Selwyn_Times: July 19, 2023

30 Selwyn Times Wednesday July 19 2023
Mini E agile, effortless and exclusive
Motoring with Bob Nettleton
ELECTRIFICATION adds
another key chapter to the epic
story of British automotive icon
the Mini, now with 64 years on
the clock and going stronger,
cleaner and greener than ever as
a bona fide electric vehicle.
It’s fitting a variant destined
to power the Mini brand well
into the future is offered in the
company’s traditional threedoor
body style of the ground
breaking original launched in
1959. Rather appropriate to that,
it’s built in the United Kingdom
at the Mini factory in Oxford, the
birthplace of this little legend.
Since BMW took over the
reins at Mini 20 years ago, its
gone from the out-house to the
penthouse.
Fitted with a modest 32.6kWh
lithium-ion battery, the Mini
E produces a healthy 135kW
of power. With its batteries
deposited in the centre of the
car in a T-shape, it’s well set to
deliver Mini’s signature ‘go-kart’
handling qualities. With its big
personality and stand-out from
the crowd looks, this is car you’ll
never get bored with.
The Mini Electric Hatch is
based on the distinctive design
of the three-door petrol powered
Cooper S and has distinctive
exterior accents for a unique first
ever Mini EV. For a very small
car, albeit a lavishly appointed
one, its sports a very large $71,155
price sticker. There are plenty of
bigger and more powerful EVs
available for this sort of money,
among them another great Brit
in the MG ZS. However, most of
the alternatives lack the Mini E’s
charisma, heritage and pedigree.
Capable of a 233km drive
range on a single charge,
according to latest WLTP
measurement standards, the
MINI Electric Hatch is also
perfect for metropolitan dwellers
and intra-city commutes, able
to achieve an 80 per cent charge
in just 36 minutes when using
a 50kW DC public charger. The
Mini Electric Hatch retains the
brands famed ‘go-kart’ driving
feel by positioning powertrain
components low in the car’s middrift
and in a T-shape.
With a 32.6kWh latestgeneration
lithium-ion battery
on board, producing 135kW of
power and 270nm of torque,
with these two figures using
their collectively heft to produce
a quick smart 0-100km/h
acceleration time of 7.3 seconds.
Consistently smooth and
responsive power delivery, make
for an enjoyable and fun car to
drive along with its ability to do
CHARGING: The Mini E achieves an 80 per cent charge in
just 36 minutes on a 50kW DC public charger.
DRIVE: The Mini E retains the brand’s famed ‘go kart’ handling, with consistently smooth
and responsive power delivery.
everything so effortlessly. This
is urban emission free motoring
at its finest. It is an excellent
first-up foray by Mini into the
EV market. A single speed
transmission does a fine job and
is an understated contributor to
making this such a impressive
vehicle.
On thing that strikes you
when stepping into the passenger
compartment is just how small
it is. There’s a reason why this
hatch is called a Mini? If you are
used to driving a larger vehicle
it takes a while to adjust. It’s a
comfortable two-seater with
enough room for a couple of
smaller types to shoehorn their
way into the back seat and park
up for short trips. Being in this
confined space, especially if you
are even slightly claustrophobic,
wouldn’t be pleasant.
The cabin is modern and tips
its hat to some of the traditional
Mini switchgear, but brings it
into the 2lst century. All round
visibility is good for a relatively
low-slung car, although it can
make entering and leaving the
vehicle a challenge, if you aren’t
as lithe and nimble these days.
You’ll need to travel light and
pack clever, as the rear hatch is
tiny. Depositing a decent size soft
overnight bag consumes most of
the available luggage real estate.
This one of the more lavishly
equipped cars in its class and so
it should be with its hefty $70k
plus asking price. From whatever
angle you look at it this is a
seriously large sum of money for
such a petite car.
Mini attempts to take some
of the sting out of the price with
an exhaustive list of standard
features. These include 17-inch
alloy wheels (pretty big boots
for a small car), Adaptive LED
Headlights, an exclusive Mini
Electric interior, leather sport
seats with the driver and front
passenger seats heated, head-up
and digital dash and head-up
displays. Things are rounded out
on a musical note with a great
sounding Harmon Kardon Hi-Fi
Sound System.
The Mini E may be among the
tiniest cars on the market but
its big on safety with a rear-view
camera, while Parking Assistant
takes the guess work out of
edging the vehicle in and out of
the tightest parks. This and its
compact dimensions make it
one of the easiest vehicles on the
planet to park. Another handy bit
of tech to keep you out of trouble
is Driving Assistant with Lane
Departure Warning. This gives
an audible alert when you drift
out of your traffic lane.
Electrification is one of the best
things to happen to the legendary
Mini. It sets up perfectly to
flourish in an automotive
world transitioning – and it’s
happening faster than you think
– from internal combustion
engines to electric motors and
batteries.
While this is a defining
moment in the life of one of
the most recognised cars on
our roads, it retains the core
values of the brand, such as
agile and almost perfectly
balanced handling with terrier
like grip. The steering is a Mini
masterpiece, offering plenty
of road feel and a talent for
obediently placing the car where
you want it on the road, with
both speed and accuracy.
Rating out of 10:
Performance 8; Handling
8; Build Quality 7;
Comfort 6; Styling 8;
Value for money 5; Safety
– 5-star ANCAP crash
rating; Clean car rebate –
$8750 until June 30 then
$7015 from July 1.
Overall points out of
10: 7.5
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