Mini has officially revealed the new Aceman – a compact crossover that slots below the Countryman in terms of size.
Exclusively available as a battery-electric vehicle (BEV), the Aceman is the brand’s third electric model and is intended to bridge the price gap between the Cooper SE and Countryman SE.
The company has confirmed that the new Mini is coming to South Africa, and that it will arrive here by the end of 2024.
What to expect
Looking at its size, the Aceman is 4.07 metres long, 1.75 metres wide, and 1.5 metres tall, perfectly splitting the difference between the Cooper hatchback and the Countryman crossover.
The body uses a “two-box” design with straightened edges that are intended to convey a hexagonal shape, and the various exterior components are finished in either Vibrant Silver or high-gloss Jet Black.
It features a unique grille intended to set it apart from its siblings, which is complemented by a pair of angular LED headlights with surrounding daytime running lights.
The back is fitted with a set of Matrix taillights and a roof spoiler, and the car has an integrated underride protection panel that helps to convey its sporty intentions.
The Aceman will be sold in three trim levels in South Africa – Classic, Favoured, and John Cooper Works (JCW).
The Classic trim has a two-tone roof in either black or white, Jet Black accents, and a body-coloured grille and bumper.
The Favoured gets a multi-tone roof, white side mirrors, and a Vibrant Silver grille; while the flagship gets unique JCW badges, black components, and a Chili Red roof and stripes.
The alloy wheels on the Mini range from 17 to 19 inches in size, depending on the model selected.
Shifting focus to the interior, the Aceman follows the same core principles as its siblings with a central circular 240mm (9.4 inch) OLED display running Mini’s Operating System 9, that pulls double duty as the driver and infotainment screens.
It can be operated by touch or voice commands, and the user interface resembles that of a smartphone for more intuitive inputs.
The graphics use a minimalist aesthetic with key information like the speedometer and battery status always shown at the top of the screen, while other widgets like the navigation, media, and climate controls can all be swiped around.
Additional graphics are projected onto the dashboard by two beams, which vary depending on the driving mode selected.
There are eight modes to choose from, comprising Personal, Go-Kart, Vivid, Core, Green, Timeless, Balance and Trail Mode.
Ambient lighting strips in the roof match the driving mode and set the mood at night, such as a red and anthracite theme for Go-Kart, and components like the door handles and speakers have a silver finish.
The doors and seats have been designed to maximize leg and shoulder room, and a panoramic sunroof helps the cabin feel bright and spacious.
Surfaces like the door lining are covered in recycled polyester, and the seat upholstery can either be a textile or perforated Vescin – BMW’s vegan leather alternative.
The boot swallows 300 litres of luggage, and the rear seat can fold in a 60:40 split to expand the cargo capacity to 1,005 litres.
Regarding trim-specific details, the Favoured and JCW replace the basic two-spoke steering wheel with a three-spoke one with multi-coloured textile stitching.
The Favoured sports a Dark Petrol dashboard with orange contrast stitching, while the JCW gets Sports seats with a black-and-red theme.
The standard Driving Assistant Plus package includes lane-keep assist, 12 parking sensors, and four cameras, which enable the use of a Parking Assistant and even a Remote Parking function using a connected smartphone.
A Mini Digital Key Plus function is also available which can turn the owner’s phone into a key that the car can recognise from three metres away.
At launch, the Aceman will have two powertrain options starting with the E, which features a 135kW/290Nm electric motor and a 42.5kWh battery good for 310km.
The SE, meanwhile, sees a more powerful 160kW/330Nm e-motor and a bigger 54.2kWh cell that affords a maximum driving range of 406km.
The E accelerates from 0-100km/h in 7.9 seconds and reach a top speed of 160km/h, while the SE reaches 100km/h in 7.1 seconds with a slightly higher cap of 170km/h.
The battery can be charged using a standard 11kW outlet, or a fast charger with a DC current of 75kW or 95kW, depending on the model, the latter of which achieves a 10-80% top-up in 30 minutes.
Both cars benefit from a damping system with prestressed stabilizers that improve steering precision and driving stability, and the 654mm tyres provide a balance of comfort and dynamic handling, according to the company.
Mini Aceman
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