The colorful mini-program is getting a new focal point. While the Cooper wants to cover the well-known trendy small car clientele and the increasingly grown-up Countryman – both available with a choice of electric or combustion engine – is considered the top model in the Mini series, the Aceman with a long wheelbase and decidedly short overhangs is intended to be particularly popular with the international competition . It will only be available as an electric version and, somewhat surprisingly, only as a front-wheel drive version. At 4.08 meters long, the Aceman is almost as long as the first Countryman generation. With its pleasing design, four doors, large tailgate and space for four to five people, it should appeal to many potential customers in the entry-level SUV segment. “The all-electric Mini Aceman opens up new possibilities for customers who want a smaller crossover than our successful Countryman. The consistent electrification of our product portfolio makes a clear statement for the future of the Mini brand,” explains Mini boss Stefanie Wurst.
To ensure that there are no unpleasant surprises for customers, the Mini Aceman is currently undergoing the final phase of its cold-land testing in the Arctic Circle and hot-land testing in the Californian desert. In addition to the normal functions such as durability, driving behavior and drive, last but not least, the functions of the electric drive are important. There is a real torture program for air conditioning and charging the 54 kWh battery pack, the drive and the control units at up to 50 degrees Celsius in the dusty desert sand. An entry-level version with less power and a smaller 40 kWh battery pack will follow at a later date. The envisaged ranges: between 320 and 450 kilometers.
While the Mini Cooper and the larger Countryman are offered either as a combustion engine or an electric model, the Aceman remains an electric model with a power range between 130 kW / 177 HP and 160 kW / 218 HP. The medium Mini could become the new bestseller in the small portfolio. “The purely electric vehicle concept makes it possible to direct the design more towards Mini’s traditional core values in the spirit of the principle of Creative Use of Space,” says Mini chief designer Oliver Heilmer, “this creates models that take up little space on the road and at the same time offer more comfort, more versatility and more emotions inside than ever before.” Mini fans have to say goodbye to elegant furnishings with leather seats. While these are very popular with the mostly elegantly equipped models, Mini no longer leaves its customers a choice. You lie down on plastic alone and look at the striking, but not always ergonomically perfect center display – rounded in the middle of the dashboard.
