2022 Mini Cooper SE Mini Yours Electric Review

It’s an interesting time in the global motoring industry with many manufacturers having to lessen emissions in one way or another and almost all of them are turning to electrification to reduce their products’ (tailpipe) emissions. Even small car specialist Mini – which sells very efficient vehicles relative to some manufacturers – has had to release part and fully-electrified versions of its iconic cars to remain relevant. One such product is the 2022 Mini Cooper SE Mini Yours, which adds an electric motor to the usual Mini package. Does the electric Mini remain true to the company’s roots? Let’s find out.

One aspect of the Mini Cooper SE Mini Yours that we immediately love is that it’s an electric small hatchback, which is unique in the electric car market in that it’s not A) huge and it’s B) not an SUV. It’s a great lesson in not excessively equipping an electric car with too much range or performance, which is perfect for its target market – its small 32.6kWh battery is perfect for the size of the car. It’s the perfect exercise in restraint.

Price & Equipment: 6/10

While the entry level Cooper SE Classic is priced at $55,650 plus on-road costs, we tested the upper-spec Cooper SE Mini Yours variant, which is priced at $62,825 plus on-road costs (around $70,000 drive away, depending on location and before any state-based electric car incentives).

Standard equipment on the SE Mini Yours includes 17-inch alloy wheels with run flat tyres, automatic all-LED lighting, auto wipers, keyless entry and start, heated and electric-folding mirrors that auto-dip in reverse and feature puddle lamps, dual-zone climate control, leather upholstery with heated front seats, six-way manually adjustable front seats with lumbar adjustment, an 8.8-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay, satellite navigation with live traffic, digital radio, a wireless charger in the centre arm rest, a six-speaker sound system, a 5.0-inch digital instrument cluster, selectable driving modes, two-stage regenerative braking, a heads-up display, an AC charging cable, a three-pin charging cable and a panoramic sunroof.

Safety kit includes six airbags, auto emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian detection, adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, driver attention monitoring, speed sign recognition, auto high beam, a reversing camera and front and rear parking sensors with automatic parking.

There are no options for the Mini range, instead, customisation (colour, wheel, interior, stripes, etc) is included in each trim level. Colour options for the Cooper SE Mini Yours include ‘Island Blue’, the iconic ‘British Racing Green’, ‘Chili Red’, ‘Midnight Black’ and our test car’s ‘White Silver’. The roof and mirror caps can be had in white, body colour or lime green in different combinations, while there are also five 17-inch wheel options. The interior can be had in black, tan or white leather.

The Cooper SE Mini Yours is reasonably well equipped for its high asking price, though we think it should have features like blind-spot monitoring, lane keeping assistance, Android Auto, auto-folding mirrors and Matrix headlights (all features available on the Mini’s platform in BMW products) as standard.

The Cooper SE Mini Yours is quite unique in the new car market, and as such, doesn’t have any direct competitors. The incoming Cupra Born will provide some electric warm hatch competition when it arrives locally in early 2023, but that’s it for the foreseeable future.

However, we think buyers will no doubt cross shop other electric cars for under $70,000, so products like the Polestar 2, Tesla Model 3, Hyundai Kona and Nissan Leaf will be considered against the Mini and are better value for money, even just in terms of metal for money. But they don’t have the Mini’s personality.

Performance & Range: 8/10

Under the bonnet of the 2022 Mini Cooper SE is a 135kW/270Nm electric motor that drives the front wheels, which is fed by a small 32.6kWh lithium ion battery pack. The battery can be charged from 0 to 80 per cent in as little as 36 minutes using a 50kW DC charger, but it can also be charged up to 11kW using an AC charger. Doing so will give you a full charge in just over three hours, and means that you can generally survive on charging on AC charging as it’s far more common locally.

The claimed WLTP energy consumption for the Mini Cooper SE is between 15.2 and 17.6kWh/100km, and we recorded 14.5kWh/100km, giving a range of just over 200km. While that is certainly a lot less than similarly-priced electric cars, it’s more than enough for city driving.

With a claimed 0-100km/h sprint time of 7.2 seconds, the Mini Cooper SE is quick – that’s only 0.5 seconds behind the petrol-powered 141kW/280Nm Cooper S – and feels even quicker due to the instant torque of its electric motor. Helping further is its low tare weight of just 1,385kg – just 140kg more than a petrol Cooper S – which is extremely light for a electric car, no matter how small it is. That’s especially impressive given that the Cooper SE doesn’t use a bespoke platform designed for electric cars.

The quick performance really adds to the Cooper SE’s fun and playful character, but even in regular driving, it always feels ready to pounce and have some fun. We particularly like the spaceship-like noises that play in the cabin when you’re accelerating, while the entry and exit noises of a similar nature also give it character that’s unique to the electric variant.

