. From there, pay either £2,200 more to get the mid-level 'Exclusive'-spec we tried; or £3,500 more over base-spec to get the top 'Sport' package. The top John Cooper Works Aceman (which costs from around £37,000) has its own stand-alone trimming package.
Standard equipment across the range includes LED headlights, a contrast-coloured roof, Matrix rear lights, roof rails, rear parking sensors, a rear view camera, cruise control and 'MINI Experience' drive modes. Inside, all Acemans get MINI's big round OLED fascia screen, ambient lighting, automatic air conditioning, a heated steering wheel, a front armrest and a 'Sport Vescin' faux-leather-trimmed steering wheel. If you're having all of this with base 'Classic' trim, your Aceman will come with 17-inch X-Spoke alloy wheels and a black and blue dashboard knitted panel. And there's the no cost option of a body-coloured roof and a lighter upholstery shade.
If you've stretched from the smaller-battery Aceman E to the bigger-batter Aceman SE, you'll also gets the contents of MINI's 'Level 1 Pack' (which costs £2,000 more on the Aceman E). This gives you Comfort Access keyless entry, Extended LED headlights with a High Beam assistant, a wireless charging pad, heated front seats, a head-up display, the brand's power-folding Exterior Mirror Package and an anti-dazzle rear view mirror.
Cost of Ownership
We gave you the battery range figures in our 'Driving' section - 192 miles from the 42.5kWh battery in the Aceman E; and 251 miles from the Aceman SE variant's 54.2kWh battery. It's 242 miles for the JCW version. What about charging? We didn't expect much here because the base Aceman E can only charge at an almost unacceptably feeble rate of 75kW; even the bigger-battery Aceman SE only manages a maximum of 95kW. To give you some class perspective, a Volkswagen ID.3 can manage 135kW or more. MINI needs to urgently work on this. Even so, a 10-80% DC public charge can still be completed in either 29 or 31 minutes, depending on the battery size you choose; you'll probably be able to live with that. For AC charging at home, full battery replenishment for an Aceman E using a typical 7.4kW wallbox needs just over 6 hours; it'd be around 9 hours for this SE variant. If your property can sustain an 11kW wallbox with a three-phase supply, you can reduce those times to four hours and 15 minutes - or five hours and 30 minutes respectively.
By using MINI Navigation, the vehicle will ensure the high-voltage battery reaches the ideal temperature for efficient charging in advance, thus reducing charging time. Customers can also optimise charging for their schedule, setting charging start times, active charging windows, and target battery capacity by departure time. Finally, drivers can instruct that the interior cabin is air conditioned by a set departure time. The 'My MINI' app provides a convenient overview of the vehicle status and charging process, including current battery status, charging-optimised route plan and charging history.