Long-term test: MINI Aceman SE Exclusive

Verdict

The MINI Aceman is a welcome reminder of how MINI hasn’t lost its sense of fun in the switch to electric. It may not be as ‘British’ as it claims, nor is it particularly practical, long-legged or competitively priced. But thanks to its undeniable character and an engaging drive – albeit with a harsh ride – I  doubt what comes next will be able to put the same sort of smile on my face.

• Mileage: 6,283 miles
• Efficiency: 4.1 miles/kWh

Built in Longbridge in the West Midlands, the BMC Mini is undoubtedly a UK engineering icon. Yet, not all British technical triumphs were manufactured here. Concorde production, for example, was split equally between the UK and France, while the last great ocean liner, Queen Mary 2, was also made across the Channel in Saint-Nazaire.

So where does this leave the MINI Aceman? The MINI brand, for one, is not headquartered in the UK – instead, it sits alongside its German parent firm, the BMW Group, in Munich. Then there’s the fact that a vast proportion of MINIs aren’t actually built in Oxford; the Countryman is assembled in Leipzig, while the Aceman and smaller Cooper Electric come from China – something MINI doesn’t usually like to publicise.

Bearing this in mind, you might then raise an eyebrow about just how much the Aceman loves to shout about its ‘Britishness’; Union-flag insignias appear everywhere, from the air-conditioning menu to MINI’s companion smartphone app. As with other MINI models, there’s also the option to display Union flag-inspired signatures on the tail-lights.

This is in stark contrast to Auto Express’s 2026 Car of the Year, the Nissan Leaf, which (bear with me here) feels a bit like the concept of drinking tea. It’s something that originated from Asia, but has since been adopted and adapted by the Brits. While the majority of Nissan models – including the original Leaf – are designed in Japan, this new version was instead engineered at the firm’s technical centre in Bedfordshire, and is built at its plant in Sunderland. It doesn’t scream about it, though. 

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There’s no imagery of the Wearmouth Bridge stamped into the door cards, nor does the virtual assistant speak with a Mackem accent. You’d be forgiven for thinking the Leaf had been built on some industrial estate in Yokosuka, despite the fact that it’s more British than the MINI – on paper, at least.

Yet while the Aceman’s ‘Rule Britannia’ shtick might come across as rather insincere (admittedly, MINI did, at one point, aim to bring EV production to Oxford, before that plan got canned), the electric hatchback nevertheless oozes character, and that’s something I’ll miss when it goes. The Aceman’s biggest selling point is this charisma and it’s helped us to mostly forgive some of the glaring issues we’ve noticed over the past six months.

Let’s start with the price. Given that it’s manufactured in China, the Aceman isn’t eligible for the Government’s Electric Car Grant. As such, it costs about the same as the larger MINI Countryman – a far more accomplished and practical EV. Moreover, the Nissan Leaf is a similar proposition to the Aceman – it’s a small family car – but is priced significantly lower. It’s built in Britain, so it gets the full £3,750 grant, which means the Advance model we have here costs around £5,500 less than our MINI. 

That’s not the end of it. Despite both sitting in the same segment, the Leaf is also much more practical than the MINI. There’s more legroom in the rear of the Nissan, although both offer decent headroom and a generally airy feel, thanks to hi-tech panoramic roofs; the Leaf’s glass can be frosted at the press of a button, while the Aceman’s illuminates as part of its extensive ambient-lighting pack.

Given that it’s only my partner, Victoria, and me who regularly use the MINI, it has been more than spacious enough for us. However, families going on holiday might struggle with the Aceman’s 300-litre boot; the Leaf’s cargo area is nearly 140 litres larger. What’s more, at nigh-on £40,000, I would have hoped the Aceman and its Level 3 option package would have come equipped with a powered bootlid.

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Finally, we must address the range, with the Aceman having been tested thoroughly in both city and motorway driving. I’ll often take it to and from the airport, while Victoria will occasionally use it for a drive through town to work that usually lasts around 10 minutes or so. Returning an average of 4.1 miles per kWh, we’ve achieved a real-world range of 200 miles – fine for most people, although the sluggish charging speed can be annoying when we’re out and about. Even if the MINI gets anywhere near its 100kW maximum, that is.

