MINI Aceman SE Review: An Ace up its Sleeve

What we like:

Additional space and range over the Cooper Electric much appreciated

An option for 5 doors if you don't want the Countryman

What we dislike:

Harsh ride

If you wanted an electric Cooper, you can only have it with 3 doors. If you wanted a 5-door Cooper, you’d have to opt for the sole ICE version. What if you wanted 5-doors and an electric MINI? Apart from the full-sized Countryman SUV, the next option is the Aceman - a crossover built to sit between the Cooper and the Countryman.

It’s built on the platform of the Cooper Electric, which holds great promise. But one gets the sense that the Aceman was birthed from attempting to stretch the chassis to its maximum dimensions. The Aceman has decent interior room and those extra two doors will make it infinitely more practical for rear passengers. But boot space remains small at 300 litres (210 litres on the Cooper Electric), good for a pram and not much more. It also looks a bit awkward with its more angular lines, including squarish headlights. I guess some compromises had to be made to squeeze in 5 doors into the Cooper Electric’s footprint.

The interior design is pretty much identical to what you’d find on the Cooper Electric, except now there is more room everywhere. It is an enjoyable place to be with lots of fun elements incorporated into the tech, the centerpiece being the funky circular screen. I particularly like the Harman Kardon sound system and the leather seats. There are splashings of bright colours everywhere. Liberal amounts of cloth-like material have been used on the dash and doors, which look and feel good, but I wonder how to clean them when they are eventually soiled.

We really enjoyed driving the Cooper Electric with its razor sharp handling and chuckable balance. However, it lacked enough power to be truly sporty. Here we have the SE version, which is the hi-po version of the Aceman, although it is still front-wheel drive. You get 215 bhp and 330 Nm, powering the car from 0-100 km/h in 7.1 seconds, which is more or less a hot hatch sort of pace. With this power, the Aceman SE feels sufficiently quick where the Cooper Electric felt like it could do with more. The extra oomph is much appreciated.

Dynamically, Aceman isn’t too far off from the smaller and more nimble Cooper Electric, which isn’t a surprise given they are related. It’s a decent steer, but you can feel its extra size and weight. However, it is definitely more fun behind the wheel than the Countryman. That said, while the firm ride is understood and accepted on the Cooper Electric, it feels a little too out of place on the Aceman, which would be used to carry passengers more often and to do the mundane stuff. Even if it’s the sportier Aceman SE. I wonder how the Aceman E will fare on this front.

In terms of range, the Aceman SE has a nett battery content of 49.2 kWh which gives a very usable WLTP-rated 407 km of range. While range anxiety was a real concern in the Cooper Electric, it is totally absent here which is an added bonus for practicality. In terms of charging the Aceman SE can take 11 kW of AC power or 95 kW of DC power.

With its more practical shape and better range, the Aceman will suit a wider target audience than the Cooper Electric. I am sure it will find many homes. Now all we need to do is to test the Aceman E to see how it compares to the SE. I reckon the E has more aces up its sleeve - it will be more than sufficient to most buyers, and will hopefully offer better ride comfort.

Photos by James Wong

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