Hot on the heels of the 2024 Cooper 3-Door and 2024 Countryman previews, MINI is also sharing details about the Aceman. While those two models will be sold with a choice between combustion engines and electric drivetrains, the small crossover is going to be offered strictly as an EV. Buyers will get to pick from a base E version or a hotter SE, each with different electric motors and batteries.
Stick to the entry-level Aceman E and MINI will install an electric motor good for 181 hp (135 kilowatts). It’ll get its necessary juice from a 40-kWh battery pack with enough energy for 300 kilometers (186 miles) of range in the WLTP cycle. Upgrading to the Aceman SE will up the power ante to 215 hp (160 kW) and the battery size to 54 kWh, in which case the range grows to 400 km (249 miles).
If these figures seem familiar, that’s because they’re identical to those of the electric Cooper. In fact, MINI goes as far as to say the Aceman will effectively serve as the all-electric crossover counterpart of the 5-door hatchback. As a refresher, the electric hatch will continue strictly in the three-door body style as the outgoing model.
Naturally, the Aceman will be slightly bigger than the hatch. MINI says it’ll be 4075 millimeters (160.4 inches) long and 1495 mm (59 in) tall, with a wheelbase measuring 2605 mm (102.5 in). It won’t clash with the next-gen Countryman since the latter will blossom into a fully fledged compact crossover almost as large as the BMW X1.
Much like the electric hatch with which it shares the dedicated EV platform, the new Aceman will be assembled in China by Spotlight Automotive. If the name doesn’t ring a bell, it’s a 50:50 joint venture established between MINI’s parent company BMW Group and Great Wall Motor. The official presentation is scheduled to take place at some point in 2024, after the world premiere of the new hatchback and Countryman electric duo in early September this year at IAA Munich.
Going forward, MINI will no longer limit its EVs to 93 mph (150 km/h). It also intends to launch purely electric JCW models at some point in the future.
Source: MINI
