MINI John Cooper Works Aceman Review

Introduction

It is hard to believe that BMW acquired the Rover Group and took over Mini more than thirty years ago.

Some regarded the iconic British marque falling into German hands as a sacrilege when it launched a heavily revised Mini in 2001, and the Mini brand's development direction continues to have its critics to this day.

However, for those less bothered by patriotic matters, handing a brand over to BMW is no bad thing in terms of quality.

Since BMW took over, multiple Mini models have come and gone.

Of course, the standard Mini, now finally formally called the Mini Cooper, remains - a convertible version was also introduced and is still in production today.

There was also briefly the Coupe, with a more sticky-out rear end, resulting in a drop-top variant called the Roadster.

Other models included the longer Clubman - more or less an estate car - the crossover SUV Countryman and its three-door coupe-ish variant, the Paceman.

And, continuing the ‘man’ theme, there’s now another one entering the fray: the Aceman.

It is replacing the Clubman in Mini’s line-up, although the Aceman isn’t an exact substitute.

Firstly, it’s smaller than the Clubman and, secondly, it’s all-electric.

But how good is it? And how does it compare with its closest rivals?

At A Glance

When viewed in isolation, the Aceman is difficult to distinguish from the standard Mini Cooper.

But look harder, and you'll see the differences.

For starters, the Aceman is noticeably larger and has five doors to the Cooper's three.

And, whereas the Cooper has rounded headlights, the Aceman’s are more triangular.

The front is squarer, while the Cooper is slightly more bulbous, although both front ends are dominated by the large grille-replacing panel and little else.

The sides are smooth, but the wheel arches are slightly flared and have a crease to add definition.

The Aceman features roof rails, too, whereas the Cooper does not.

The rear shapes of the Cooper and Aceman are very similar, but the latter has more vertical taillights compared with the former's triangular arrangement.

On the Aceman, the number plate is moved down towards the bottom, leaving a blank space in the middle of the tailgate, unlike on the Cooper - and there's no horizontal bar running across the width of the boot either.

Overall, it's a strange shape and arguably looks a tad awkward.

Modern? Yes. Sophisticated? We suppose so.

But it's not especially attractive from certain angles, and it almost looks as though Mini has forced the traditional shape onto a car that doesn't really suit it.

Key Features

There are three main trim levels on the Aceman.

Entry-level Classic gets 17-inch alloys, a 9.4-inch diameter circular infotainment screen with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, digital radio, satellite navigation, voice control, dual-zone climate control, and black and blue Vescin and cloth upholstery.

You also get LED headlights, interior ambient lighting, a heated steering wheel and automatic wipers.

Exclusive trim gets larger 18-inch alloys, a knitted dashboard, sports seats and a silver exterior grille surround.

Sport gets a high-gloss grille and surround, dark anthracite brake callipers, a black perforated sports steering wheel, and a black roof.

There are three power models: E, SE, and John Cooper Works, all powered by a front-wheel-drive electric motor.

E comes with 184PS, SE produces 218PS, and John Cooper Works outputs 258PS.

While E and SE models are available in any of the three trim levels, the John Cooper Works variant is only offered with top-of-the-range Sport trim.

You can also add three packages to enhance equipment levels, but as these are optional extras, we'll cover them later.

Range & Batteries

Two battery sizes are offered on the Aceman, though they're fixed to the powertrain you specify.

The E model gets a 38.5kWh (usable) battery, achieving a claimed range of 192 miles.

The SE and John Cooper Works variants have a larger 49.2kWh (usable) battery that can manage up to 251 miles and 242 miles, respectively.

Of course, you won’t achieve these figures in practice, but on our test drive with the larger battery, we were on course for around 215 miles in warm weather, which isn’t too bad.

Expect that figure to plunge in the winter, though.

Performance & Drive

We are testing the top-of-the-range John Cooper Works variant, which, with the most powerful electric motor, can shoot from 0 to 62mph in 6.4 seconds.

While not lightning-quick, that should be more than sufficient in a car like this.

It is also just over half a second quicker to 62mph than the SE, which takes 7.1 seconds, but even the entry-level E model is no slouch, taking 7.9 seconds.

On that basis, most people leasing an Aceman as a typical, practical family car will be more than satisfied with the base model.

The John Cooper Works, though, is more aimed at those who want a bit more oomph and some sportier styling in their lives.

It has plenty of poke under acceleration, so you'll have no problems reaching motorway speeds or overtaking.

It is helped by a feature exclusive to the top-of-the-range version: its Boost mode, activated via a paddle on the back of the steering wheel.

Pull this, and you'll get a brief burst of an extra 28PS – though that gets you to the advertised figure of 258PS – it’s 230PS most of the time, which may disappoint some.

