The MINI Aceman is an all-new model, a small electric-only crossover power which fits into the manufacturer’s range between the compact Cooper hatch and the larger Countryman vehicles. It’s designed to take on many of the Stellantis EVs in the compact sector, such as the Peugeot E-2008, as well as a growing number of European, Korean, Japanese and even Chinese rivals. We’ve already tried the Aceman as the higher-powered SE model over in Copenhagen, but now we’re driving the entry-level E on roads closer to home in the UK. Are we still as enamoured with the MINI Aceman as we were after our first drive?
How much is the 2024 MINI Aceman E in Ireland?
As the base-spec Classic model, the E is the most affordable Aceman you can get at less than €40,000. That seems great value for an electric vehicle (EV) from this prestige (for this sector of the market) manufacturer, especially as standard equipment on the E Classic includes LED head- and taillights, 17-inch alloys, the nav-enabled 9.4-inch OLED circular infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, dual-zone climate control, dynamic cruise control and an ambient lighting system, among more.
Our test car (not the one pictured, which is actually an SE) was also fitted with the 18-inch ‘Night Flash’ alloys (€677) and the Level 1 Pack (€2,462), which brings some nice little touches to the car (heated front seats, head-up display, keyless entry and go, and more) for not a huge amount of extra outlay.
What’s the styling like on the MINI Aceman E?
The entry-point E has most of the styling appeal of the grander SE, including the chunky black-plastic body cladding, the option of a contrast roof, and the generally pleasing proportions of the Aceman overall.
As we’ve already touched upon, the bigger 18s and the Level 1 Pack of our test car bring in aesthetic improvements, including the polygonal daytime running light (DRL) signatures that run around the circumference of the headlamps. However, in general, the Aceman E is hardly any different from any other model in the range on the outside, apart from the fact its boot lettering sits on its own and doesn’t have a suffix letter. Which means it’s bound to win plenty of fans in showrooms with little effort.
A look inside the MINI Aceman E
The MINI Aceman has a high-quality interior, centred on that circular touchscreen on the dash, but supplemented by the knitted fabric of the upper fascia. It’s certainly still of appeal in the E Classic, although it has fewer contrasting colours inside than the grander styles in the Exclusive and Sport trims. And when it’s rendered all in charcoal greys, the Aceman’s cabin loses quite a bit of the visual pizzazz that we know it can possess.
Space inside is also not great. MINI claims the Aceman is a full five-seater, but with its narrow rear bench and limited amount of legroom, we’re not sure anyone but three smaller children could possibly sit side-by-side in the back of this electric crossover.
The boot’s OK at 300 litres, if not anything to write home about, but that mention of kids is apposite because at least MINI offers three ISOFIX points in the car - two in the outer-rear seats, then another on the front passenger’s chair.
The MINI Aceman E’s on-board technology
The 9.4-inch touchscreen infotainment in the MINI Aceman is fairly good, all told, with appealing graphics, good response rates and a reasonably intuitive level of menu layouts. You still have to run most of the car’s functions through it, though, including the climate control, so if you don’t like tapping away at digital interfaces then the Aceman’s set-up - circular or otherwise - isn’t going to win you over.
It does have the voice assistant Spike if you want to try it, which understands various simple commands like ‘turn on front passenger seat heating’ (if you’ve equipped it, of course). Items such as the head-up display and the wireless smartphone charging pad are part of the Level 1 Pack, however, so technophiles will need to splash out on that for the best in-car equipment experience in the MINI.
Driving the MINI Aceman E
We had some question marks after driving the Aceman SE on 19-inch wheels on the super-smooth roads of Denmark. Having now tried the Aceman E on 18s on bumpy UK roads similar to our own in Ireland, those question marks remain.
The overriding memory of the Aceman E is a bouncy ride, like travelling around on a four-wheeled pogo stick. On one particularly lumpen back lane, but by no means the worst road surface you could encounter, the MINI was outright uncomfortable, and it was a challenge to keep it in its own lane at 80km/h, thanks to the intransigence of its firm suspension.
Sadly, at no point does the ride ever settle down to a point where we could say the car was bearable, with a constant fidgeting coming through the base of the driver’s seat at all times. Sure, this might be improved a tad if you keep the car on the standard 17s, but if 18-inch alloys are going to be offered then the springs and dampers of the Aceman ought to be able to cope with the increase in unsprung mass.
There are certain things about the classic Mini that should be copied - its incredible interior space when compared to its road footprint, for instance - but its frenetic ride quality is not one of them. Yet the Aceman, in this regard, feels more like an original Mini than any other 21st-century product from this company we’ve tried.
So, it must be really good in the corners, right? Well, no. It isn’t, really. It’s fine and the steering has plenty of meat to it, while grip and traction are impressive too. But it’s not like it’s a lot of fun. It doesn’t handle appreciably better than many of its rivals, never mind some of MINI’s own, fine creations of the past two decades or so. It’s just... acceptably decent in the corners, and nothing more.
As an Aceman E, it’s the least-powerful model of the line-up. It has up to 184hp and 290Nm, figures 34hp and 30Nm down on the next version up the tree, the SE. Those sort of numbers would historically not be bad at all for a car that’s less than 4.1 metres long overall, but because the Aceman is an EV, even in this specification it still weighs the wrong side of 1.7 tonnes. So, while it can run 0-100km/h in 7.9 seconds if you want or need it to (and we’re not sure why either of these scenarios would apply), it nevertheless feels a bit gutless once you’re past about 70km/h. It makes appealing little whizzing noises through the infotainment if you so desire, but there are no fireworks associated with the straight-line performance.
At least the suppression of wind and tyre noise is good, while the low-speed ride is a little more tolerable, so if you only use the Aceman E in urban areas on well-made streets, you should get on with it fine. Anywhere else, and its ride quality will likely annoy you.
What’s the electric range of the MINI Aceman E?
Not only does the Aceman E lose some power, torque and - accordingly - performance compared to the SE, it’s down on range and charging speeds too. It has a smaller 38.5kWh usable battery (SE: 49.2kWh), resulting in an official driving range of just beyond 300km. Realistically, that’s going to be more like 250km or so in cold weather, or if you’re particularly lead-footed, and that simply doesn’t seem enough to us for an EV that might, just might, be used primarily as a family conveyance.
Not only that, but the smaller battery can’t take the 95kW DC charge rate of the SE, meaning the E is limited to 70kW. At least the lower capacity means the Aceman’s fastest charge speed from 10-80 per cent is still quick, at 29 minutes, while topping up the battery at an 11kW AC connection would require four-and-a-quarter hours. A more typical 7.4kW home wallbox would need more than five hours to do the same job.
The reasons you’d buy a MINI Aceman E
With its stylish exterior and excellent interior, there’s little worry that the Aceman E might struggle to sell, especially as it’s the most affordable way into a five-door electric MINI at the time of writing. However, we’d sound caution about the subpar ride quality and say you definitely need to try it yourself before buying, while the extra money needed for either a) a higher specification than the Classic trim, or b) the bigger-battery SE model, or even c) both, doesn’t feel an insurmountable hurdle to trading up from the base Aceman.
But with MINI’s inherent brand cachet and desirability built in, there’s no doubt the Aceman E is a strong contender in the compact electric crossover class.
Ask us anything about the MINI Aceman E
If there’s anything about the MINI Aceman E we’ve not covered, or you’d like advice in choosing between it and other cars, you can avail of our (completely free) expert advice service via the Ask Us Anything page.
