MINI Cooper EV (2024-) Review

Introduction

The new MINI Cooper Electric is quite different from its predecessor. Not only does it have a new name – this is the first time ‘Cooper’ has been used to define a model, rather than a derivative – but the car formerly known as the MINI Hatch now has a new look, a new interior and some new powertrains. As before, petrol power is expected to play a starring role, but MINI has also worked on improving its electric offering.

You see, the previous-generation electric MINI was good in some ways, but awful in others. A less than generous range and high price saw it overlooked in favour of alternatives that were easier to live with, so MINI has taken note. With the Cooper, there’s now a choice of two different electric variants, both with bigger batteries than their forebear, and they’re here to set the record straight. But can they be better than their rivals, and can the electric Cooper be the new MINI of choice for customers?

At a Glance

The new name is just the beginning for the new MINI Cooper, which has inherited some design language from the latest-generation Countryman, or should that be the other way around? Either way, the Cooper and Countryman both have the same modern, minimalist look, and though they still come with the Union Flag tail light designs, the Cooper’s rear end looks quite different from that of its predecessor.

But if the back looks different, it has nothing on the dashboard, which is completely different. And mostly empty. The only punctuation is the steering wheel, which is really chunky, and the toggle switches for motor start, driving modes and gear selection. But the highlight is the round touchscreen infotainment system, which looks really cool alongside the clean, fabric-wrapped dash and the cool seats.

The electric versions of the Cooper, known as the E and SE, get bigger batteries than their predecessor, which is good news for those who feel the range anxiety, and they come with differing power outputs. Both are quick enough, but the bigger battery and associated greater range of the SE will make it the more flexible option for many customers.

Whichever one you choose, the MINI will still be great to drive. MINI bangs on about go-kart characteristics, which feels a bit over-keen, but the Cooper is really good fun to drive on the right road, even if that comes with a slightly stiff ride. But it’s a sporty thing, and there’s nothing wrong with that, particularly as the comfort is far from intolerable.

Key Features

Normally, the exterior design of the MINI would be one of its key attractions, but though the new Cooper looks smart enough – particularly from the front – it’s the cabin that appeals far more in our eyes. Clean, cleverly trimmed in fabric and delicately detailed, it’s a really pleasant place to spend time, particularly with the panoramic roof that lets the light flood into what’s a quite cockpit-like space. But though we like the ambient lighting hidden behind the fabric and we’re fans of the switchgear low down in the centre of the dash, the highlight has to be the touchscreen.

The circular display takes some getting used to, particularly because you have to customise it to get the best from it, but once you’ve learned your way around it has loads of functionality and it responds sharply. The option of choosing a theme for the display is a nice touch, and the ability to put your own ‘wallpaper’ on the screen is also something long overdue. But one of our favourite options is the option to add the AirConsole gaming system, which lets you use the screen as a games console while the car is stationary. The games are a bit cartoonish, so it’s unlikely to replace your PS5 any time soon, but it’s family-friendly and it’s good fun for half an hour while you’re charging.

The other main attraction of the Cooper is slightly more conventional for a MINI hatchback, because it’s the driving experience. Generations of MINI have been among the best cars in their respective classes when it comes to handling, and the new Cooper Electric continues that tradition. Yes, the agility comes at the cost of ride comfort, but the MINI isn’t disastrously firm by any stretch of the imagination, and on a good back road, the trade off feels like very good value indeed.

Range & Batteries

The two electric versions of the Cooper – the E and the SE – come with different batteries, each of which offers differing amounts of range. The basic E’s 40.7kWh battery offers around 190 miles of official range, while the 54.2kWh battery in the SE offers 250 miles of range, according to the official economy test. In the real world, of course, those figures are likely to be much lower, but the SE should still cover 150 miles or so at motorway speeds, and more over a mixture of roads. Of course, neither figure is especially impressive compared with some bigger-batteried hatchbacks, but the efficiency is reasonable, and both should prove more than adequate in the urban environments for which they were designed. Those who want to venture a bit further afield should probably go for the SE, however.

Performance & Drive

As well as getting their own battery packs, the Cooper E and SE models come with their own electric motors, although the difference in power outputs is not enormous. The E gets 184hp, which provides perfectly adequate performance, getting from 0-62mph in 7.3 second. That’s more than sufficient to keep up with traffic, while the instant power delivery and single-speed transmission mean the car feels faster than the figures suggest. But it isn’t as fast as the SE, which uses its 218hp electric motor to cut that acceleration time to 6.7 seconds, giving the Cooper proper hot hatchback-style performance.

