MINI is committed to sustainability

I was very pleasantly surprised to find that MINI (as well as the mother company BMW) put a strong emphasis when designing and manufacturing new models and each car is made in such a way that it has a minimal impact on the planet from the factory and until it will reach the recycling line.

"At MINI, we are committed to create a balance that embraces MINI performance and the iconic design, with solid environment claims", company representatives write on the main page for the Aceman, but which can also be found on the Countryman and Hatch pages, as well.

Thus, MINI uses on its cars, the Aceman included, environmentally and animal-friendly materials, without any natural leather and with recycled contents. For example, the 2D knitting found on the steering wheel, as well as behind the wheel on the dashboard, is made with over 90% recycled polyester fibers and the same is the case for the door covers and other surfaces.

At the same time, MINI-branded rims are made with up to 30% recycled aluminum. Also, for the production of new wheels, the company uses 100% renewable energy, thus the energy requirements for the processing of the recycled metals drops by 90%, compared to what is needed to process virgin ore.

"The production of secondary aluminum is associated with 95% greenhouse gas emissions", company officials added.

The seats, which are comfortable and provide plenty of side support, are also made using 100% leather replacements, but which feel high quality. I was talking about the door covers, as well as the dashboard, that they are sustainable, too, and that's thanks to an innovative process developed by MINI and BMW engineers.

"Following an innovative process that turns over 90% of recycled polyester fibers into a flat 2D knitting, we use this textile material for the textile parts of the car's dashboard and for the inside door covers. The process uses about 98% less water compared to cotton and cuts CO2 emissions by around 80% when compared to conventional polyester manufacturing", MINI added.

Additionally, according to the vehicle's Vehicle Footprint report, which comes with all new MINI and BMW models, using green and recycled aluminum reduces CO2e emissions by a certain amount depending on the vehicle itself (in the case of the Aceman this is 2.4 tons) for a total production footprint of 14.2 tons per vehicle.

MINI Aceman, an agile and fast all-electric model

MINI Aceman is the only model from the British manufacturer that comes exclusively with electric powertrains. There are three engine options, 184 horsepower on the E model, 218 on the SE version, as well as 258 horsepower on the John Cooper Works trim, which comes with other modifications to offer even more agility and stability. I had the 184 HP version for testing.

I've never rode in a MINI before, but I've heard that they are more sporty vehicles, rather than comfort-oriented. So, the Aceman isn't the most comfortable car out there, not even over small bumps and indentations, due to the stiffer suspension and the shorter distance between the front and rear axles. Even the occasional sewer cover feels more than in other cars and when going over tram lines, you should slow down to avoid being shaken too much.

At the same time, you will feel when going over the speed limiters you might found on secondary streets and the passengers in the back even more, since I felt the car was bouncing a bit more with the rear wheels.

The upside to this is that the Aceman is a very stable car around corners and drives you (pun intended) to press the pedal a bit more and play a bit, within the legal limits, of course. Certainly, this car feels like home on winding roads and all engine options provide plenty of power for whichever scenario you might encounter.

Aceman is probably the first car so far in which I felt no roll when taking a corner at higher speeds and sits very well on the road and even with 184 it's nimble enough, even if it's over 1.7 tons in weight. I managed to overtake on the highway without any issues and even in the Core mode the pedal response is very good, but in the Go-Kart mode, it's even more dynamic.

Firstly, the car amplifies the fake engine sound in the speakers, which might annoy some, the steering and suspension stiffens even more and the acceleration response is even nippier. The engine braking also amplifies to simulate the way a kart would feel, but this is a driving mode that I would recommend only on winding roads, where the quality of the asphalt is better.

Regarding highway driving, MINI Aceman pulls very well even at high speeds, but the soundproofing is a bit underwhelming over 130 km/h, so you'll have to raise your voice to make yourself heard.

Being a supermini vehicle, Aceman is ideal for city driving, where the dimensions help it and the efficiency is at its best, since this car suffers when it comes to range on longer trips and at higher speeds.

Mediocre real-life range on the MINI Aceman

Here we get to the part that I liked the least with this car, the range. The 184 HP version comes with a 38.5 kWh battery, while the others, with a 49.2 kWh unit. MINI promises around 300 kilometers range on the base model and 400 kilometers on the version with a bigger battery. Still, the car is amongst the heaviest in this class, the engine is powerful, but the drag coefficient of 0.27 helps it a big, being pretty good for this segment.

