MINI Cooper Electric: Five things we love – and don’t

Despite a brief foray into the world of electric vehicles back in 2008 with the MINI E, it wasn’t until much later that the first mass-production EV from the BMW Group’s small-car brand went on sale, in the form of the super cute and charismatic MINI Cooper SE hatch, better known as the MINI Electric.

Arriving in 2020 priced at $59,900 drive-away, the MINI Cooper SE was created by shoehorning the BMW i3’s electric powertrain into the latest MINI hatch.

Today, the German-owned British marque has expanded its electrified model portfolio beyond the Cooper SE hatch with plug-in hybrid versions of the larger Countryman SUV (priced from $64,000).

And soon the electric MINI hatch will be available in special-edition Resolute form, before the battery-powered MINI Aceman replaces both the five-door MINI hatch and Clubman wagon, in the lead-up to MINI becoming an all-electric brand in 2030.

For now, here’s what we love – and don’t – about the 2022 MINI Cooper SE Hatch MINI Yours, priced at $62,825 plus ORCs.

What we love

Quirky interior

The MINI Cooper has always been known for its instantly recognisable silhouette, but the eye-catching design doesn’t end there and we love the unique interior styling of the Cooper SE Hatch.

The front head restraints feature a perforated Union Jack design and the dash is fitted with neat carbonfibre-like inlays, but the party trick is an illuminated ring surrounding the central touch-screen that lights up in accordance with adjustments to audio volume.

Charming characteristics

MINI rarely talks about its electric Cooper Hatch without finding a way to include ‘go-kart’ in the same sentence, to highlight the hatchback’s keen dynamics.

And while it doesn’t quite handle like a kart, we can vouch for this compact premium EV’s spectacular cornering ability, even with the extra weight of the electric motor and battery, which doesn’t seem to hinder it too much – even in the tightest twists and turns, where you can quite literally throw it around.

Loads of fun

And that brings us to the next thing we love about the little European EV. It is fun!

The Cooper SE is not only super grippy and nimble, it has oodles of vision in every direction, making it a great option for maneuvering around busy city streets and narrow roads.

And, while it’s not the quickest EV – as we’ll touch on soon – it makes up for any speed-related shortcomings by delivering light, direct steering and taut body control.

If it doesn’t put a smile on your face, you’re doing it wrong.

Head-turner

Whether it’s because of the spaceship-like sound effects that come from under the bonnet at low speeds or simply the ultra-cute, retro design, the Cooper Hatch SE is certainly a head-turner.

Our press car was fitted with lime-green accented 17-inch Power Spoke wheels and finished in a White Silver hue with contrasting gloss-black roof and mirror caps.

It’s a dashing combination, if you ask us, and clearly all the rubber-neckers that stopped and stared agree.

Something old, something new

Remaining faithful to the British brand’s iconic design, the new MINI Cooper Hatch SE still looks a lot like the original Mini – even if it’s a lot bigger – thanks to its round headlights, rectangular tail-lights, floating roof, super-short overhangs and that unmistakable side profile.

But the Cooper SE further celebrates MINI’s illustrious heritage by incorporating Union Jack details throughout, and adding old-school toggle switches that add to its retro feel inside. 

What we don’t love

Tiny battery means short range

MINI Australia says you can expect a measly 222km of driving range from a full charge. In reality, we found it difficult to achieve anything close to that figure, even with the climate control off almost the entire time.

When we picked it up, the battery was at 100 per cent but the estimated range was just under 170km. And after 95km of suburban driving – and minimal highway travel – that dropped to just 73km, with the battery at 50 per cent.

So while you probably won’t achieve 222km from a full charge, you should safely get around 170-180km, which will be acceptable for some.  

Traction troubles

Sending 270Nm of torque directly to the front wheels, the three-door EV can struggle to get its power to the ground effectively with even the lightest film of rain on the road.

The tyres scramble in low-grip scenarios, sending the MINI’s traction control warning lights into a flashing frenzy. Once you’ve established some grip, the next battle is torque steer, of which there’s plenty if you push the electric MINI hard.

No rocket-ship

If you’re after supercar levels of performance from an electric car, the 2022 MINI Cooper SE Hatch will disappoint.

It does have plenty of instant torque and MINI quotes a 0-100km/h acceleration time of 7.3 seconds, which is about right in the real world and isn’t too shabby.

But that makes it at least a second slower than the most affordable rear-wheel drive Tesla Model 3 (6.1sec), which cost less than $3000 more, and just half a second quicker than the circa-$50K Nissan LEAF (7.9sec).

Go-kart ‘feeling’

As we’ve mentioned, MINI has no qualms comparing the Cooper Hatch SE’s handling to a go-kart.

But anyone familiar with how much fun those pint-size open-wheelers are to drive will also know how uncomfortable they’d be to drive on real Aussie roads. After all, a go-kart sits just millimetres from the ground and has no suspension.

Of course, the Cooper SE has suspension at all four corners so it doesn’t quite ride like a go-kart, but the ride is firm so don’t expect too much cushioning over potholes and typical Aussie road imperfections.

El-cheapo features

For a $60,000-plus electric car, we expect a few more creature comforts, like electric seat adjustment and maybe even ventilated seats up front.

Compared to the new crop of EVs coming soon from brands like BYD and GWM, the MINI Cooper SE will make its owner feel distinctly short-changed when it comes to on-board tech and creature comforts.

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