MINI Cooper electric will go up against other luxury EVs such as the upcoming Volvo XC40 Recharge
MINI has teased MINI Electric on its social media handles indicating its launch in India soon. The fully electrified derivative of the hot hatch made its global debut last year and is based on MINI Cooper. Hence, it is often referred to as Cooper Electric. MINI Electric was first unveiled in India in February 2021 and was expected to go on sale by March.
However, with the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic kicking in, its launch had to be put on hold. The BMW-backed performance car brand will finally be bringing this emission-free version of the hot hatch to India. That said, the company hasn’t revealed an exact launch timeline yet.
Mini Cooper Electric – Exterior Design
Starting with its design, MINI Electric appears to be an exact replica of MINI Cooper although there are some small noticeable variations. The most prominent of those is a faux front grille which instead of letting in fresh air for the radiator, enhances the car’s aerodynamic qualities. It also comes with many new paint schemes such as Rooftop Grey, Island Blue which lend the battery-powered car a distinct identity.
Some of these paint schemes are furnished with a striking yellow accent bar and MINI Electric badge to give the hatch a fresh character. MINI, however, has retained the iconic round headlights with integrated circular LED DRLs.
The electric hot hatch also receives a new 17-inch corona spoke dual-tone alloy wheel design with yellow-coloured rims which look funky. The pillars have been blackened on all colour trims which gives the car a nice contrast.
Mini Cooper Electric Specs
Powering MINI Electric is an electric motor that draws energy from a 32.6 kWh battery pack mounted under the floor, between the front seats and under the back seats. Positioning of the battery pack provides the all-electric MINI an extra-low center of gravity which allows better handling and more fun around corners. The battery returns a claimed range of 203 to 234 kilometers on a single charge as per the WLTP cycle.
As for performance, the fully electric powertrain pumps out 184 bhp and 270 Nm of peak torque. It can attain a top speed of almost 150 kmph while 0-100 kmph acceleration is claimed at 7.3 seconds. Like its IC engine counterpart, this one comes as an FWD with a single motor mounted on the front axle.
Features on offer
Like most MINIs, the all-electric Cooper gets tons of gizmos to lighten up one’s in-car experience. These include adaptive LED headlights with a matrix function for high beam, heated steering wheel, a Harman Kardon music system, Head-Up Display, wireless phone charging and more. The dashboard also flaunts a touchscreen display at the centre along with a 5.5-inch oval-shaped digital instrument console.
The display offer a wide range of Connected car features and Concierge Services. These include remote car locking/unlocking and pre-conditioning of interior from one’s smartphone and more. In India, it is most likely to be offered as a Completely Built Unit (CBU).
Source: Electric - rushlane.com