Even so, I left with 95% battery charge and an estimated range of 206 kilometers. After driving for around 100 kilometers on my usual track, I came back with 126 km of range left or 53% battery charge and I didn't drive more aggressively or pressed the accelerator harden than usual.

On the Green driving mode, you can save some power, because the power gets reduced, as well, but on other EVs I didn't have to use that, since the real-world range was similar to the one in the specification. The temperature wasn't very low, either, around 10-15 degree Celsius and sunny, so similar conditions to those when I drove the Dacia Spring, a model that actually respected the 200-ish km range fairly well under the same conditions.

The charging speed isn't the best on the MINI Aceman, either. I've connected my testing unit on a 150kW DC charging station and managed to fill the battery from 46% to 95% in an hour and 13 minutes, the maximum speed being of around 36kW, which dropped when it reached 80% SoC. MINI promises charging speeds of 75kW for the small battery or 95kW for the larger version.

For city driving, the smaller battery-equipped Aceman is plenty and you can drive it there in the Green mode, as well, but if you think about longer trips or having fun in the weekends outside the city, I would recommend the 49.2 kWh version, mind you it costs 4.000 euros extra.

Maybe some future software updates can optimize energy consumption a bit more and my car had some updates pending, which I didn't proceed to install since I wasn't sure how long it was going to take or I had to have additional input.

Recycled materials that don't compromise on quality or comfort

Although it uses recycled materials on the outside and the inside, the MINI Aceman still manages to feel like a premium vehicle and the finishes are like you would expect. MINI chose to implement a lot of textile material wherever possible and this helps, since it offers a high-quality feel, feels good to the touch and is easy to maintain.

The little plastic that can be found on the inside has a pleasant finish, it isn't completely matte, but isn't that scratch-prone glossy type, either, but rather a combination of the two. More importantly, the materials are well put together and don't make noises while driving, even over bumpy terrain.

The seats themselves are comfortable and offer plenty of side support for when you will drive it more spirited, because as I've said, it gets you to do that, like any other MINI. The rear seat is also comfortable and I've had plenty of space, but taller adults might have a harder time here. Also, the passengers in the back will be the ones to feel potholes and bumps the most, since the Aceman is a short vehicle which doesn't have the most comfortable suspension.

The boot isn't the most spacious, either, at just 300 liters and if I had to compare it with a recently-tested car, the Jeep Avenger offers more in this regard and generally speaking is more well-spaced, despite having similar dimensions.

An EV model that competes pretty much directly with the Aceman is the Renault 5 E-Tech, which I didn't get to drive so far, but from what I've seen on the inside, it offers better space, especially in the boot, despite being a bit smaller on the outside than the Aceman.

What I've learned to appreciate with the MINI Aceman is the build quality, since this is a very solid car, with materials that are all very well made and feel good, since the 1.7 ton weight.

Autonomous driving technologies on the MINI Aceman

Being a brand of the BMW Group, MINI benefits from the technologies from the German company and you find here the latest in terms of safety systems, as well as some extra features that are very interesting and useful.

For example, as far as basic features go, MINI Aceman helps you keep your lane without exaggerating, meaning that it will leave you some space to maneuver before reaching the road markings. At the same time, the car will warn you if you get too close to the vehicle in front of you and monitors road signs, while blind spot monitoring works as well as on any other modern car.

Beyond these basic features we have adaptive cruise control, 360 degree cameras and ultra sound-powered sensors, but also some other, more advanced features that I didn't get to experience on other cars so far and which might come in handy when parking or driving in reverse. Thus, MINI Aceman can park itself in the spaces that are visible and I tried this in an underground parking.

Even though initially the car was on a collision course with a vehicle parked behind it, the system intelligently did the required maneuvers to avoid that and to adjust the course. It breaks on its own, switches from drive to reverse on its own and steers on its own, so you don't have to touch anything, although it may not be a bad idea to keep the foot above the brake pedal and look in the mirrors, just in case.

MINI Aceman can also be configured with features that allow it to gain Level 2 autonomy, so not enough to make it drive itself on the roads, but to enable it to drive in reverse on a track that you recently drove on. In other words, let's say you drove around a parking lot trying to find a spot, but you realize that you want to go back.

The car will record the course you took and after you put it in reverse, you have the automatic reverse feature that does exactly what it says. Using the digital "tracks" left behind, it will drive backwards on the track you drove previously, but you'll need to help it with the brake pedal, since it doesn't know where to stop on its own, unless it detects an obstacle. At the same time, if there's an obstacle that appeared in the meantime on the course, you will have to regain control in order to avoid it, but I still think it's an extremely good feature to have in busy parking spots, where you have to pay attention everywhere.

