more power and more modern than ever

The original Mini weighed about 600 kilograms. Now, about 65 years later, you can add more than a hundred thousand euros to that number. Anyway, the new Mini Cooper SE is more modern than ever with its electric drivetrain, trendy interior and refreshed appearance. But does it still drive like a real Mini?

A year ago, Autovisie colleague Remco Slump got behind the wheel of the new Mini Cooper E, then still dressed in a camouflage suit. Today we put the stronger SE variant to the test, which this time shines in all its glory.

The difference between the Mini Cooper E and SE

If you order an electric Mini Cooper, you can choose from two versions: the E and the SE. They differ essentially from each other. First of all, the specifications of the Mini Cooper E: 184 hp, 290 Nm of torque and a battery capacity of 36.6 kWh (net). This gives the E a WLTP range of 305 kilometers on paper. An improvement compared to the outgoing electric Mini, which had to make do with about 235 kilometers.

The Mini Cooper SE does everything a little better. The electric motor produces 218 hp and 330 Nm of torque, allowing it to sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in 6.7 seconds (Mini Cooper E: 7.3 seconds). The battery is also larger with a net capacity of 49.2 kWh, increasing the range to 402 kilometers. When it is empty, the SE charges with a maximum of 95 kW at the fast charger. The E remains stuck at 75 kW.

Go-Kart mode in the electric Mini Cooper

However, with a weight of 1,605 kilograms, the Mini Cooper SE is about 65 kilograms heavier than the E. The somewhat stiff chassis manages to disguise the kilos quite well on the winding mountain roads around Barcelona. The EV can be positioned accurately and there is sufficient weight in the steering.

The steering wheel is quite thick and blocks the view of the head-up display. Although the head-up display is in a somewhat awkward place (projector on the glass would have been better), it is a welcome addition, as it means we don’t have to constantly look sideways at the infotainment screen. Unfortunately, checking individual options is not an option, so you have to select a (pricey) option package to get a head-up display in your Mini Cooper SE.

A physical switch on the center console allows you to switch between different driving modes. Core, Green and GoKart are the main choices, with Green focusing on efficiency and GoKart on driving pleasure. The latter mode is accompanied by slightly heavier steering, a dark counter on the large, round infotainment screen and even (very artificial) driving sounds. The latter is fun for a while, but fortunately can be turned off with the push of a button.

Electric Mini Cooper JCW in the pipeline

The 218 hp of the SE is not bad, but a Mini engineer accidentally revealed that a real JCW version of the electric Mini Cooper is also in the pipeline. Something that the manufacturer has not yet officially communicated about.

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You can already encounter JCW in the configurator, but this only concerns a trim of the Mini Cooper E and SE, such as the Essential, Classic and Favoured. This version is therefore not accompanied by more power and other sporty upgrades.

Driving test with the Mini Cooper SE

Would you like to know more about this Mini Cooper SE? Then take a look at our driving test with the EV. We will show you the Mini in detail and inform you about the pros and cons of the electric car.