Slotting between the Cooper and Countryman, the new all-electric Aceman has a little more space but retains Mini’s go-kart feel at the wheel.
The Mini Aceman is a new small crossover that slots in between the Cooper 3-door hatchback and the Countryman SUV in its electric lineup. It effectively replaces the Clubman wagon, which was a favorite model until 2024.
A lightweight five-door that’s equal parts hatch and SUV, this compact crossover is based on the same all-electric GWM co-developed Spotlight chassis architecture as the electric Cooper 3-door. In addition to the second pair of doors, the Aceman is 221mm longer, 54mm taller and offers an extra seat in the second row than the Cooper 3-door.
At launch, Mini is offering two variants of the Aceman – the E Classic and the SE Favored. However, the E Classic is already being discontinued, and the BMW-owned British small-car brand is offering a discounted price of $51,990 drive-away on the Aceman E Classic, while stocks last. Production of this model, along with the smaller Cooper E Classic, is set to end for the Australian market this month.
However, in the coming months, the flagship Mini E-Class JCW E Favoured is set to arrive in Australia.
Although customer deliveries of this new Mini EV began last year, we had the opportunity to test the E-Class E Classic and SE Favoured trims at a national media launch on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula earlier this month.
How much does the Mini Aceman cost?
Mini is currently running a promotional drive-away pricing offer on the entry-level Aceman E Classic while stocks last.
| Model | Price before on-road costs |
|---|---|
| 2025 Mini Aceman E Classic | $51,990 drive-away (while stock lasts) |
| 2025 Mini Aceman SE Favoured | $60,990 |
| 2025 Mini Aceman JCW E Favoured | $65,990 |
What is the Mini Aceman like on the inside?
You’ll know you’re in a new Mini as soon as you get in, thanks to a prominent round OLED touchscreen infotainment system and an attractive knitted textile finish on the dashboard and door cards.
Since the Esseman is based on the same architecture as the electric Cooper 3-door, their interior design is very similar. You’ll only notice the big differences when you move into the second row.
Depending on which Esseman trim level you choose, there are different looks. The entry-level E Classic has a light headliner and black and blue cloth/leatherette upholstery, while the SE Favored has a dark anthracite headliner and dark petrol leatherette.
The front seats on the entry-level E Classic variant are manually adjustable, which is a bit surprising at this price point, but it’s not the end of the world as I easily found my preferred seating position.
On the other hand, the SE Favored has electrically adjustable front seats, which I appreciated because you can change the tilt of the seat base and give my thighs better support. It also offers an active massage function, which was fun to play with.
While the seats in both versions of the Aceman are comfortable and provide nice support, the SE Favored’s fixed head restraints protrude a little too much, causing my head to bump into them a few times. I wish they were pushed back a little.
Up front, there’s plenty of room to get comfortable, although if you bring your legs up towards the seat, the battery pack does take up space in the footwell. Your knees can rub against the rough knit textile of the door cards, which feels almost like carpet burn after a long drive.
There’s a super thick steering wheel in front of the driver. It’s almost too thick to grip, but there are nice places to put your hands at nine and three o’clock, and the wheel is wrapped in a soft leatherette.
All the buttons and scroll wheels have physical and clicky feedback, which is satisfying. I wish there was a scroll wheel for volume, so that I didn’t have to spam buttons.
There’s no proper digital instrument cluster behind it, and instead there’s just a heads-up display. It doesn’t project onto the windscreen like many other cars, but rather onto a flip-up polarizer, which feels a little old-fashioned.
Still, the heads-up display still looks good. The content displayed is bright and brightly colored, and depending on the drive mode you’ve selected, it will change layout and color.
Meanwhile, the centerpiece of the new Mini’s cabin is the 9.4-inch OLED touchscreen infotainment system. The display itself looks bright and clear, and since it’s an OLED panel, the colors really pop.
There seems to be enough processing power to swipe around menus and open new apps quickly, although it can sometimes lag when you first start the car. This is something I’ve experienced in Minis I’ve driven before.
| Dimensions | Mini Aceman |
|---|---|
| Length | 4079mm |
| Width | 1754mm |
| Height | 1514mm |
| Wheelbase | 2606mm |
| Cargo capacity | 300L (5 seats) 1005L (2 seats) |
What’s under the bonnet?
There’s no under-bonnet storage. Instead, there’s a single front-mounted electric motor and the related electric componentry.
| Specifications | Mini Aceman E | Mini Aceman SE |
|---|---|---|
| Drivetrain | Single-motor electric | Single-motor electric |
| Battery | 42.5kWh li-ion | 54.2kWh li-ion |
| Power | 135kW | 160kW |
| Torque | 290Nm | 330Nm |
| Drive type | FWD | FWD |
| Weight (kerb) | 1645kg | 1710kg |
| 0-100km/h (claimed) | 7.9 seconds | 7.1 seconds |
| Energy consumption (claimed) | 14.1kWh/100km (NEDC) | 14.4kWh/100km (NEDC) |
| Energy consumption (as tested) | 12.9kWh/100km (50km loop) | 15.9kWh/100km (435km loop) |
| Claimed range | 300km (NEDC) | 380km (NEDC) |
| Max AC charge rate | 11kW | 11kW |
| Max DC charge rate | 75kW | 95kW |
How does the Mini Aceman drive?
