Mini is one of the most iconic brands with a history of making fun, sporty small hatchbacks. But in recent years, the brand has launched multiple new models that have grown in size, including the Aceman, which is a four-door small electric SUV.
We got behind the wheel of the Aceman’s top-spec variant, the even more sporty version that puts on the storied John Cooper Works (JCW) badge, which Mini says is designed to bring the “ultimate in performance engineering and styling inspired by MINIs racetrack heritage”.
With that in mind, can Mini’s newest small electric SUV really wear the special JCW badge? To find out, I spent two weeks putting the Mini Aceman JCW through its paces across Victoria.
My test route is pretty much what I’d do every week, including trips to the city and around Melbourne, longish freeway stretches down the Peninsula Link toward Rye, and drives along a series of tight, steep hills through the mountains around Red Hill.
Here is how Mini’s new punchier EV handles real-world Australian conditions.
The Aceman sits between the classic Mini Cooper Hatch and the larger Countryman in terms of size. And there are no petrol options as seen in previous Mini models.
The JCW upgrades add aggressive styling, including high-gloss aerodynamic body kits, quite unique JCW lights, black side skirts, and some nice 19-inch alloy wheels.
This does make the driver feel like the special JCW edition is quite different from the rest of the Mini lineup, even if it doesn’t turn as many heads as some other sportier models from other brands do.
The cabin has one main highlight feature – the circular screen, which is used for all controls, including phone connectivity with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.
There are also loads of recycled knitted textiles that wrap the dash, while some really big switches help with delivering Mini’s unique retro-meets-futuristic vibes.
I was quite a big fan of the leather strap around the steering wheel, making the car feel really sporty every time you got in and saw that.
On the road, the JCW very quickly lets you know that it’s special. A lot is to do with the suspension, which we will touch on shortly, but also the feedback the car gives on every turn.
Heading south from Melbourne toward Rye, the single front-mounted motor does a fairly good job on the Peninsula Link freeway. Coming in with a peak power output of 190 kW and 350 Nm, the Aceman JCW easily sprints from 0-100 km/h in a fairly reasonable 6.4 seconds.
It’s not the quickest off the line compared to other small SUVs, but it definitely feels much quicker than it is, thanks to that suspension and feel I touched on earlier.
Getting onto the freeway, it’s very easy to feel even the slightest bumps thanks to the firmness of the setup of the chassis.
Mini has tuned this chassis for driver engagement rather than comfort which you will find in many of the more passenger-focused EVs I’ve driven in recent months.
It easily gets to freeway speeds, but at 100 km/h on coarser Victorian highways, you do hear some tyre noise inside the cabin, which I personally don’t mind given it adds to the feedback this car provides enthusiast drivers.
Where this gets even better is when the road turns twisty around Red Hill, which really brings the fun factor from this car, and the JCW suspension engineering really comes through.
Thanks to a low centre of gravity and a wide track, body roll is very well controlled even when changing directions on mountain roads.
There’s even a Go-Kart Mode which, when selected, changes the steering weights, helping with a better response from the car when driving through the mountains.
On top of that, the sporty steering wheel has a boost paddle which puts on a 10-second timer to help you unlock extra power with added performance.
I found this quite handy when overtaking cars coming out from hairpins on longer stretches of road. This is by far one of the most fun features of the car, which few driver-focused cars have these days.
Underneath the floor is a 54.2 kWh battery pack with a claimed WLTP driving range of up to 355 km for the JCW variant.
During our fortnight of mixed driving, including mountain runs, fast freeway driving, and suburban stop-start trips, the energy consumption stayed around 16.5 kWh/100 km. This meant that in the real world, drivers can expect around 300 km on a single charge.
Given the size of the car, it’s a little bit on the upper end but then again, high efficiency isn’t what this car is about. JCW edition is all about the sporty feel and in my time it delivered just that.
On charging, the Aceman can charge at up to 11 kW AC home charging and maxes out at 95 kW on a fast charger.
I did a couple of fast charging sessions on a 50 kW charger, which was more than enough to get a coffee in before getting back to the car with its smallish battery.
These quick top-ups were all that I did on my Peninsula runs, but Mini’s official 10-80% time hovers around 30 minutes. With growing charging sites around our cities and on routes for day trips, it’s plenty to be able to get around with it.
Lastly, pricing-wise, it starts at $65,990 before on-road costs in Australia. This isn’t the cheapest option, but given how well it drives, there would be a few enthusiasts that wouldn’t be phased by the premium from the Aceman E Classic base model, which starts at $55,990 before on-roads.
The Mini Aceman John Cooper Works isn’t built for long road trips. Its ride is stiff, its range is fairly average, and its pricing puts it in the premium SUV market.
Having said that, it is built for drivers who want a unique, sharp-handling, and hot-hatch feel in a small electric SUV body.
If you love driving dynamics and want an electric city car that puts a smile on your face through every twist in the road, the Aceman JCW delivers just that. It’s just a lot of fun.
Key Mini Aceman JCW Features
- 190 kW and 350 Nm
- 54.2 kWh battery
- 355 km of WLTP Range
- 19-inch wheels
- 0-100 km/h in 6.4 seconds
- Adaptive Cruise Control
- Parking Assistant Plus with Surround View
- Steering and Lane Control Assistant
- Harman/Kardon Premium Sound System, 10 speakers
- MINI Augmented Reality Navigation
- Seat Heating for Front Seats
- Panorama Glass Roof
- Sun Protection Glazing
- Active Seat Functions for Driver
- Electric Seat Adjustment with Memory for Front Seats
- John Cooper Works Seats
- Headliner Anthracite
- John Cooper Works Exterior Styling with Red Highlights
- John Cooper Works Interior Styling
