- Mini has unveiled the revamped Cooper Electric at the 2023 IAA auto show in Munich, Germany.
- The two-door hatchback is new for the 2025 model year and features updated styling, a more premium interior, and a larger battery pack than the previous-generation model.
- A gasoline-powered variant is expected to debut later wearing the same look but with a turbocharged engine under the hood.
Fresh-faced and with improved eco-friendly street cred, the 2025 Mini Cooper Electric hatchback has debuted with more power, more range, and more dazzle. Unveiled alongside the Mini Countryman Electric, the two new models mark the start of a new generation for the brand.
The hatchback’s styling is distinctively Mini, but with clean lines and neater proportions. The real improvements are just beneath the surface. Its interior is layered with upgrades too, and the mechanicals underneath promise to make it more competitive in the EV marketplace.
Cheerful Cabin
While we don’t expect to see much more passenger space than the current-generation Cooper, the new car features a more premium interior. A simplified design removes clutter from the center console and dashboard, while richer materials are used throughout for a more upscale ambiance.
The centerpiece of the Cooper Electric’s cabin is a large, circular display screen, which runs Mini’s next-generation infotainment interface. This OLED panel provides crisp graphics and a customizable appearance. For example, users can upload their own photos to the system to create unique backgrounds.
A fabric-lined dashboard hides LEDs that provide ambient lighting that change based on which drive mode the car is in. Of course, Mini’s signature toggle switches remain on the dashboard, but these too have been pared down with simplicity in mind.
Overall, the interior is a nicer place to spend time, a good thing considering drivers will likely need to utilize public charging infrastructure. And if you’re sitting inside waiting for the car to charge, the Cooper Electric can entertain you with downloadable video games to play using that center-mounted display.
Mended Mechanicals
The Cooper Electric will be offered in two strengths: E and SE, with the entry-level version getting a 181-hp electric motor and the upgraded model getting juiced to 215 horsepower. Both are front-wheel drive and it’s not clear yet whether the U.S. market will get both, or just the more powerful SE.
We’ve had a chance to drive a prototype, and the Cooper’s playful handling is retained in the new model. Mini says the E is capable of hitting 62 mph in 7.3 seconds and the SE will complete the same task in 6.7, but we managed a 6.1-second run to 60 mph in the current model—which makes 181 horsepower—so we think both of those estimates are conservative.
Our biggest gripe about the current Cooper Electric is its disappointing driving range, which comes in at an EPA-rated 114 miles per charge. This new version benefits from far larger battery packs. The current Cooper SE that’s sold in the U.S. has a 28.9-kWh battery pack, but the new version gets a 58.4-kWh unit. That should boost the driving range to about 200 miles per charge, which is still less than other EVs such as the Hyundai Ioniq 6 and the Tesla Model 3, but brings the Mini closer to contention.
While Mini is focusing first on launching the EV variant of its new Cooper hatchback, the company told Car and Driver that gasoline-powered models will continue to be part of the portfolio. Mini has even confirmed plans for a revived John Cooper Works performance edition. We expect the turbocharged three- and four-cylinder engines used in the current generation car to carry over to the redesigned 2025 models, but we’ll find out more closer to the car’s launch in North America. That timing, we suspect, could be as early as next spring.
Managing Editor, Buyer’s Guide
Drew Dorian is a lifelong car enthusiast who has also held a wide variety of consumer-focused positions throughout his career, ranging from financial counselor to auto salesperson. He has dreamed of becoming a Car and Driver editor since he was 11 years old—a dream that was realized when he joined the staff in April 2016. He’s a born-and-raised Michigander and learned to drive on a 1988 Pontiac Grand Am. His automotive interests run the gamut from convertibles and camper vans to sports cars and luxury SUVs.
Source: Motor - aranddriver.com
