I recently spent time with the Mini Aceman SE, the newest Mini model in its EV line-up. You may have seen my launch drive post but a very quick recap, the Aceman sits between the Cooper SE and Countryman SE.
The Aceman and Cooper SE are built in China at the GWM factory, which BMW has a partnership with, while the Countryman SE is built in Germany.
These three models make-up the trio of Mini’s electric offerings in South Africa. You may have noticed that Recharged also published a long-term test review of the Mini Cooper SE last month.
In the interest of sticking to EVs, I’m not going to bore you with details that you can find on the internet or on other platforms. I will draw from my experience with the car in a practical standpoint.
Mini Aceman Quick Look
- 160kW output and 330Nm of torque
- 0-100km/h in 7.1 seconds; top speed: 170km/h
- 54.2kWh battery; 406km of range (WLTP)
- Charges from 10-80% in 31 minutes on DC
- Max 95kW DC charging; max 11kW AC
- Aceman SE starts at R892 000
Who is the Aceman for?
If you love cars, tech and EVs, the Aceman has great appeal. It’s not small enough like the Cooper SE and not big like the Countryman SE. It’s a great option for those who want an EV under the R1-million mark.
And it’s a fact that SUVs are the only growing segment globally, which makes sense also if you live in South Africa where our roads are not always maintained. The vehicle lends itself to driving in urban and off-road scenarios for your getaways in the bush.
As a 5-door vehicle, the Aceman is also suited for anyone who is single, a couple or a young family.
Going back to the price of the Aceman SE, it starts at R892 000. There is a base model, the Aceman E, starting at R802 000, the same price at the Cooper SE. If you want more “car for your money”, the Aceman is the one to go for.
I don’t want to dwell on the high prices of EVs in South Africa, but, we are still waiting for government to lower the import duties (25%) and offer incentives to buy EVs. Until that happens, EVs remain a more expensive purchase, aimed a niche market.
Mini Aceman SE
The Aceman SE I received on test is blue in colour, with an ombre roof. The colour of the car is totally fine, but I’m not sure about this as an option for the roof. It looks mismatched. I would have been better as a full white, or another solid colour.
The interiors are new and have different door handles and touches, which look unique. The door handle placement on the inside is a bit too low for my liking. But it has the same recycled mesh dashboard as the Cooper SE, with a wireless charging pad in the centre console.
There are two USB-C ports in the front, as well as the back, however, it works with wireless CarPlay, which is small but appreciated convenience.
The model we received also has a head-up display that you can adjust in the settings based on your seating position so you can still see the displayed info.
Small but notable inclusion, I didn’t like the height of the cupholders because if you have a thinner water bottle, it does sit flush and moves around. However, it is fine for a regular coffee cup that you get with takeaways.
Setting up the Aceman
Setting up an EV these days feels like setting up a new smartphone. I’ve tested several EVs from Mini and BMW, who both share similar apps with their branding. You need the Mini app and to create a user account if you don’t have one, thereafter it will seamlessly link with your phone by scanning a QR Code.
Mini stands out for its customisation options, and the app lets you tweak and change settings/preferences to your liking, down to how the taillights light up! You may want to also check for software updates, which needs about 20 minutes to install while the car is stationary, and it also takes about 10-15 minutes to download the voice assistant initially.
You can also pair it to your iPhone and Apple Watch or any supported device as the Aceman has ultra-wide band support, like the Cooper SE, which turns it into your primary key that replaces your physical key. I didn’t have access to both keys to set it up for the short period but it worked a treat on the Cooper SE.
Once this little bit of admin is out of the way, you are good to go. If you have a family member sharing the vehicle with you, your iPhone supports a bunch of keys that you can share with other users.
Driving the Aceman
The Aceman is responsive, and as punchy as you’d expect from an EV, due to its instant torque. It has 160kW of power and 330Nm of torque, which is more than adequate for the driver of this vehicle. Also, most people who buy EVs are doing it to be efficient, and not to push it to its limits.
It goes from 0-100km/h in 7.1 seconds, with a top speed capped at 170km/h. You can appreciate it when you need to take off at the traffic lights, overtake trucks or other smaller cars, and for those uphill climbs. It has that go-kart feel because it’s still a Mini but feels more stable at higher speeds due to its size.
As a larger vehicle to the Cooper SE, it doesn’t feel huge, but has a higher seating position. I didn’t think it was a big adjustment. It has the ground clearance and you can comfortably drive it on untarred roads.
Most reviewers say the ride is firm, but I already drive a Mini JCW so I’m used to it, however, it’s something you need to decide for yourself if you like it, through a test drive.
I recently went away for the long weekend and the Aceman could not have come at a better time. I put the back seats down and loaded the boot, which fit everything really well, even a whole air fryer!
Before the seats are folded, it’s 300L, and after you put both seats down, you get 1005L, which is massive. But the car is a 5 seater, and can be folded down to also be a 3 seater or 2 seater, depending on how you want to fold it down.
Battery and Charging
The 54.2kWh battery promises up to 380km of range but I got around 345km, but from experience I can also tell you, this depends your driving style.
If you drove a bit inefficiently prior to charging, it will show less range, vs. say you went on a roadtrip and it involved cruising on the highway where you gained range, it will be much better after an immediately charge. It’s all relative.
I have a home charger so it was convenient for me to trickle charge for the week I had it. However, Mini supplies you with one year of free charging at its BMW and Mini dealerships.
If you use a public GridCars charger, expect to pay R5.88/kWh on an AC charger, so around R320 for a full charge; and R7.35/kWh on a DC charger, so R398 for a full charge. My Eskom rate of R2.45/kWh means I would pay R133 at home.
However, very NB is that nobody runs a battery down to 0% so the costs above are worst case scenarios (more like unlikely) but you get the idea. I usually charge by 20%.
All of this can be monitored remotely via the app, which is invaluable, as well as other remote features.
Final Thoughts
The Mini Aceman is a great addition to the Mini EV offering for those who find the Cooper SE too small for their needs and the Countryman SE a bit over budget. The Aceman sort of hits the sweet spot in this regard, also factoring that as a 5-door vehicle, it costs the same as a 3-door Cooper SE.
The price of the Aceman includes a home wallbox charger, so it makes sense to charge at home all the time, vs. publicly.
If you are in the market for the Aceman SE starting at R892 000, also look at rivals such as the Volvo EX30 or the BYD Atto 3 but take note release date, technologies offered and what comes standard. It’s also hard to ignore the Chinese manufacturers planning to enter the local market with their EVs.
Recharged is an independent site that focuses on technology, electric vehicles, and the digital life by Nafisa Akabor. Drawing from her 18-year tech journalism career, expect news, reviews, how-tos, comparisons, and practical uses of tech that are easy to digest. info@recharged.co.za