MINI offers for its models a subscription that varies in cost depending on where you live which offers a variety of additional features, such as streaming applications for video and audio content, as well as games, 3D-powered navigation, but also unlimited mobile data via 4G and 5G.

Integrated dashcam and infotainment system on MINI Aceman

Another thing that I liked and I don't remember to have seen it on other cars so far is the integrated dashcam feature. Basically, using the 360 cameras, the car can record up to 30 seconds before a crash and up to 30 seconds after a crash. The time frame for the recording can be adjusted in the settings and you can start a recording session manually, as well, with the quality being good and the car continuously records and overwrites, just in case.

The infotainment center is integrated in a circular OLED panel, typical for MINI cars and it's easily viewable, bright and colorful. The system is fairly vast and might be a little overwhelming to operate, at first, but there are two good news: the first one, there is a shortcut button to access the vehicle's most essential safety and assist features, such as for lane assist and auto hold, and if you pull from the bottom of the screen up, you get access to a control center with even more shortcuts, which you can customize according to your liking.

Otherwise, there are a few virtual buttons on the bottom side of the screen for easy access to features you might need more often, such as more complex climate control, radio FM, home, navigation or phone call history. The other interface elements regarding range, driving modes or temperature adjustments are accessed on the edges of the circular display, so they are fairly easy to find, as well, and I've gotten used to them fairly easily.

There is a switch button below the screen called "Experiences" which literally changes the driving experience on the car and goes through the Core, Green, Personal and Go-Kart modes, for example. Core is the standard one, in which the car adapts to your driving style, Green encourages you to save on resources and drive more efficiently, while the Go-Kart mode makes the car even more dynamic than it already is.

You also have a heads-up display that shows essential information for driving, such as speed or road signs, but it can also integrate the navigation or submenus that you can access using the buttons on the steering wheel, also positioned intuitively.

Who is the MINI Aceman for

The Aceman starts at over 33.000 euros for the Essential trim with a 38.5 kWh battery and can reach over 42.000 euros in the version I've had, also with the small battery. It you want the larger battery, it is available on every trim level, but it will cost you around 4.000 euros and the overall price is generally higher than most of the competitors, but not all.

For example, the Peugeot e-208 also starts at 33.000 euros and goes up to almost 37.000 euros for the GT version and even if the stated range is higher, I think that the price tag is a bit too ambitious, considering MINI's electric offerings. Still, the Fiat e500 is an even more ambitious model, with a price tag between 33.000 and 38.000 euros and its sole advantage compared to the Aceman is the smaller size, the rest of the specs being below what the British have to offer.

MINI Aceman is a car that's a little difficult to recommend for those that aren't a fan of the brand. MINI in general is the type of car that you either love or not, there's no in between. And if you want one, you'll have to pay extra compared to some of the competitors, because you get a car that's more of a fashion statement, rather than a practical model. It's very robust and built nicely, has a very chic design and recycled materials implemented that manage to feel premium.

It's fairly practical in the city, despite not being the most comfortable, but it's also very fun on secondary roads outside the city. It's agile and very nippy, even in the base version, but you'll have to keep an eye out for the charging network and plan longer breaks.

I think that those who had a MINI before and liked it, will also buy the Aceman and I don't think they'll make a mistake, since they'll enjoy a familiar experience and will get access to a suite of nice technologies, but if you never liked this car brand, the Aceman won't convince you to give it a try. Simply put, there are other models in this category that are cheaper, practical or that are both, while not being as powerful or well-built, but overall, a more reasonable package.

For example, the most expensive Renault 5 E-Tech is still cheaper than the most entry-level MINI Aceman and the R5 comes with better range, at 415 km, which I think comes close to the reality given my previous experience with electric Renaults.

The Citroen e-C3 is another city-oriented alternative that starts at just above 23.000 euros and offers 300 km range on paper, but the build quality and the materials definitely isn't as good as on the one found on the British EV.

As it is right now, I'd say the MINI Aceman is not worth the price, given that the range is well below the promised 300 km on the base model, but if you're a die-hard fan of the brand or you specifically like this design. But, if the range and charging speeds will be improved with software updates, then this could be a good alternative for those who want a solid, safe, agile and nippy city-focused EV, offering more than the competition in the form of the Peugeot e-208 or the Fiat 500e.