2025 Mini Cooper EV Takes Giant Leap Forward By Looking At The Past

For now, we're more interested in range. The current Mini Cooper Electric Hardtop can only manage 114 miles on a charge, which is, quite frankly, terrible and of no use to anyone. Luckily, Mini made significant upgrades in this department, but it's worth remembering that the claimed figures are based on theWLTP test cycleand not the stricter EPA procedure. Expect both claimed figures to drop by roughly 10%.

The E has a 40.7-kWh battery, good for 191 miles. The SE has a 54.2-kWh battery and can do 251 miles on a full charge. Mini claims an 11 kW at-home charging rate, with a fast-charging figure of 75 kW for the E and 95 kW for the SE. Because the battery packs are so tiny, a fast charger will get them from 10% to 80% in just under 30 minutes.

Naturally, there are driving modes that increase the range, which gives us a nice segue into another important Mini characteristic.

The mechanical setup is already impressive. Mini says the track width and wheelbase have been increased slightly, giving the car an excellent basis to work with. As is the norm these days, the battery pack is mounted in the floor, giving the car an extremely low center of gravity. Mini also claims the suspension, damping, and steering were tuned for "spirited handling," which bodes well for fans. Getting an EPAS system right is tricky, but Mini has access to BMW's boffins, and they're doing a great job with M products.

It also has highly preloaded stabilizer mounts on the axles, a strut brace, wider tires, and rim sizes that range from 16- to 18 inches. Combine all of this with the promised sharp steering, and you hopefully end up with a car that you can chuck into corners at silly speeds and still come out alive at the other end.

一个s mentioned, there are various driving modes. At the flick of a toggle, you'll be able to change not only the driving experience but the interior lighting and graphics as well.

相当烦人,有一个场景模式,go -faster driving setting. No Mini has ever felt like a go-kart (your faithful correspondent owned a classic Mini), but the British brand keeps leaning into this marketing myth. Our grumpy disdain for Mini's naming aside, this mode adjusts all the components for maximum agility.

On the other side of the spectrum, we have Green Mode. This optimized everything for maximum range, and the car will motivate you by giving you tips for efficient driving in a "fun way." Volkswagen launched these driving tips a while ago, and you either love them or hate them. There's no in-between.

Naturally, an electric vehicle needs some sound, so Mini created 30 new sound signals just for information and warnings. As for driving sounds, Mini states that the driving experience is enhanced by "completely new acoustic worlds."

Minidebuted the new interioras part of a teaser campaign, so we won't get into too much detail regarding the overall design. Like the exterior, the new interior is minimalist. You get a large round center display to mimic the original's center-mounted instrument cluster and newly designed toggle switches.

The center display runs Mini'sOperating System 9, which is basically the latest BMW iDrive with Mini-specific graphics. It even has a British Bulldog, Spike, who is your digital assistant. As is the norm, you can talk to the car and request certain things or control the display as you would a smartphone.

由于一个可选的迷你投影仪和高收入res OLED screen, Mini can change the look and feel of the interior using light. The dominant colors change depending on the driving mode, and you can even set your own background for the center display using Personal Mode. In addition to the previously mentioned Go-Kart and Green Modes, you can also choose between Vivid, Core, Timeless, and Balance.

The toggles underneath the screen control the most important driving functions, including the parking brake, gear selector, start/stop key, the experience mode toggle, and volume control. Everything else is controlled via the screen.

By removing the gear selector and parking brake, Mini freed up some space for larger cupholders and a large open storage compartment. We would have loved to see some concrete interior measurements if only to see by how much interior space has grown. Theoretically, the car should have more space because of the skateboard design, but we just don't know.

The OG Mini can easily fit four adults, so if this car can't do the same, we'll be disappointed. Luckily, the trunk is bigger and that's a big win.

Mini says it only uses newly developed, high-quality, and environmentally friendly interior materials, which are available in four flavors. You can have a Mini in Essential Trim, in which case you'll get a two-spoke steering wheel and all the essential items, such as black sports seats, Vibrant Silver accents, and various multitone inserts inside and out.

The Classic Trim (and above) gets a three-spoke wheel with a textile insert, and a new 2D knitted textile (found on certain surfaces) offers a nice contrast to the fully synthetic leather. The faux leather is available in black or a perforated houndstooth pattern.

The Favoured Trim gets a two-tone houndstooth pattern on the knitted textile instrument panel. It also has Vescin sports seats, a grille finished in Vibrant Silver, and an all-new Spray-Tech roof in three colors. The JCW Trim is the sportiest, with black synthetic leather and contrast red stitching. The grille is finished in gloss black, and you can have a Chili Red roof with JCW red or black hood stripes.

Mini chose not to share this information, but by our estimations, the all-new Mini Cooper Hardtop three-door should go on sale sometime in 2024 as a 2025 model.

一个s for pricing, the current all-electric Mini was the cheapest EV on sale until the Inflation Reduction Act's tax rebates were enacted. There's a massive gap in the market for affordable electric vehicles, and Mini will likely want to cover it with the base E model. It will probably be introduced below that $30,000 psychological barrier, while the SE should be closer to $35,000.

Mini won't have the segment all to itself, as the all-new Fiat 500e willarrive in the USA in the new year. The Bolt is being killed off, and althougha new model is in the pipeline, we don't see it happening anytime soon.