Despite its familiarity The new Mini Cooper gets its biggest update of the century. The ionized headlights, white roof and city-friendly dimensions remain the same as before BmwThe Mini brand has been at the helm for more than two decades. But underneath that familiar wrapper, it’s brand new.
For starters, the 2024 Mini Cooper is based on a new electric platform. It has more range and straight-line performance than before Its predecessor, Plus it gets an all-new interior with more tech and more space, though the exterior is slightly smaller (but slightly wider) than before.
This new platform comes from a partnership between BMW and Great Wall MotorChinese firm whose list of EV brands includes Ora, maker of the notable and unrelated 03 (ni) Funky Cat) The new electric Cooper is built in China, and additional production will begin in Oxford, England, in 2026. Only then could the car head to North America, since it will no longer be a polluting commodity. Import duty imposed on Chinese-made EVs,
In addition to the new platform, there’s also new nomenclature that’ll make it easier for you to understand: all versions of the smallest Mini are now called “Cooper.” This includes the electric Cooper E and the high-performance Cooper SE, both reviewed here, but also the internal-combustion Cooper C and Cooper S, which are available in three- or five-door configurations.
While these are also “new”, these ICE versions sit on an old platform, and are more heavily facelifted than all-new. If the Cooper is too small for you, there’s also the equally new (and electric-only) Mini AcemanOr if you need even more space there’s the range-topping Mini CountrymanWhich is offered with both gas and electric drivetrains.
All clear? Good. Actually, no, one more thing: Mini doesn’t make a hot John Cooper Works version of its EV hatchback – at least not yet. So while the SE driven here lacked the JCW kit, it’s all available from the options list, and doesn’t change the car’s performance. Adds a lot to the price, mind you, but we’ll come back to that later.
Extra Mini Meals
Wired drove both the standard Cooper E and the faster Cooper SE. The base car has a 135-kW (181-hp), 290-Nm (214-foot-pound) motor driving the front axle. Mini claims 0-62 mph acceleration is accomplished in 7.3 seconds from the 36.6-kWh battery using the WLTP standard, has a top speed of 105 mph and can travel up to 190 miles. It also claims power consumption of 4.4 miles per kWh. For reference, the previous generation of the Mini EV claimed to get about 140 miles from its 28.9-kWh pack.