First up, I drove the entry-level Esseman E Classic, which felt like the perfect way to experience the lineup.
To start the Esseman, you turn a small key-like knob on a pod of buttons and switches below the touchscreen infotainment system. It’s a nod to the classic Mini, which is a fun addition.
All you hear when the car starts is a confirmation bling sound. Since it’s all-electric, there’s no need to turn on the internal combustion engine. That means the car is completely silent at a standstill, save for the hum of the air-conditioning system.
After starting the car, you use a toggle switch gear selector to the right of the starter switch to put it in Drive or Reverse. It’s pretty intuitive to use, but there were times when I found myself reaching for a gear selector in the center of the console that wasn’t there.
There are two different ways to move forward in this car. ‘D’ is a normal combustion-like driving mode that requires you to press the brake pedal to come to a complete stop. There are several levels of regenerative braking to choose from, including an adaptive one that changes its intensity based on factors including vehicle speed.
In addition to ‘D’, there’s ‘B’, which is more like a one-pedal driving mode. It felt much more natural to use, since the Aceman is an EV, and you can maximize the amount of regenerative braking energy going back to the battery. There are times when you do need to hit the brakes, but they’re rare. Thankfully, the brake pedal doesn’t give off the rubbery feel of some EVs.
Around town, the Aceman E has perfectly adequate performance. In fact, you don’t need much more power from such a city-focused car, since it’ll likely spend most of its life in the city or town.
No matter how hard you press the accelerator from a stationary position, the front tires don’t spin, which is a nice reassurance. Even then, there’s still plenty of speed to keep up with traffic. This is the main advantage of having an electric powertrain, as the full amount of torque is available from a standstill.
However, the entry-level Aceman E’s limitation is the limited range it gets from its small 42.5 kWh battery pack. It’s claimed to be capable of 300 km under the relaxed NEDC standard, and that’s not much for the $51,990 drive-away price tag. Even entry-level versions of the BYD Dolphin, GWM Ora, and MG 4 have more range, and they’re $20,000-$30,000 more affordable.
While range concerns may be an issue for some people, the Aceman E is impressively efficient. I averaged 12.9 kWh/100 km, which is almost as good as a Tesla, on a 50 km driving loop that included some city driving and some high-speed dynamic driving.
You can fix the range issue by upgrading to the Aceman SE, which significantly gives you a larger 54.2 kWh battery pack. This increases the NEDC claimed range figure to 380 km.
What do you get?
At launch, there are two variants available, but a hotter JCW flagship to sit at the top of the range is coming in a few months.
2025 Mini Aceman E Classic equipment highlights:
- 19-inch Eternal Spoke two-tone alloy wheels
- Tyre repair kit
- LED headlights
- Auto high-beam
- Customisable daytime running lights
- Classic exterior design details with Piano Black highlights
- Panoramic glass roof
- Roof rails
- Head-up display
- 9.4-inch round OLED infotainment touchscreen
- DAB+ digital radio
- Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
- Augmented reality satellite navigation
- Wireless charger
- 6-speaker 100W sound system
- Dual-zone climate control
- Ambient lighting
- Interior camera
- Head-up display
- Keyless entry and start
- Heated steering wheel
- Black/Blue cloth and Vescin leatherette upholstery
- Heated front seats
- 60:40 split/fold rear seats
- 8 selectable Mini Experience modes
- Mini Connected Services
Aceman SE Favoured adds:
- 19-inch Hexagram two-tone alloy wheels
- Sun protection glazing
- Vibrant Silver exterior and interior highlights
- 10-speaker Harman Kardon premium sound system
- Antracite headliner
- John Cooper Works seats
- Dark Petrol Vescin leatherette upholstery
- Electric front seat adjustment with memory
- Active driver’s seat
Is the Mini Aceman safe?
Standard safety equipment includes:
- Autonomous emergency braking (AEB)
- Blind-spot monitoring
- Exit warning
- Rear cross-traffic alert
- Driver attention monitoring
- Adaptive cruise control
- Steering and Lane Control Assistant (lane centring)
- Front and rear parking sensors
- Surround-view camera
- Parking Assistant Plus (includes semi-autonomous parking assist)
- SOS emergency calling
How much does the Mini Aceman cost to run?
| Servicing and Warranty | Mini Aceman |
|---|---|
| Warranty | 5 years, unlimited kilometres 8 years, 160,000km (HV battery) |
| Roadside assistance | 5 years |
| Service intervals | Condition-based |
| Pre-paid service packages (Mini Service Inclusive) | 4 years – $1500 6 years – $2225 |