Much like the power, even the lesser Acemans don't disappoint, with agile handling that's got BMW's stamp all over it.

The John Cooper Works is even better, thanks to tuned suspension, dampers, and springs, which contribute to a nimble feel.

Mind you, that’s in comparison to all-electric rivals.

Compared with combustion-engined vehicles, it still feels quite weighty, and if you try to slide it around a corner, you feel the swing of gravity pulling like a pendulum.

That said, most will be hard-pressed to tell the difference between the handling in the John Cooper Works and the E and SE models.

It is there, but it’s not transformational. All versions have a playful feel, and the steering is excellent. It weights up nicely and offers decent levels of feedback and responsiveness.

There is a lot of grip in the bends, and the body roll is well-controlled, making for an engaging and enjoyable driving experience.

However, there are downsides.

The Aceman torque steers a lot, which increases proportionally with the amount of poke, so the John Cooper Works we're testing is the worst.

Floor the throttle, and you'll want to ensure you're holding the steering wheel tightly, or else the car will turn itself into corners that don’t exist.

This can rob you of confidence, meaning you'll slow down, which somewhat defeats the point of having a pacier electric motor.

In addition, the ride is extremely harsh - too harsh, in fact.

There is very little give through the tyres or suspension when you’re driving along, so you feel every bump and, at times, that can make the ride feel unsettled.

Again, the problem is worse in the John Cooper Works, which often fidgets over lumpier road surfaces.

If you’re on well-kept roads, such as most motorways, then you should be fine.

But if you’re living in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by twisty, bumpy B-roads, then you might be disappointed. And if you can’t enjoy the Aceman around the bends of a fast B-road, there’s little point in the John Cooper Works version.

Thankfully, it’s easy to drive at low speeds and around villages, but there are far softer cars that will be better suited to this sort of thing if your day-to-day driving mainly takes place in busy, built-up areas.

Regenerative braking ensures that the batteries can be charged under deceleration. There are three regen levels to choose from, which can be operated via the infotainment unit.

Overall, BMW has done a fine job with the handling, especially given the car’s weight (it’s around 1,800kg).

However, it’s come at the cost of ride comfort – and we can’t help but feel BMW has got the balance far too biased towards agility over its absorption levels.

Charging

The John Cooper Works and SE models have maximum charging speeds of 95kW, good enough to achieve a 10-80% top-up in 31 minutes.

The E model's battery is limited by a slower 75kW charging speed, but its smaller size means its replenishment is achieved in a similar time, at 29 minutes.

The Aceman can support home charging speeds of up to 11kW, in which case the E can charge up its battery from zero to 100% in around four and a quarter hours versus five and a half hours in the SE and John Cooper Works variants.

It is worth noting, though, that many homes can't support up to 11kW and will be limited to wall boxes that charge at around 7kW instead. Want to find out more about EV charging? Check out our complete guide to electric vehicles.

Running Costs & Emissions

Because the Aceman is only available as an electric car, there are no emissions figures to worry about.

That makes it an ideal choice as a company car because of the attractive rates of Benefit In Kind tax, but the same can be said of any other electric vehicle.

One thing the Aceman does have in its favour, though, is that leasing rates are competitive.

As for reliability, Mini has a superb record - and you wouldn't necessarily expect that given that it's owned by BMW, whose track record in recent years has been anything but positive.

That said, BMW is back on the upswing, so all signs look positive for Mini drivers.

Interior & Technology

The Aceman’s interior is simple but effective, blending modern touches with a hint of classic retro Mini styling.

But the one thing that’ll grab your attention, not to mention intrigue, is the infotainment screen, which appears as a circular disc bolted to the middle of the dashboard.

Apart from a couple of Mini siblings, we’ve never seen a round infotainment screen before – and if you’re already used to rectangular ones, you might find it takes a bit of getting used to.

That said, we adapted fairly quickly, thanks to a reasonably intuitive layout and a crystal-clear screen that's responsive to inputs.

Unfortunately, though, both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto still appear as rectangular displays on the circular screen, which looks ugly and wastes a lot of space.

Elsewhere, there’s not much more to write about.

The steering wheel looks thick and bold, especially in the Sport trim of our John Cooper Works test car.

The dashboard looks particularly funky, too, with patterns on the knitted fabric.

But, besides the circular screen and a small unit of controls beneath it, there's little else to see. There isn't even a conventionally placed speedometer, as it's all included in the infotainment screen.

Thankfully, the speed is clearly displayed in larger numbers on the infotainment screen, but it's not quite as convenient as looking slightly down for a second. You have to get used to glancing to your left to see it.

