The stylish British car brand Mini has introduced a brand new model, the Mini Aceman. This electric car is the first compact class SUV released by Mini. It is planned that Aceman should hit the streets in Lithuania at the beginning of this year

“It’s an extraordinary day for Mini fans and the manufacturer, as the Aceman will expand the Mini model range. The Aceman has a higher profile, but with compact dimensions, filling the niche between the Cooper and Countryman models. And the fact that Aceman is debuting with an electric-only version reflects Mini’s aspiration to become an exclusively electric car manufacturer by the 2030s,” says Aurimas Tamašauskas, manager of Mini’s authorized representative in Lithuania, Krasta Auto.

By presenting the Aceman concept model 1.5 years ago, the manufacturer aimed to demonstrate the vision of future Mini car design, materials and technologies. Now this future has become a reality.

Typical “Mini” character

As soon as you look at the Aceman, it is immediately obvious that it is a Mini brand car. Its front is equipped with expressive lights, in which LED strips are arranged around the entire perimeter. The driver will be able to choose three different styles of their education. The front grille, whose octagonal shape extends all the way to the bottom of the front bumper, also looks exceptional.

At the rear of the car, the most striking feature is the vertical lights, which, like the concept model, have elements of the British flag, symbolizing the Mini’s British origins. These lights also create different visual effects by using individual light elements.

On the sides of the compact SUV, the trim of the wheel arches catches the eye, which has angular elements that give the model athleticism. The car will be equipped with 17- to 19-inch rims.

Inside – spacious, innovative, but minimalistic

“Mini Aceman” has really small dimensions – 4.07 m long, 1.75 m wide and 1.5 m high, which will make it easy to maneuver on city streets. However, due to the electric drive used, the developers managed to get a lot of space in a compact model in the cabin – it is comfortable for five people. The impression of space is further enhanced by the “Aceman” trunk capacity of 300 liters, but it can be expanded to 1005 liters when the seats are folded down.

The interior of the car is designed according to the “charismatic simplicity” concept characteristic of “Mini”. The design of the three essential elements in the interior – the steering wheel, the OLED screen and the control button strip below it – is reminiscent of the classic Mini models.

The touch-sensitive OLED display with a diameter of 24 cm serves both as a dashboard and as a control and entertainment platform. The top of the screen shows the car’s speed information and the remaining battery. When you click on the speed display area, the screen turns into a large speedometer.

The car runs MINI Operating System 9, which is characterized by intuitive control both by touching the screen and by giving voice commands. Voice control can be activated by the driver saying “Hey, Mini!” or by pressing a special switch on the steering wheel. And many functions can be controlled by voice – navigation, phone, entertainment content and many car settings.

The control button bar below the screen contains all the necessary functions that are important to reach quickly and comfortably by hand – the car engine start/stop button, the gear shift lever, the parking mode button, the “Experience” mode switch, the volume control.

Comfort in the cabin is provided by “MINI Experience Modes”, which allow you to choose one of 8 environments that change the lighting of the cabin and the image on the screen. For example, if you select the “Personal” mode, you can transfer a photo or picture from your phone to the OLED screen, which is used as a screen background, and the interior lighting is adjusted according to the dominant colors in the photo. In addition, two projectors are installed at the front of the cabin of the Aceman model, which project light elements onto the front panel.

One charge – up to 406 km

“Mini Aceman” integrated efficient engines that will ensure “Mini” typical driving dynamics both in the city and outside. During the premiere, two versions of the electric car were presented – “Mini Aceman E” and “Mini Aceman SE”.

The wheels of the Aceman E are driven by a 135 kW/184 hp engine, with which the car accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 7.9 seconds. The maximum speed of the Aceman E is 160 km/h. This model is equipped with a 42.5 kWh battery, with which the car can cover up to 310 km on a single charge (according to the WLTP standard).

The Aceman SE is both more powerful and has a larger battery capacity of 54.2 kWh, with a range of 406 kilometers on a single charge. This model is equipped with a 160 kW/218 hp electric motor, which allows it to reach 100 km/h in 7 ,1 sec. and drive at a maximum speed of 170 km/h.

Both Aceman models can be charged from alternating current (AC) with a power of 11 kW. Meanwhile, the Aceman E accepts 75 kW of power and the SE version – 95 kW of power at fast charging stations. With this power, the car battery can be charged from 10 to 80 percent. takes about 30 minutes to complete.

Management will be simplified by intelligent assistants

“Mini Aceman” has as many as 12 ultrasonic sensors and four cameras, which allowed the manufacturer to install various auxiliary driving or comfort systems. For example, the “Driving Assistant Plus” system helps to keep the traffic lane, and “Trailer Assistant” helps to maneuver when towing a trailer.

The optional parking assistant “Parking Assistant Pro” has the “Remote Parking” function, which allows you to park the car by phone or drive it out of the parking space when there is not enough space to get in comfortably.

The Mini Aceman also features the innovative MINI Digital Key Plus system, which allows you to turn your smartphone into a car key. Such a digital key can even be installed on several different phones. With it, when the driver approaches the car closer than 3 meters, the front and rear lights turn on and the car doors unlock automatically.

In addition, the Aceman has the MINI Intelligent Personal Assistant system, which is constantly learning and can perform certain routine actions autonomously while driving the same route. For example, it can recognize the entrance to a multi-storey building and open a window when approaching it.