Bay Harbour: August 23, 2023
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20 <strong>Bay</strong> <strong>Harbour</strong> News Wednesday <strong>August</strong> <strong>23</strong> 20<strong>23</strong><br />
Mini E agile, effortless and exclusive<br />
Motoring with Bob Nettleton<br />
ELECTRIFICATION adds<br />
another key chapter to the epic<br />
story of British automotive icon<br />
the Mini, now with 64 years on<br />
the clock and going stronger,<br />
cleaner and greener than ever as<br />
a bona fide electric vehicle.<br />
It’s fitting a variant destined<br />
to power the Mini brand well<br />
into the future is offered in the<br />
company’s traditional threedoor<br />
body style of the ground<br />
breaking original launched in<br />
1959. Rather appropriate to that,<br />
it’s built in the United Kingdom<br />
at the Mini factory in Oxford, the<br />
birthplace of this little legend.<br />
Since BMW took over the<br />
reins at Mini 20 years ago, its<br />
gone from the out-house to the<br />
penthouse.<br />
Fitted with a modest 32.6kWh<br />
lithium-ion battery, the Mini<br />
E produces a healthy 135kW<br />
of power. With its batteries<br />
deposited in the centre of the<br />
car in a T-shape, it’s well set to<br />
deliver Mini’s signature ‘go-kart’<br />
handling qualities. With its big<br />
personality and stand-out from<br />
the crowd looks, this is car you’ll<br />
never get bored with.<br />
The Mini Electric Hatch is<br />
based on the distinctive design<br />
of the three-door petrol powered<br />
Cooper S and has distinctive<br />
exterior accents for a unique first<br />
ever Mini EV. For a very small<br />
car, albeit a lavishly appointed<br />
one, its sports a very large $71,155<br />
price sticker. There are plenty of<br />
bigger and more powerful EVs<br />
available for this sort of money,<br />
among them another great Brit<br />
in the MG ZS. However, most of<br />
the alternatives lack the Mini E’s<br />
charisma, heritage and pedigree.<br />
Capable of a <strong>23</strong>3km drive<br />
range on a single charge,<br />
according to latest WLTP<br />
measurement standards, the<br />
MINI Electric Hatch is also<br />
perfect for metropolitan dwellers<br />
and intra-city commutes, able<br />
to achieve an 80 per cent charge<br />
in just 36 minutes when using<br />
a 50kW DC public charger. The<br />
Mini Electric Hatch retains the<br />
brands famed ‘go-kart’ driving<br />
feel by positioning powertrain<br />
components low in the car’s middrift<br />
and in a T-shape.<br />
With a 32.6kWh latestgeneration<br />
lithium-ion battery<br />
on board, producing 135kW of<br />
power and 270nm of torque,<br />
with these two figures using<br />
their collectively heft to produce<br />
a quick smart 0-100km/h<br />
acceleration time of 7.3 seconds.<br />
Consistently smooth and<br />
responsive power delivery, make<br />
for an enjoyable and fun car to<br />
drive along with its ability to do<br />
CHARGING: The Mini E achieves an 80 per cent charge in<br />
just 36 minutes on a 50kW DC public charger.<br />
DRIVE: The Mini E retains the brand’s famed ‘go kart’ handling, with consistently smooth<br />
and responsive power delivery.<br />
everything so effortlessly. This<br />
is urban emission free motoring<br />
at its finest. It is an excellent<br />
first-up foray by Mini into the<br />
EV market. A single speed<br />
transmission does a fine job and<br />
is an understated contributor to<br />
making this such a impressive<br />
vehicle.<br />
On thing that strikes you<br />
when stepping into the passenger<br />
compartment is just how small<br />
it is. There’s a reason why this<br />
hatch is called a Mini? If you are<br />
used to driving a larger vehicle<br />
it takes a while to adjust. It’s a<br />
comfortable two-seater with<br />
enough room for a couple of<br />
smaller types to shoehorn their<br />
way into the back seat and park<br />
up for short trips. Being in this<br />
confined space, especially if you<br />
are even slightly claustrophobic,<br />
wouldn’t be pleasant.<br />
The cabin is modern and tips<br />
its hat to some of the traditional<br />
Mini switchgear, but brings it<br />
into the 2lst century. All round<br />
visibility is good for a relatively<br />
low-slung car, although it can<br />
make entering and leaving the<br />
vehicle a challenge, if you aren’t<br />
as lithe and nimble these days.<br />
You’ll need to travel light and<br />
pack clever, as the rear hatch is<br />
tiny. Depositing a decent size soft<br />
overnight bag consumes most of<br />
the available luggage real estate.<br />
This one of the more lavishly<br />
equipped cars in its class and so<br />
it should be with its hefty $70k<br />
plus asking price. From whatever<br />
angle you look at it this is a<br />
seriously large sum of money for<br />
such a petite car.<br />
Mini attempts to take some<br />
of the sting out of the price with<br />
an exhaustive list of standard<br />
features. These include 17-inch<br />
alloy wheels (pretty big boots<br />
for a small car), Adaptive LED<br />
Headlights, an exclusive Mini<br />
Electric interior, leather sport<br />
seats with the driver and front<br />
passenger seats heated, head-up<br />
and digital dash and head-up<br />
displays. Things are rounded out<br />
on a musical note with a great<br />
sounding Harmon Kardon Hi-Fi<br />
Sound System.<br />
The Mini E may be among the<br />
tiniest cars on the market but<br />
its big on safety with a rear-view<br />
camera, while Parking Assistant<br />
takes the guess work out of<br />
edging the vehicle in and out of<br />
the tightest parks. This and its<br />
compact dimensions make it<br />
one of the easiest vehicles on the<br />
planet to park. Another handy bit<br />
of tech to keep you out of trouble<br />
is Driving Assistant with Lane<br />
Departure Warning. This gives<br />
an audible alert when you drift<br />
out of your traffic lane.<br />
Electrification is one of the best<br />
things to happen to the legendary<br />
Mini. It sets up perfectly to<br />
flourish in an automotive<br />
world transitioning – and it’s<br />
happening faster than you think<br />
– from internal combustion<br />
engines to electric motors and<br />
batteries.<br />
While this is a defining<br />
moment in the life of one of<br />
the most recognised cars on<br />
our roads, it retains the core<br />
values of the brand, such as<br />
agile and almost perfectly<br />
balanced handling with terrier<br />
like grip. The steering is a Mini<br />
masterpiece, offering plenty<br />
of road feel and a talent for<br />
obediently placing the car where<br />
you want it on the road, with<br />
both speed and accuracy.<br />
Rating out of 10:<br />
Performance 8; Handling<br />
8; Build Quality 7;<br />
Comfort 6; Styling 8;<br />
Value for money 5; Safety<br />
– 5-star ANCAP crash<br />
rating; Clean car rebate –<br />
$8750 until June 30 then<br />
$7015 from July 1.<br />
Overall points out of<br />
10: 7.5<br />
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