Ride & Handling: 9/10

Based on the BMW Group’s ‘UKL’ platform, the Mini range has long been the go to brand for a go-kart like driving experience. You sit low in the car, and immediately notice the razor sharp – and surprisingly heavy – steering, as well as the firm ride quality and excellent body control. Regardless of which drivetrain is powering it, this is a very fun car to drive and it further proves that electric cars can be quite entertaining from behind the wheel.

Even on the eco-focused tyres, the Cooper SE handles wonderfully well. In the absence of the late BMW i3, which was one of the most fun cars this writer has ever driven, the Mini flies the BMW Group’s fun electric car flag – and flies it well. It’s easily the most entertaining electric car this side of something like the Porsche Taycan, but you don’t have to drive the pants off it to notice how fun it is – even in day-to-day driving, you still have a good time from behind the wheel.

The Mini’s regenerative braking is one of our favourite things about it, because you can genuinely drive it using the accelerator pedal only. In maximum regen mode, the Mini decelerates quite suddenly and requires some throttle modulation in order to driver smoothly. But once you’ve mastered it, it becomes second nature. You can see how well you’re doing with driving smoothness too – in the infotainment system is an analyser that uses a fish’s happiness to rate your driving. Trying to make the fish happy is a fun way to drive smoother – and greener – and it further adds to the car’s fun character.

As with BMW products that the Mini uses safety equipment from, the Mini’s active safety systems are well tuned and quite intuitive to use. The only problem is that there isn’t much of it on offer – there’s lane departure warning but no lane keeping assistance, while features like blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert and lane trace assist are absent. In 2022, we think that’s poor for a car this expensive.

Interior & Practicality: 8/10

As with the rest of the Mini Cooper SE, the car’s interior is absolutely bursting with character. It’s also really good quality, its technology uses bright lighting and it really adds to the car’s overall feel. It’s definitely not the most practical interior, but you quickly overcome this because it’s otherwise great. The quality inside the Mini is excellent, with lots of soft touch materials, high quality leather and nicely damped switchgear – the toggle switches feel particularly cool to use.

It’s not the most practical cabin, however, with precious little storage. The door bins aren’t huge, the glovebox is reasonable, the two cup holders ahead of the gearbox aren’t massive, there’s a wireless phone charger in the centre arm rest – this writer’s iPhone 14 Pro barely fit – and that’s about it.

Centre of the Mini’s cabin is an 8.8-inch touchscreen with Mini’s version of BMW’s iDrive infotainment system. It can be controlled via touch or the control wheel between the centre console, and once you’ve learnt its quirks, it’s easy to use. It’s well featured with satellite navigation with live traffic, wireless Apple CarPlay, digital radio, online services such as weather and even inbuilt features like Spotify. The screen quality is excellent, and it’s quite quick to use as well.

The back seat of the Mini Cooper SE is bigger than you might expect given its small exterior, though its legroom is largely non-existent behind six-footers in the driver’s seat. The seats themselves are actually quite comfortable, and the headroom on offer is good too, despite the panoramic sunroof.

But access is difficult as it’s a small car and only offers three cup holders and two map pockets as amenities. There are also two ISOFIX points, as well as two top-tethers, for child seats.

The boot of the Mini Cooper SE is similarly tight as the rear seat, with just 211-litres of space on offer with the rear seat up, and 731L with the rear seats folded. There is a dual-level boot floor and under-floor storage, but that’s it for boot features. There’s no spare tyre or inflation kit either, as all Minis have run flat tyres. But it’s worth noting that the electric Mini doesn’t lose any space versus the petrol models, so you’re not penalised for choosing the electric variant – unlike some other electric cars.

Service & Warranty: 8/10

Mini, like parent company BMW, recently upgraded its warranty to five years/unlimited km, matching the best in class warranty period. Its roadside assistance doesn’t match best in class period of five years, however, and is three years instead.

Mini’s servicing is condition based – as in the car’s computer decides when it’s due for a service – but once yearly/every 15,000km is a general guide. A four-year ‘basic’ service pack costs $940 ($235 per service) and a six-year service pack is $1,280 ($213 per service).

The 2022 Mini Cooper SE Mini Yours DiscoverAuto Rating: 7.8/10

While we’re very lucky to test all the cars we do, some cars pull at the heartstrings more than others, and the 2022 Mini Cooper SE Mini Yours is definitely one of those. We were genuinely sad to give it back because it’s just such a loveable car. View it wearing a rational hat and its small range and cabin, expensive pricing and firm ride quality would be enough to put you off buying one in favour of something larger, with more range, more space and more equipment for the money.

But drive the Mini and you quickly overlook these negatives because it’s just such a fun experience. It drives very well, the performance is great, its quality is great with some interesting interior finishes and there are just so many features – like the fish eco monitor – that make every interaction with it fun. It’s definitely not for everybody, but for some, it’s perfect and it’s unashamedly Mini. It’s proof that electrification doesn’t have to come at the expense of character and we love it.