Mini is taking advantage of the Beijing Motor Show to present the Aceman, its new electric car. More practical than the Mini Cooper but more compact than the Countryman, it competes head-on with the electric Renault 5 and other Peugeot E-208s… despite its lack of ecological bonus due to its manufacture in China. Here are all its details.
Do you remember the Mini Paceman? In 2013, the English brand tried to offer a small 3-door SUV based on the “classic” Mini, but without real success. No matter, Mini wants to try the experience again, and has just revealed at the Beijing Motor Show the Aceman.
A small SUVcertainly, but who leaves with more chances, notably with five doors in a much larger size compact than the Countryman. Enough to find a clientele perhaps a little lost in the face of the increase in the dimensions of the Mini SUV, while also causing trouble for the little starlet of the moment: the Renault 5 E-Tech.
A 100% Mini style
No big surprise when discovering the first images of this Mini Aceman, taken from a press release from the brand: it’s indeed a Mini. Which is logical, since the Aceman takes the basis of the 3-door Mini Cooper, and its 2022 concept had already put us on the track.
Some small subtleties are making their appearances, with not really round headlights or an octagonal grille. For the rest, the profile is immediately recognizable, with the roof in a contrasting color, while the rear lights take up the design of the brand’s latest creations.
However, it gains in length, with 4.07m long (+ 21 cm), and above all offers five doors. Enough to gain in practicality, with a 300 liter trunk for the Aceman (+90 liters more than the Cooper), even if the loading threshold seems very high.
To continue with the interior, not many surprises either, since this Mini Aceman also borrows the dashboard from the Cooper. We thus find this fabric covering (who is still entitled to exclusive reasons) and this central OLED screen perfectly round, 24 cm in diameter.
The latter uses OS 9 from other models in the range. A system based on Android Open Source Project (AOSP), which we tested and approved when discovering the Countryman. Fluid, well thought out, customizable, the experience is pleasant.
Two versions at launch
If the opening of orders for this Aceman will take place “before summer 2024”we already have the details of two versions available: Aceman E & Aceman SE.
| Mini Aceman E | Mini Aceman SE | |
|---|---|---|
| WLTP autonomy | 310km | 406km |
| Battery | 42.5 kWh | 54.2 kWh |
| WLTP consumption | 14.1 kWh/100 km | 13.9 kWh/100 km |
| Power | 135 kW (184 hp) | 160 kW (218 hp) |
| Couple | 290Nm | 330Nm |
| 0 to 100 km/h | 7.9 sec | 7.1 sec |
| Price | €36,000 | €40,000 |
Models that restart the engines of the Mini Cooper, but the greater weight (although not indicated by the brand) hampers performance a little.
The batteries are (almost) also included: the Aceman E receives a 42.5 kWh pack (+ 1.8 kWh vs Mini Cooper E) and the Aceman SE uses the 54.2 kWh battery from the Cooper SE. Interesting thing: the autonomy, of 310 km for the Aceman E And 406 km for the Aceman SE according to the WLTP cycle, are a little higher than those of equivalent Coopers!
The recharge does not change either, with “a little less than 30 minutes” requested to go from 10 to 80%, via a maximum power of 75 kW for the Aceman E and 95 kW for the SE.
The Mini Aceman therefore shares a lot of things with the Mini Cooper… including its production line in China. And that means that he will not be entitled to the ecological bonus in France, and must therefore put an end to government incentives of 4,000 euros. UK production is planned, but not before 2026.
Version E is displayed from 36,000 euros and the SE from 40,000 euros, i.e. 2,000 euros more than the Cooper and probably more expensive than the Renault 5 E-Tech and Alfa Romeo Junior (formerly Milano), especially since the latter are entitled to the bonus.
Will the sauce take more than for the Paceman? Answer this summer.