New Mini Aceman: stylish electric small SUV revealed in Beijing

• New Mini Aceman revealed at Beijing motor show
• Countryman-inspired design on a smaller scale
• Electric SUV with a boxy look
• Small footprint but practical shape
• Shares tech with smaller Mini Cooper hatchback
• Two versions with up to 252 miles of range
• Price from £31,800 and first deliveries from November

Mini has revealed its new Aceman SUV – a small, all-electric alternative to cars like the Volvo EX30 and Jeep Avenger Electric.

It fills in the widening gap that’s been left as the Countryman has grown into a Nissan Qashqai-sized family car, while the upcoming Mini Cooper remains a small hatchback. Unlike the Countryman and Cooper, though, the Aceman won’t be offered with petrol engines at all.

New Mini Aceman: design and styling

Though the Aceman may sound a lot like the old Mini Paceman, it’s an all-new electric SUV rather than a two-door version of the Countryman.

The Aceman is clearly designed along the same lines as the Countryman, but its smaller shape is a bit boxier with more pronounced wheelarches. There are rhombus-shaped headlights at the front and a similar set of customisable LED taillights at the rear, while the front grille is blanked off, signifying its all-electric powertrain.

As the Countryman’s grown, it’s left space in the Mini range that the Aceman looks set to fill as a genuinely small SUV. It’s just 20mm longer than a Renault Clio hatchback, for example, and around the same width. It’s a little taller, though, and as befits a Mini the wheels have been pushed right out to the corners of the car, which should maximise interior space as well as agility on the road.

New Mini Aceman interior

The Aceman’s interior is very closely aligned with the new Countryman SUV and Cooper hatch. It’s very stylishly appointed, with patterned fabric panels across the width of the dashboard and the door cards. The same colours are used in the seat upholstery and piping, giving a cohesive look to proceedings.

It also features the same circular screen in the centre, which takes care of both the infotainment and driver information. It’s 9.4-inches in diameter and sits above a small lozenge-shaped panel containing the volume dial, drive selector and drive mode switch.

Mini claims ‘generous legroom’ – which we’ll look forward to confirming when we get hands on with the Aceman – and a 300-litre boot, which is a little smaller than alternatives with the Volvo EX30 and Jeep Avenger offering 318 and 355 litres respectively.

Mini Aceman: trim levels

Trim levels run Classic, Exclusive and Sport in keeping with the rest of the current Mini range, but are mainly cosmetic – extra equipment is bundled into packs called Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3.

Classic cars feature just three paint options, two 17-inch wheel designs, a gloss-black front grille and either grey/blue or black/blue upholstery. Exclusive adds a swathe of extra paint options, 18-inch alloys and a silver front grille, plus a blue and orange colourway for the interior.

The Sport trim is inspired by Mini’s performance JCW (John Cooper Works) models, and gets high-gloss black trim on the outside, bonnet stripes and a contrasting red roof plus sportier alloys. On the inside there are sports seats and the continuation of the red and black theme.

As for equipment, Level 1 cars get:

• Keyless entry
• Wireless smartphone charging
• A head-up display

At Level 2, there’s:

• A panoramic sunroof
• Tinted windows
• Harman Kardon sound system

And Level 3 adds:

• Electric massaging front seats
• Interior camera
• Augmented-reality navigation

Mini Aceman: batteries, motors, performance and range

The Aceman uses the same underpinnings as the three-door Mini Cooper hatch, rather than borrowing tech from the larger Countryman. Two models will be available – the Aceman E and the SE, which use a 184hp and 218hp electric motor respectively.

The Aceman E has a 42.5kWh battery, good for an official range of 192 miles, while the SE has a larger 54.2kWh battery and a maximum range of 252 miles.

Performance is similar regardless of which model you opt for. The E will sprint from 0-62mph in 7.9 seconds, while the SE will do it in 7.1 seconds. That is of course plenty fast for most people, but not particularly impressive when you consider budget electric performance cars such as the MG4 XPower or the Volvo EX30 Twin Motor can offer almost twice the power for a similar price.

Will the Mini Aceman go on sale?

First customer deliveries of the Aceman will begin in November 2024. Mini hasn’t yet revealed the full pricing of all the various trim levels, but it has said that the Aceman E will start from £31,800, while the Aceman SE will cost from £36,300.

That’s a good few thousand pounds cheaper than an entry-level Volvo EX30 or Jeep Avenger, but it’s still significantly undercut by the MG4.

Can’t wait for this new Mini Aceman to go on sale? Check out the latest and greatest electric cars though carwow. You can also now sell your car through carwow, and it’s quick and easy.Tap the button below to find out more.