MINI Cooper electric (2024 – ) review

While a little more expensive than a Fiat 500e the Mini Cooper still looks good value in an increasingly competitive small electric car sector. This is great news for the target audience of younger, urban-dwelling drivers for whom the price of going electric has seemed a barrier. True, if you want the properly funky colours and trims it gets more expensive but the starting price is still less than the GWM 03, Corsa Electric or e-208. The option of a smaller battery is also smart, given it saves upfront cost for city drivers who don’t need the range and is cheaper to top up on the public charging network they’re more likely to depend on than suburban owners with driveways and home chargers. The fact our test cars over-delivered on their real-world range also suggests you’ll be going further between plugging in than you might in that Fiat as well – a legacy of Mini’s long experience perfecting its electric tech.

Too early to say at the time of writing but don’t be put off by the thought of the Mini being built in China rather than the UK, especially given the electric know-how of BMW’s partner Great Wall Motors. This and the inherent mechanical simplicity of electric cars means less to go wrong in the first place. We’ll just have to hope the software powering it all proves as reliable.

Tons of tech as standard, with much of it geared to keeping you and those around you safe. As such all Mini Coopers have the Driving Assistant pack, with cameras and sensors to help in common situations like reversing out of blind spaces, opening the door around passing traffic or helping you come to a safe stop if something unexpected appears in front of you. Aids include blind spot alerts, one of our favourite bits of modern safety tech and something many rivals make you pay extra for. Regulations dictate it also includes one of our least favourite, this being zero-tolerance bonging if you go even 1mph over the speed limit. Top tip – hold down ‘set’ on the steering wheel cruise control buttons every time you start the car to silence it, a hack that works on every modern BMW or Mini and spares you the annoying electronic finger wagging.

If you need a practical Mini you’ll be better off with a Countryman or Aceman, the three-door configuration of the Cooper and limited access for the back seats making it a pain for the school run and other family errands. Once installed space in the rear isn’t actually as bad as it looks, assuming driver or front seat passenger are happy to move their seats forward a little. But it’s kinder on those up front. Boot space is on the cosy side as well, and if you want a practical small electric car something like that Corsa Electric or Peugeot e-208 has the benefit of more luggage room and the extra rear doors. Once up and running rock-hard suspension was a signature of the 60s original, and a key part of the ‘go-kart’ handling Mini still bangs on about to this day. If not quite teeth shatteringly firm on this latest Cooper it’s on the crisp side of comfortable, though expertly set up so as to take the edge off speed bumps and potholes while preserving the agility fans adore. You feel the extra weight of the batteries in the corners, though, so if you want your Mini to handle like a real Mini it might be worth waiting for the combustion-engined version coming in due course. Overall the Cooper pulls off the trick of small car fun and big car refinement, though there are annoyances like the poorly positioned windscreen surrounds that block your view in corners and at junctions.

Minis have always been fun, funky places to spend time but the Cooper is another level entirely. Stylish, minimalist and packed with clever little touches there’s a real wow factor starting with the circular central display, the OLED screen crisper and more punchy in its graphics than the backlit TFT ones used in most cars. Each of the seven ‘experiences’ selectable from a chunky toggle switch unleash different colours, sounds and more besides while the ‘woven’ recycled polyester trim on doors both looks cool and feels reassuringly hard wearing. While there are still a few physical buttons – including a proper volume knob – the screen still demands too much time with your eyes off the road to operate simple things like heating and ventilation. But we’ll forgive it that for the fact it all looks so good, and with more time than we had in the car you’ll likely learn your way round. And if you’re not as shy as us about yelling instructions at the dash there is ‘Hey Mini!’ voice control and tons of additional features, BMW’s Air Console gaming system that turns your phone into a controller to keep you entertained on charging stops among them. Level 1, 2 and 3 options packs add to the kit over and above the existing range structure of Classic, Exclusive and Sport.

Take your pick between Cooper E with 184 horsepower and the smaller of the two batteries or Cooper SE with more power and range. Even the Cooper E is significantly more powerful than the Fiat 500e, Corsa, e-208 or GWM 03 you might also be considering, the Mini by far the quickest of this group, the SE really hammering home the advantage and with just shy of 250 miles of range by official stats. Call it around 200 in the real world. In that electric car way acceleration is silent and instantaneous, with no interruptions from having to change gear or anything like that. A sense of ‘engine noise’ is available in various of the ‘Experience’ settings, these varyingly charming or annoying depending on your mood. But at least you have the choice. While still fun and chuckable the Cooper is a bit chunky to really deliver on the classic Mini handling but we were impressed that the initially pessimistic range figure actually turned out to downplay how far it would go on a charge, even after a spirited drive on some suitably twisty Spanish country roads.