The latest member of the Mini family, the electric-only Aceman five-door urban crossover sits in the space created by the brand in between the Cooper three and five-door hatches and the now family-sized Countryman SUV.
According to Mini Australia and New Zealand general manager Alex Brockhoff, most first-time Mini buyers prefer the new Countryman SUV, but as that has grown significantly over the past three generations, there was room for an in-betweener car to provide more choice for people who didn’t necessarily want a “Big” Mini.
Designed from the ground up as a pure electric vehicle and built in China, the Aceman shares the same width as the Mini Cooper family, but it is taller and longer to provide more interior space than its compact sibling.
It’s 4079mm in length with a 2606mm wheelbase which makes it a more back-seat-friendly Mini than the three-door Cooper, and there’s a decent 300 litres of space in the boot, or 1005 with the 60:40 rear seats folded down.
There’s an irony here because 66 years ago, the OG Mini Minor designed by Sir Alec Issigonis (at the height of the UK’s 1956 post-war fuel crisis) was back-seat friendly, albeit with not much boot space.
Issigonis died in 1988, but as a designer and an engineer, he would likely approve of BMW Group’s efforts to make Mini the most loved urban car brand, because he set out to create exactly that. As history shows, Mini’s were driven by princes and paupers.
Today Mini vehicles are driven by people who want an immersive digital experience as part of their everyday commute, but more on that later.
The Aceman also benefits from the Mini brand’s more environmentally friendly design policy, which sees Chrome detailing consigned to the rubbish bin, as well as more recycled material used in the interior, such as the polyester knitted fabric adorning the dashboards.
Gloss black elements replace the chrome trim on the Aceman E, the SE has vibrant silver elements, and the JCW is adorned with Red and Black elements as expected from the high-performance Mini sub-brand.
Up to 70% of recycled material is used for the smart new alloy wheels across all three variants.
Bovine leather for the upholstery has also been consigned to history because of the horrendous amount of chemicals used in the tanning process, apparently synthetic leather is easier to produce and better for the environment. Go Figure.
The octagonal shape of the Aceman headlights perfectly complements the aero front grille and the daytime running light component of the LED headlights can be switched to three different modes which further underpin the expressive nature of the car.
Inside, paying homage to the classic Mini design elements, the Aceman provides a 240mm round OLED central display situated on a much cleaner dashboard, with a remodelled toggle bar and steering wheel.
One of the new key functionalities available through the central display is the MINI Experience Mode. Each offers a set of sounds, visuals and colours which enhance the experience of all-electric driving. A total of eight modes are available: Core, Green, Go-Kart, Personal, Timeless, Vivid, Balance and Trail.
With a greeting of ‘Hey Mini’ or by utilising the push-to-talk steering wheel button, the
Mini Intelligent Personal Assistant will activate in the form of animated graphic elements, typography and a vehicle avatar.
For example, drivers can say “Hey Mini, I’m cold,” and the vehicle will turn up the heating.
Spike the avatar, is also available through the optional Mini Connected Package.
The Aceman family comes in three flavours, the entry-level E (135kW) is priced from $63,990, the mid-range SE (160kW) is priced from $69,990 and the high-performance JCW (John Cooper Works) (190kW) is priced from $75,990. The E arrives in Classic specification while the SE and the JCW both offer the Favoured specification.
The E will sadly have a limited shelf life in the market as Brockhoff says the brand believes that customers will prefer the SE and JCW Aceman models and it intends to focus solely on those.
So, if people want an entry-level Aceman E in Silver or Red with a contrasting gloss black roof, they better get an order in quickly to their local Mini Garage.
The brand has seen a strong start to sales in 2025, up 50% year-to-date in February, with 40% of sales in Australia being EV and 25% in New Zealand which bodes well for the newest market entrant.
The Aceman E offers a 38.5 kWh net battery capacity and the capability of delivering 135 kW of power and 290 Nm of torque. This enables it to complete the standard sprint from 0 to 100km/h in 7.9 seconds and provides up to 310 km of all-electric driving range.
Stepping up into the Aceman SE, it showcases an upgraded battery pack at 49.2 kWh net capacity allowing it to achieve an impressive driving range of up to 406 km. Producing 160 kW of power and 330 Nm of torque, the new Aceman SE accelerates from 0-100km/h in 7.1 seconds.
The Aceman JCW shares the same 49.2kWh battery pack as the SE but is limited to 355km of range due to its 190kW of power and 350Nm of torque. It will complete the 0 to 100km/h sprint in 7 seconds.
Many positive words sum up the Aceman SE driving experience, fun but firm, very little road noise, linear power delivery, and razor-sharp steering response.
For a small car weighing 1700kg, it feels surprisingly nimble and agile. It absolutely retains the go-kart character that is intrinsic to the brand but in quite a user-friendly package that will appeal to the young and young-at-heart.
The ergonomics are excellent behind the wheel, and thanks to the voice activation it’s easy to acclimate to the driving systems on offer. Also, there are plenty of cubbies and cupholders to accommodate life’s jetsam and flotsam.
For a battery electric vehicle, it also has a very ICE-like feel in the brake department, with the right level of assistance allowing a smooth progression to a stop, something not always achieved by other plug-in vehicles.
A road loop from Mini head office in the Melbourne suburb of Mulgrave to the Dandenong ranges provided a mix of urban and rural roads to test the mettle of the Aceman.
It has the same good road manners and is as joyful to drive as its bigger sibling the Countryman, albeit in a more compact package, and the only caveat being some occasional vibrations transmitted into the cabin from the low-profile tyres adorning the 19-inch alloy wheels.
We toggled through the modes and enjoyed the various characterful noises made, but it was also nice just to switch everything off and enjoy the peaceful journey that an electric vehicle offers.
Our Melbourne test drive loop was very short and sweet and we look forward to spending a bit longer in the Mini brand’s latest electric offer on our home turf.
