The front end of the all-electric Mini Cooper is once again characterized by the iconic Mini round headlights and the distinctive grille. Together, they create the unmistakable Mini look. The new octagonal grille with its filigree contours defines the front end, replacing the hexagonal predecessor. Instead of chrome, designers have added a new accent color, Vibrant Silver, to accentuate the exterior.
The daytime running light elements of the LED lights support this distinctive look with a fresh look through unique light signatures. Horizontal light graphics are part of the Essential Trim. Optionally, the daytime running light elements can be switched to create three adjustable light signatures. In addition, all light modes start and end with a specially orchestrated welcome and goodbye animation.
2024 Mini Cooper SE
Like the rest of the body, the headlights are no longer framed by chrome. At the rear, the all-new Mini Cooper has flush taillights, while the vertical light clusters can be switched to different modes in the same way as the front lights.
With a drag coefficient of 0.28 cd, the EV features black sills that make the car look closer to the road, while the old all-round black band has been retired.
Inside, the designers took a minimalist approach, reducing everything to the essentials and removing as many components as possible. As a result, the dashboard now features a round 9.44-inch (240 millimeter) central display that runs the BMW Group's own Mini Operating System 9, based on an Android Open Source Project (AOSP) software stack.
“The new Mini Operating System 9 is characterized by simple, emotional touch operation that is specific to Mini. Together with the new cloud-based Mini Navigation for particularly precise and fast route calculation, high-speed connectivity, and optional 5G capability, the new Mini Cooper takes a giant leap into the digital world, thereby underlining the brand’s charismatic heritage,” said Stefanie Wurst, Head of Mini.
Mini Cooper SE
Below the screen, which is the sole source of information for both driver and front passenger, is a redesigned toggle bar that integrates switches for the parking brake, gear selector, start/stop button, experience mode and volume control.
At the rear, the trunk offers 200 liters of space with the rear seat in its normal position, but can be expanded to 800 liters by folding down the 60:40 split rear seat.
As we mentioned earlier, the new electric Mini Cooper will be available in two versions: Cooper E and Cooper SE. The 135 kW/184 hp electric motor of the Cooper E generates a torque of 290 Nm, accelerating the vehicle from standstill to 100 km/h in 7.3 seconds.
With an output of 160 kW/218 hp, the Cooper SE sprints from 0 to 100 km/h in 6.7 seconds with a maximum torque of 330 Nm. The range determined according to the WLTP test cycle is up to 305 kilometres for the Cooper E based on the high-voltage battery with 40.7 kWh of capacity. In the Cooper SE, the calculated range increases to a maximum of 402 kilometres due to a battery capacity of 54.2 kWh.
Four trims will be available: Essential, Classic, Favoured and JCW, each with different personalization options. The Essential trim, for example, comes with black sports seats; the Classic trim features 2D knitted textile surfaces; Favoured brings a two-tone houndstooth pattern to the knitted textile instrument panel; while the JCW trim offers John Cooper Works seats upholstered in a combination of multicolored knitted textile and black synthetic leather with red stitching.
The new electric Mini Cooper is based on the Spotlight EV platform jointly developed by the BMW Group and Great Wall Motor. Production is scheduled to begin in China later this year. However, rumors suggest that the electric Cooper will not be available until May 2024.
Prices for the Cooper SE start at 32,900 Euros. This means that the base version is cheaper than the discontinued model, which cost 37,300 Euros, despite having more power and range. As for the Cooper SE, it starts at 36,900 euros.
Source: Mini
