MINI was among the first manufacturers to recognize the need for small, attractive EVs. In April 2010, a MINI E, a converted R56, became the first electric car to lap the Nurburgring in under 10 seconds. But most buyers prefer crossovers, not regular hatchbacks, which is why the 2025 MINI Aceman has been developed.
The Aceman started as a concept about a year ago, but several important changes have been made to the production model. Earlier this month, BMW launched a press tour where camouflaged 2025 Aceman prototypes were available for test drives. Acemans? Acemen. Yeah, let’s go with that one.
The shape of the production Aceman is a little taller, more practical than the concept. The fancy light show put on by the concept’s grille is also gone because there’s simply no demand for it. Instead, the body looks like a modern, slightly futuristic take on the Countryman.
What is the MINI Aceman? Well, it’s a 5-door EV that slots in MINI’s range between the regular hatchback and the Countryman. It’s probably going to be most successful in Europe, where it will compete against the most popular small EVs, including the Peugeot e-2008, VW ID3, and even the Jeep Avenger.
How big is the MINI Aceman? We have most of the tech details for the production car from BMW themselves. The Aceman is 4,075 mm long, 1754 mm wide and 1,495 mm tall. For reference, the 5-door Cooper hatch is 3,858 mm, so it’s slightly bigger than that, but shaped like a taller car.
How big is the battery? For some reason, MINI doesn’t put big batteries in its EVs. The one in the electric hatch is only 32.6 kWh. The Aceman will have two battery options, with either 40.7 or 54.2 kWh. The e-2008 and Jeep Avenger have the same 54 kWh capacity, so at least Acemen will be competitive with those things.
And it will have them beaten in terms of power with two motor options delivering 184 or 218 horsepower. Both will have the motor over the front axle, so there’s no AWD available. A report published by Car Magazine last year claims MINI will offer two dual-motor AWD variants, one of which is going to be the JCW model. But they won’t be offered at launch.
So what does the Aceman look like? Well, these accurate renderings created by Kolesa are an accurate representation of the real thing. The 2025 Aceman will have edgy LED light halos, straying from NINI’s rounded design. A solid hexagonal grille dominates the bumper, but it’s blocked off and painted the same color as the body.
Chunky, geometrically shaped wheel arches frame the Aceman’s wheels, which will go as high as 20 inches in diameter. At the back, the Union Jack flag is integrated into the vertical taillights. The trunk opening seems small, reminiscent of the discontinued Paceman coupe crossover.
The Aceman will be manufactured at the new joint-venture factory called BMW Group-GWM, located in Zhangjiagang, China. It will be launched at the Beijing Auto Show on April 24th. Prices are expected to start from around €45,000 in Europe and £40,000 in the UK.