That said, we're fortunate to have a head-up display standard in our John Cooper Works test car, which mitigates the problem.

The screen displays the map in the middle, while other information and icons take up the space around the outer edges. Still, it can look cluttered, especially as the touchscreen operates the climate control.

Ideally, a few more physical controls would make things easier.

Nevertheless, BMW has done a good job with the cabin build quality. The materials feel anything but cheap, and even the switches are satisfying to press - not that there are many of them.

Practicality & Boot Space

Finding a decent driving position is easy enough in the Aceman, but electric seat adjustment is optional despite the electric power underneath the bonnet.

Adjustable lumbar support is an add-on, too, but at least the seats are pretty comfortable, and the sports seats in our John Cooper Works test car hold you tightly around faster bends.

Still, you’re perched relatively high up by Mini standards, given the Aceman is technically an SUV crossover.

That helps with forward visibility, which isn’t too bad, as BMW has worked to keep the front windscreen pillars as thin as possible, but we’ve certainly seen thinner ones.

Rearward visibility isn’t bad either, as the pillars are only slightly thicker at the rear than at the front. Your view over the shoulder is reasonably unobstructed, although the rear windscreen is quite shallow.

You get some additional help from parking sensors, as well as a rearview camera on all Acemans.

Up front, the cabin width is okay and should be enough to prevent you from rubbing shoulders with a fellow front-seat occupant, although some challengers are noticeably wider inside.

Headroom and legroom are even more generous, so taller folk shouldn't struggle in the front.

They might in the back, which isn’t as accommodating, but children and shorter adults will be okay. Taller people will ask those in the front to move their seats forward slightly, and three grownups in the rear will be a tight squeeze.

There are certainly better alternatives if you need to transport multiple adults around regularly.

The boot space is 300 litres, which isn’t great and is beaten by plenty of competitors. However, the capacity expands to 1,005 litres with the back seats down, which fold in a 60/40 configuration, which is the standard for this class of SUV.

Unfortunately, you’ll have to live with quite a large boot lip, which doesn’t help when loading and unloading heavy or bulky items.

Safety

Euro NCAP has yet to test the Aceman, but the last Mini to be assessed was the Cooper E. It earned a five-star rating earlier in 2025, scoring 89% for adults, 87% for children, and 79% for safety assists.

The Aceman comes with automatic emergency braking, lane-keep assist, blind spot detection, rear collision prevention, forward collision warning, speed limit information, speed limiter assist, and dynamic cruise control.

You also get Parking Assistant, which includes front and rear parking sensors, a rearview camera, and reversing assist.

Options

In addition to paint jobs and larger alloys, several bolt-on packages are available on the Aceman.

Its Level 1 package includes adaptive LED headlights, keyless entry, folding wing mirrors, heated front seats, a high beam assist, a head-up display, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, and a wireless charger.

You get this as standard on SE and John Cooper Works models.

The Level 2 pack includes all the above, plus a Harman Kardon surround sound system, a panoramic glass sunroof, and tinted windows.

Level 3 includes everything we’ve mentioned, plus adjustable driver lumbar support, electrically adjustable seats with memory and massage functions, and Driving Assistant Plus (adaptive cruise control and lane assistance).

You also get augmented reality SatNav, an interior camera, and Parking Assistant Plus.

Rival Cars

There are plenty of rivals to the Aceman.

The Hyundai Kona Electric and Kia EV3 are two more obvious alternatives.

There are also the Jeep Avenger Electric, the Smart #3, the Abarth 600e and the Skoda Elroq.

In fact, regarding the latter, those looking for a performance model might want to consider the forthcoming Elroq vRS.

Verdict & Next Steps

The Mini Aceman is a decent contender but suffers from several flaws that let it down.

It handles well and has a unique and quirky interior. The performance of the John Cooper Works model, in particular, is pleasingly brisk.

However, the torque steer it generates suggests a lack of refinement in its design, and despite its agility, the ride comfort is firm.

The standard Aceman has similar issues, too. Still, the sporty nature of the John Cooper Works edition causes them to stick out like a sore thumb, as it’s not outweighed by the benefits of this more athletically-focused model.

The practicality is okay, but there are better SUVs to accommodate the whole family, and the range and charging speeds aren't anything special.

The Aceman has plenty of potential, but it needs serious work on BMW's part to address its faults.

Where to next?

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**Score based on Select’s unique meta score analysis, taking into account the UK’s top leading independent car website reviews of the MINI Aceman.

**Correct as of 12/06/2025. Based on 9 months initial payment, 5,000 miles annually, over a 36 month lease. Initial payment equivalent to 9 monthly payments, or £2,455.02 (Plus admin fee) Ts and Cs apply. Credit is subject to status.