A few days ago we learned about the aesthetic and mechanical proposal of the new Mini Cooper. A generation that arrives with major design changes, and that will also have gasoline and electric variants. The most striking thing is that Mini has decided to bet heavily on the latter, which is cheaper than equivalent gasoline.
Aesthetically speaking, it is the most groundbreaking MINI since the brand’s relaunch at the turn of the century. While it loses characteristic elements such as the clamshell-type bodywork, black fenders or rectangular lights, it is replaced by triangular lights with a lighting signature.
In the case of the electric version, it will only be offered with the three-door body. A model that will be manufactured in China, from where it will begin to arrive in Europe at the beginning of 2024, so it follows the deadlines set to be in dealerships at the beginning of spring.
The MINI Cooper sits on an electric platform developed jointly with the Chinese group Great Wall. The initial range will consist of two versions: Cooper E, 184 HP (135 kW) and 40.7 kWh; and Cooper SE, 218 HP (160 kW) and 54.2 kWh. The first can complete 0-100 km/h in 7.3 seconds, a figure that remains at 6.7 seconds in the top model.
But until now we didn’t know how much the Mini would cost in Europe. One of the first markets that has opened the ordering process is the Netherlands. There, the online configurator shows us that there will be at least three finishes, “Classic” “Favoured” and the sporty “John Cooper Works”. All three in the two available versions of 184 HP and 218 HP. The most basic variant is equipped with a battery that offers a gross capacity of 40.7 kWh and a net capacity of 37 kWh, with which it has a maximum range of 305 kilometers.
The most powerful version of the Cooper SE has a larger capacity battery, with 54.2 kWh gross and 49 kWh net, which gives it an approved range of 402 kilometers according to the WLTP cycle. A model that, in either version, will be up to 3,400 euros cheaper than the gasoline Cooper S and practically the same as the gasoline Cooper One, with 136 HP.
A commercial policy that seeks to accelerate Mini’s transition towards electric cars and where it has set a goal in markets such as the Dutch to reach 50% of sales in the short term. Something that reasonable prices can undoubtedly help achieve.