The MINI doesn’t just trade on its straight-line speed, however. As with previous versions of the three-door MINI, the new Cooper is designed to feel sporty and engaging on the road. MINI makes a lot of noise about making the car feel like a go-kart, which is a little over-enthusiastic, but there’s no doubt that it’s good fun to drive.

Around town or on a good back road, the Cooper is highly entertaining, with sharp steering and a neat precision that makes it incredibly easy to place. And it will go wherever you point it, as long as you don’t get too greedy with your corner entry speeds. Do that and the nose will wash away from the corner, but it can quickly be brought back into line, and the MINI doesn’t have any vices. Admittedly, the steering wheel twitches a little when you put your foot down hard, and the front wheels will spin in wetter conditions, but that’s about as dramatic as it gets.

Most of the time, it feels stable and agile, with suspension that keeps the body from rolling too much in corners and brakes that stop the car with great effectiveness, even if they feel a little heavy at times. Once you become accustomed to it all, though, the MINI is the kind of car that can put a smile on your face in almost any situation.

Of course, the trade-off for that stability is a slightly stiff ride that never quite becomes uncomfortable, but certainly means the bumps are noticeable. There’s also a slight lack of soundproofing that makes motorway miles slightly less quiet than you might expect from an electric car, but it’s almost silent around town.

Charging

Because of their different battery sizes, MINI has given the E and SE versions of the Cooper different charging capabilities. Whereas the E will charge at speeds of up to 75kW on a public DC charging point, that figure rises to 95kW in the SE. However, the difference in battery capacity means both charge from 10% to 80% in just under half an hour, while charging from a ‘wallbox’ home charger should allow an easy fill to 100% overnight.

Running Costs & Emissions

For many customers, the real appeal of the Cooper E and Cooper SE models will be the company car tax breaks afforded by going electric. With a nominal rate of just 2%, both are going to be incredibly cheap in terms of tax – cheaper even than their petrol-powered siblings, which have lower RRPs.

So for company car drivers, the electric Coopers are a shoo-in, but things may be a little less clear-cut for private customers. Obviously, electric cars have the ability to become very cheap to run, but those who can’t charge at home and regularly use a public charge point without some kind of loyalty card may find the gap between the cheapest petrol-powered Cooper, the C, and the electric versions is not that great. But those who can charge at home – and particularly those who get cheap off-peak energy – will have miniscule running costs.

Interior & Technology

Among the biggest change to the new generation of MINIs can be found in the cabin, where the car is almost unrecognisable. Cleaner, more minimalist and more modern than ever before, the design is uncluttered to a remarkable extent, with very few buttons on the dashboard aside from a few switches on the centre of the dash. But even those are neatly styled, with toggles for gears and driving modes, and a lollipop-style turnkey for motor start.

But even that isn’t the neatest touch of a dashboard almost completely trimmed in fabric, albeit with a few neat accents – straps on the passenger side and metallic air vents – and some clever backlighting. It’s a really cool bit of design.

And it’s only the beginning, because the centrepiece of the design is the circular infotainment screen in the middle of the dash. It uses parent company BMW’s latest technology, and that means it’s pin-sharp and beautifully designed, with a range of different ‘skins’ for personalisation. You can even put your own photograph of choice on the screen, as you might with a smartphone. It also has a quick processor and lots of clever functions, but that’s not all it has to do.

Because there’s no digital instrument cluster at all, the central display has to double as the speedometer, range readout and provide other important information. In truth, and along with the circular shape, it means there’s some difficulties with the screen’s layout, and constantly having to look across at the screen is a bit irritating, so we recommend specifying the head-up display that comes as part of an option pack on base-spec cars and as standard on higher-specification models.

Whether you do that or not, though, you can still enjoy the capability of the Mini’s on-board technology. The screen offers a bewildering range of functions, so it’s worth investing a bit of time getting used to it and finding every function, then organising it so your favourites are in the most accessible place possible. But if you’re worried about getting bored while charging, you can always specify the AirConsole gaming system that allows you to play arcade-style games while stationary.

But whatever you do with the tech, the MINI's cabin is lovely in the way it’s made. Some of BMW’s quality has permeated through to the Cooper, which feels nice and solid, particularly with that chunky steering wheel and the softness of the fabric-wrapped dashboard. Only some slightly hard plastic low down betrays that this is a small car and profit margins are tight.

Practicality & Boot Space

As the name suggests, the new MINI Cooper is hardly a leviathan, so space is at a premium inside. Adults can get into the back seats, but the three-door body means access isn’t always easy, and once you have squirmed onto the rear bench, space inside is tight to say the least. But for occasional use or even for kids, those back seats should be usable enough, even if the cabin feels a bit dingy back there unless you choose the panoramic glass roof.