Meanwhile, we’ve returned an average of 270 miles of range in the Leaf in solely motorway driving, making it a far more practical option for those driving longer distances more frequently. However, while both offer similar power outputs, the Nissan can’t quite match the same freneticism and excitement exuded by the MINI.

And that’s perhaps why someone might choose the Aceman over its competitors. Yes, it weighs in at over 1,700kg – roughly three times that of the British-built original – but its darty driving experience echoes the spirit of the sixties Mini more than any set of Union flag tail-lights can.

MINIs, at least in the BMW era, have always been a more expensive and slightly compromised proposition, and while the Aceman is no different in this respect, its cheeky nature makes it hard to ignore.

MINI Aceman SE Exclusive: second fleetwatch report

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The Aceman has plenty of useful safety kit, but its interior camera seems like an unnecessary addition

People moan that new cars have too much equipment nowadays, but the vast majority of this mandated kit is there to keep us safe. That said, I did roll my eyes when I noticed our MINI Aceman is equipped with an interior camera. At face value it appears superfluous given how poor the picture quality is. But on the bright side, end-to-end encryption means MINI won’t be able to snap me nipping out for a late-night snack in my pyjamas. 

MINI Aceman SE Exclusive: second report

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Does tech enhance the ownership experience?

• Mileage: 2,842 miles
• Efficiency: 4.1 miles/kWh

As household budgets tighten and having several vehicles becomes less financially viable, cars nowadays must be all things to all drivers – and that’s exactly the intention of MINI’s ‘Experience Modes’ that I’ve been exploring on our Aceman.

I spend the vast majority of my time in the Aceman driving in the Core and Efficiency settings. The former provides the most balanced blend of power delivery and battery drainage, while the teal ambient lighting and interface colour associated with Core mode, in my opinion, very much complements the specification of our MINI.

Flick the wonderfully tactile toggle switch on the centre console and this will put you into Efficiency mode, accompanied by a sound very much akin to what you’d hear logging onto a Windows computer. Each Experience Mode has its own unique main page, with Efficiency’s offering a gauge of how economically you’re driving. Yet rather than using miles per kilowatt-hour, MINI’s chosen unit of measurement is the animal kingdom; gentle throttle usage is represented by a fluttering hummingbird, whereas a heavy right foot will cause a cheetah to sprint across the screen. 

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This Efficiency setting also limits power to preserve range, with the optional ‘Max Range’ mode capping the maximum speed to 60mph and turning off the air-con – something that I’ve seen can add a couple of dozen miles. 

Standard Efficiency mode is less extreme, with an air-con system that’s dialled back but still functioning, plus a reduced amount of ambient lighting, particularly surrounding the panoramic sunroof; when switched on, this looks utterly fantastic and makes the glass roof a worthwhile addition, even at night.

At the other end of the spectrum, you have Go-Kart, MINI’s take on the traditional ‘Sport’ mode. As expected, Go-Kart improves the throttle response while adding weight to the steering. The G-force meter on the central display was also a welcome touch on some recent spirited drives in North Yorkshire. 

Yet while most car makers stop there, the Aceman still has more options for those wanting additional customisability. Vivid mode is great for a night-time singalong, because it matches the ambient lighting to the album art of your current track, while on the Personal mode I’ve added a photograph of my cat. 

The two modes I’ve used least are Balance and Trail. The former is supposed to help you relax by playing calming music and drawing the sunroof blinds, while Trail displays compass, elevation and pitch-angle data.

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Finally, there’s Timeless mode, which was the one I was most excited about before driving the Aceman. This pays homage to Mini models of old with a classic look for the central speedometer, as well as driving sounds that are said to be evocative of old-school petrol engines. Yet while this might sound like the ideal solution to get Mini purists on-side, the application falls short of expectations.

That engine sound, for starters, is barely reminiscent of the BMC original, while it could do with being a step louder to help sell the illusion. I do like the speedometer graphics in the centre screen, but I do also wish they were accompanied by a more drastic change in the look of the head-up display; this felt like a wasted opportunity given the retro-inspired dials found in Ford Mustangs and the new VW ID. Polo.

MINI Aceman SE Exclusive: first fleetwatch report

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a tricky spider crack appeared on the MINI’s windscreen, but a Halfords mobile repair proved quick and surprisingly effective 

When developing the latest generation of MINI, the designers ensured it had the brand’s iconic upright windscreen. While it attracts lots of admiring looks, the Aceman’s is also a magnet for wind noise, insects and, in my case, a stone chip. 

