Mini is a brand known for its fun to drive cars, especially the Cooper S which needs no introduction. Mini also sells the Cooper in its electric avatar abroad for those who are environmentally conscious. Back in October 2021, pre-bookings for the Mini Cooper SE commenced for a deposit of ₹1 lakh and now, it is all set to be launched in India on 24 Feb. The Cooper SE will come to our shores via the CBU route and the first batch is expected to consist of 30 units. Surprisingly, the entire first batch has already been sold out before launch! Let’s see what we can expect from it:
A quick recap
In terms of design, the car has some unique elements to itself, but the overall design is the same as the gasoline-powered Mini Coopers. It is offered in a three-door version. The key difference at the front is the new closed grille. It is the same hexagonal grille but the vents have been closed off with a grey plastic cover. The electric car gets splatters of yellow on the bumper, ORVMs, and on the rims as well. The wheels are also specifically designed for this car. Along the side, the shorter wheelbase is complemented by thicker wheel arches.
The car gets a dual-tone colour finish with the roof, A, B, and C pillars all in gloss black. Around the back, the look is identical to the ICE version. The cabin is quite similar to that of the standard Mini Cooper, with a circular display at the centre of the dashboard. As always, the dashboard looks busy, with the only difference of getting yellow accents for the electric model.
The Mini Cooper electric is powered by a 32.6 kWh battery pack which is mounted under the floor. It produces 184hp and 270nm of torque. Top speed is rated at 150 km/h and 0-100km/h comes up in 7.3 seconds. The Mini Cooper electric returns a range of 203 to 234 kilometres according to the WLTP test. The car supports fast charging. With a 50kW charger, it can reach 0 to 80% charge in just 35 minutes. And a regular 11kW charger juices the battery to 80% in 2.5 hours.