On the road with the fun-sized Mini SE

Published in Brainstorm Magazine February 2025.

Buyers will be paying for the Mini brand, which starts at R802 000 for the base model.

Mini is the latest car manufacturer to backtrack on its promise of becoming a fully electric brand by 2030, citing instability in the automotive industry caused by tariffs, and uneven EV adoption These sentiments were shared by Mike Peyton, Mini USA’s vice-president, in an interview with Motoring File. He confirmed the timelines have been shifted, and “there is no longer an official end date for ICE [internal combustion engine] production”.

The launch of the electric Cooper and Aceman in North America is now on hold. These cars are built exclusively in China at the Great Wall Motor factory and could be subject to high import tariffs of 60% to 80%, should president-elect Donald Trump follow through on his threats. There are now plans to build the cars in Oxford, in the UK, from 2026.

Mini South Africa told Brainstorm it will continue to pursue its electrification programme, and that its new models are comprised of three EVs and their ICE counterparts.

The company says there will still be demand for Mini ICE models in certain markets in the 2030s. “If this demand is sustained, we will be able to supply our customers accordingly.”

Meanwhile, the new Mini Cooper SE is finally available in South Africa, after its promised arrival in Q2 2024. Ahead of its media launch, we got a first look at this redesigned model, which has retro and minimalistic styling.

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