Thankfully, one of Halfords’ Mobile Experts came to the rescue. Despite the so-called ‘spider crack’ being hard to put right, it was reduced to little more than a minuscule smudge in under half an hour – for £45 and without leaving my driveway.

MINI Aceman SE Exclusive: first report

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MINI’s supposed mass-market trump card is already proving a pain in the neck – quite literally

• Mileage: 1,295 miles
• Efficiency: 3.8 miles/kWh

As one of the slightly more ‘fresh-faced’ members of the Auto Express team, I must admit that I thought it would be at least a couple more decades before I had to worry about neck and back problems. Alas, despite being in my mid-twenties, this is exactly what I’ve developed over the past year, which has already helped me forge a love-hate relationship with the newest addition to our fleet, the MINI Aceman SE.

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For anyone unaware, the Aceman is, in effect, a five-door version of the all-electric MINI Cooper. Note I said ‘all-electric’, because you can’t actually buy a petrol-powered Aceman; five-door versions of the combustion-engined Cooper maintain that car’s name, as well as its hatchback design.

The Aceman, on the other hand, adopts a more à la mode SUV appearance, putting it in direct competition with one of the best-selling EVs on the market, the Ford Puma Gen-E. Both Ford and MINI are known for building small cars that are great to drive, and on first impressions the Aceman SE’s characteristically darty steering and almost startling 215bhp muscle suggest that it could prove plenty of fun on a winding rural road – I look forward to taking it for an outing.

Yet, while the Puma Gen-E manages to deliver genuine driving enjoyment alongside a comfortable ride, I only needed to drive down my own street to discover that this certainly isn’t the case with the Aceman. 

My first car was a 2014 MINI One, and I’d happily concede its rather firm suspension made it feel less like a supermini and more akin to a mobile bouncy castle. The Aceman’s set-up, on the other hand, appears to have been modelled on a very different type of fortress to the one that might appear at a child’s birthday party. 

Its rock-solid, uncompromising nature feels rather at odds with the mass-market segment the model occupies. Even more conflicting is the specification of our Aceman, which seems to give with one hand and take with the other when it comes to comfort and relaxation. It’s an all-bells-and-whistles Exclusive model with the Level 3 options pack, which means there’s very little equipment the MINI doesn’t have. 

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Of particular note are the ‘Dark Petrol’ blue vegan leather seats, which are incredibly distinctive and feel every bit worthy of this particular Aceman’s eye-watering £40,000 price tag. These are complemented by matching blue fabric on the doors, which I wish had slightly more padding for my elbow; the office chair-style armrest on the left-hand side is a lot cushier, though.

One of the benefits of the Level 3 pack is the driver’s seat massage function, which comes in particularly handy on longer journeys. It’s easily accessed via a button on the side of the chair, unlike the seat-heating function that requires two taps of the Aceman’s admittedly responsive and vivid 9.4-inch circular touchscreen to activate.

Speaking of lengthier drives, these have so far not been a problem thanks to the Aceman SE’s 49.2kWh usable battery, which is returning around 180 miles on a single charge. I just wish the MINI benefited from a higher charging maximum speed than 100kW, which feels a bit leisurely these days.

On the motorway, our Aceman’s upgraded 19-inch alloy wheels – as standard, the Exclusive gets 18-inch rims – tend to jiggle somewhat over bumps, plus the lower-profile tyres they’re wrapped in generate rather noticeable tyre roar. Such an arrangement is accompanied by the whistle of wind hitting the Aceman’s characteristically upright windscreen. That said, I tend to drown this out with the Harman Kardon stereo (part of the Level 3 pack) which is, to my ears, the best sound system in this class of car. 

Where the Aceman can’t quite trump its small SUV rivals is in terms of practicality, because the 300-litre boot falls well short of the aforementioned Puma’s 556-litre offering with the rear seats in place. Yet despite the glass sunroof eating into headroom slightly, every adult passenger I’ve carried around so far has had no problem getting comfortable. Until I drive over a speed bump, that is.

*Insurance quote from AA (0800 107 0680) for a 42-year-old in Banbury, Oxon, with three points.

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