Mini Cooper and Countryman EVs Debut With Minimalist Looks

Mini Cooper and Countryman EVs Debut With Minimalist Looks

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‍When talking about EVs, Mini isn’t at the forefront locally, yet it’s in the arena with its SE variant, which has been on sale in Mzansi since 2020. 

However, as electrification becomes a serious topic of discussion at Mini and the brand aims to transition to a fully electric car maker by the year 2030, the marque is expanding its EV range with the reveal of the electrified Mini Cooper and Countryman models. 

Reinvention of the Original

As a start, the new Mini 3-door will be officially called the Mini Cooper and will be made available in two variants: the Mini Cooper E and the Mini Cooper SE, with both models easily differentiated by their powertrains. 

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For starters, the E variant packs a 135kW and 290Nm front-mounted electric motor that enables the city car to whisk silently from 0-100km/h in 7.3 seconds. By comparison, the Mini SE currently sold in Mzansi churns similar kilowatts and 0-100 time but with less torque rated at 270Nm. The SE variant, on the other hand, produces 160kW and 330Nm enough to catapult the variant from 0-100km/h in 6.7 seconds. 

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Range? With a fully recharged 40.7kWh battery, the E can travel up to 305km before requiring a recharge using the DC fast charger at up to 75kW. The range-topping SE comes fitted with a 54.2kWh pack that gives it a range of up to 402km and a DC fast charging rate of 95kW. Mini says that the duo comes with AC power of up to 11kW. 

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All these attributes should cater well to day-to-day driving duties in and around cities.

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As the closest models to the GWM Ora and BYD Atto 3, the Ora has a range of up to 305km courtesy of a 40.7kWh battery pack, while the latter houses a bigger pack that gives it a maximum of 402km. The Ora is available in two guises: a 300 version with up to 310km and a 400 with up to 420km. The BYD Atto 3 on the other hand is offered in two tastes; a standard with a 50.1kWh and a 60.4kWh battery pack, both with 150kW and 310Nm. The range is up to 320km and 420km, respectively. 

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In terms of looks, the Mini Cooper features a cleaner design to make it even more aerodynamic while retaining its iconic Mini stature that we have come to love throughout all the generations. The exterior is further complemented by flush door handles, iconic circular headlights, a new octagonal front grille with its filigree contour, and new daytime running light elements. Available rim sizes range from 16 to 18 inches. 

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Moving inside, the Mini has adopted a minimalist approach that comes courtesy of significantly reduced buttons and switches. That said, it has a 9.4-inch central display that operates the brand’s OS 9 and acts as the vehicle’s control centre for various functions. 

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The fully electric Mini Cooper will be offered in four different trim levels, each with its own distinctive look: Essential, Classic, Favoured, and the high-end John Cooper Works trim. 

Electrified Mini Countryman

The Mini Countryman is the bigger sibling to the Mini Cooper hatch, and it’s been given an electrified variant, and as far as first impressions go, this is absolutely stunning. 

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As a start, it is 4,433mm long, 1,843mm wide, and it sits 1,656mm high, thus making it a margin bigger than the current-gen ICE-powered variant. For reference sake, the current regular Countryman has a length of 4,297mm, a width of 1,822mm, and a height of 1,557mm. 

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Unlike its smaller counterpart, the fully-electric Countryman is available in two performance levels: the E with an output of 150 kW and 250Nm and the SE ALL4 with 230kW and 494Nm. 

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On the performance front, the Countryman E is no slouch. It completes the 0-100km/h sprint time silently in 8.6 seconds before maxing out at 170km/h. The SE ALL4 with its all-wheel-drive configuration gets the same task completed in 5.6 seconds en route to a top speed of 180km/h. Mounted on the floor is a 54kWh battery pack that gives the E variant a range of up to 462km while the SE ALL4 is equipped with a bigger 66.45kWh pack that is good for 433km due to the extra weight.  

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For those still seeking to drive ICE-powered variants, Mini says the electric Countryman will be sold alongside regular petrol and diesel engines. 

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The new Mini Countryman adopts the same clean design language as the hatch, which is supported by a slightly curved roof, a new octagonal front grille, LED daytime running lights, an optional daytime running light element, and three light signatures in the front and rear LED lights. 

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Inside, the minimalist approach continues, thanks to the deletion of the instrument panel, and all relevant content is displayed on the optional head-up display while the same infotainment screen is housed in the centre. 

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The Countryman comes in the same trims as the hatch, namely Essential, Classic, Favoured, and JCW. 

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While there’s still no word on local availability, the duo makes a significant addition, especially in SA, where EVs are slowly gaining popularity. These will supplement the local sales of the outgoing SE; there is no doubt about that. 

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The duo is expected to make their official debut this week at the IAA 2023 in Munich, Germany.

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