Boot space is less than generous, too, with a 210-litre capacity that looks pretty meagre even alongside the Cooper’s competitors. A Fiat 500 Electric is smaller and gets almost as much space, while the Skoda Fabia is little bigger on the outside but feels Tardis-like inside, with almost twice as much cargo space as the MINI. And when you fold down the MINI's rear bench, you still only get 800 litres of space to fill.

Safety

The new Cooper has not yet been crash-tested by Euro NCAP, so we’ve no indication of how safe it will prove in the event of an accident. However, parent company BMW has become pretty good at getting cars through with high-scoring four- and five-star ratings, so we’d expect the new Cooper to perform reasonably well.

Particularly as it’s available with loads of safety technology. Forward Collision Warning with brake intervention is standard, stopping the car if the on-board systems detect the likelihood of a collision, while parking sensors and a reversing camera are included to help prevent low-speed bumps. Speed limit information and cruise control are thrown in, too, although the speed limit warning system is as unreliable as every other such system, and we turned it off every time we drove. If you want more safety kit, head for the options packs to get the head-up display to help keep your eyes on the road, as well as adaptive LED headlights.

Options

Once you’ve chosen whether you want the E or SE (or even the petrol-powered C or S) version of the Cooper, attention turns to the trim levels. MINI is offering three different options, named Classic, Exclusive and Sport, and it’s the middle option that is probably the most appealing. But the Classic is hardly short of features, with alloy wheels, a reversing camera and two-zone climate control all thrown in, along with the circular touchscreen and parking sensors. But we’d want to add the Level 1 tech package, which includes the useful head-up display and a few other gizmos.

Alternatively, you could just go for the Exclusive, which adds a few more features as standard and comes with the Level 1 pack thrown in. And there are two more packs, imaginatively named Level 2 and Level 3, which add varying levels of extra equipment. To be honest, the Cooper doesn’t really need those, so an Exclusive with a nice paint job and a cool interior would be fine by us.

But those who want a sportier look can go for the Sport, which gets styling features inspired by motor racing and the John Cooper Works (JCW) division known for fettling MINIs for years. With black wheels and more aggressive design, it’s a racy look, but it won’t be for everyone.

Fortunately, MINI has continued to offer a wide range of customisation options and paint jobs, which means customers will be able to find a design that suits them. We’re particular fans of the British Racing Green IV colour that’s on offer, and looks great no matter whether you go for a contrast roof or not.

Rival Cars

The MINI’s size puts it in a strange place when it comes to competitors, and though it has overlap with quite a few alternatives, it doesn’t have too many direct competitors.

Strangely, one of the most likely cars to be compared will be the Fiat 500 Electric, which is a bit smaller than the MINI, but has the same attitude to style. It also has a choice of different powertrains (as long as you include the Abarth version), but it doesn’t have the engagement or the technology of the MINI.

At the other end of the scale, the MINI has to compete with slightly larger cars such as the MG4 EV, which majors on affordability, and the Volkswagen ID.3, which has been updated with better infotainment and cabin materials. Yet neither car has the polish of the MINI.

As a result, the CUPRA Born (above) may represent more of a challenge, with its sharp looks and efficient powertrains, yet it doesn’t quite have the history or the badge credentials of the Mini. Nor is it quite as good to drive.

But perhaps the most intriguing and closest rival for the MINI will be the new Alpine A290, which is based on the new Renault 5 E-Tech. We don’t know much about it yet, but it’s set to offer a retro, sporty alternative to the MINI.

Verdict & Next Steps

Whether electric motors have become the powertrains of choice for MINI customers remains to be seen. With private customers still representing a large part of the market for such a vehicle, the petrol-powered alternatives look certain to remain popular, despite the improvements made to the electric options. Nevertheless, the new electric Cooper models are certainly more promising than their battery-powered predecessors, partly because the new MINI Cooper’s cool cabin makes it a more appealing car than the old MINI Hatch. We’d go for the SE over the E, purely because of its extra range, but both cars will suit different customers, and the ability to choose between the two (and the petrol option) only adds to the Cooper’s appeal.

Where to next?

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**Score based on Select’s unique meta score analysis, taking into account the UK’s top leading independent car website reviews of the MINI Cooper Electric.

**Correct as of 25/06/2024. Based on 9 months initial payment, 5,000 miles annually, over a 48 month lease. Initial payment equivalent to 9 monthly payments, or £3,082.14  (Plus admin fee) Ts and Cs apply. Credit is subject to status.