All you need to know about SA’s latest premium electric crossover

THE Mini has come a long way since the tiny two-door was revealed way back in 1959, and as generations have come and gone, it’s adapted with the times and remained contemporary.

- Willem van de Putte

With the world focusing its attention on new-energy vehicles (NEV), Mini has come to the party with the unveiling of the first crossover model for the premium small-car segment with the fully electric Aceman.

Developed in a joint venture with BMW Group and Great Wall Motors (GWM), the Aceman fills the void left by the Clubman, which won’t be part of their offering although unfortunately there’s still a five-door Cooper hatch.

It may be a Mini and slot into the premium small-car segment, but at 4 076mm long, 1 754mm wide and 1 514mm tall, it’s not exactly a tiny tot anymore.

Model range

For now we’re getting both the S and more potent SE models, but Mini SA say that most of its attention is likely to be focused on the SE, and that the E model is likely to become an order bank option.

The R800 000 E has a single electric motor with 135kW and 290Nm of torque, which will get to 100km/h in 7.9 seconds.

The 42.5kWh battery pack allows for fast charging of 75kW, and plugged into a DC charging station, should see you charge from 10% to 80% while an AC charge of four hours and 25 minutes should go from 0 to 100%, providing a claimed range of 305km.