New MINI John Cooper Works Aceman 2025 review: fun but far from perfect

Auto Express

3 days ago

Fun isn't hard to come by in the John Cooper Works Aceman - but neither are the flaws. The rapid powertrain rarely fails to throw up a giggle, but sharp steering only manages to inject a veneer of agility over what is a very heavy - and rather numb - car for its size. The ride is too firm, and the interior space isn't great for those in the back, but those up front are treated to a cabin that feels more special than its rivals - all the more impressive when the Aceman undercuts those competitors on price. Advertisement - Article continues below
This is the MINI John Cooper Works Aceman, the hottest version of the brand's five-door, all-electric challenger. Less than a year ago, the MINI Aceman would've been entering a class all to itself, but the recent arrival of two Stellantis contenders – the Alfa Romeo Junior Elettrica Veloce and the Abarth 600e Scorpionissima – means that buyers have three distinctive options when it comes to something compact and sporty with a subtle SUV standing.
The Aceman's squared-off front end is given a couple of subtle tweaks for the John Cooper Works enhancement; the red, white and black JCW logo sits within a large gloss-black frontage, which extends into the front splitter and around the sides of the car into the wheelarch trims. These surround a unique set of 19-inch alloy wheels, and around the back there's a pronounced spoiler that frames the rear window. More John Cooper Works badging can be found on the boot lid, while a snazzy set of racing stripes add a sporty touch to the bonnet. Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below
Inside, the Aceman's cabin remains a fantastic place to sit – literally, thanks to the supportive part-leather front seats, whose design has been given the JCW treatment with its black and red colour palette. Among the lovely details are the red and black nylon strip that forms the lower spoke of the chunky steering wheel, and the woven fabric dashboard top with red chequered highlights. The latter is picked out even further by the tastefully judged red ambient lighting that catches the textured surface, as well as glowing from under the dash and the doors. In terms of finish and sense of occasion, the Aceman is hard to knock. Advertisement - Article continues below
As ever, that round touchscreen looks fantastic, too, but in some ways it's a case of form following function; the on-screen temperature controls are rather fiddly, for example. It's not the only slight ergonomic quirk inside, too, because the central cubby, which is opened by a red nylon strap, is hinged towards the passenger, which makes it a bit awkward for the driver to get to.
It's still not a particularly spacious car, either. While the Aceman is more roomy than the standard MINI hatch – and the two rear doors improve access to the back, too – it still has less rear kneeroom than not only the Abarth 600e, but also the smaller Renault 5. A 300-litre boot is reasonable, if not outstanding. Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below
So it's not a car that buyers should flock to if practicality is at the forefront of their minds, but it does manage to serve up a healthy dose of fun – despite the fact that it's not completely flawless from behind the wheel, either.
Fundamentally, it uses the same configuration as the MINI John Cooper Works Electric, which means a 254bhp/340Nm motor drives the front wheels, and is linked to a 54.2kWh battery. That maximum power output is on tap when the driver flicks the little paddle marked 'Boost' behind the steering wheel; this ups the output from 227bhp to that higher figure for 10 seconds, giving the driver the chance to complete that 0-62mph dash in 6.4 seconds. That's half a second behind the three-door JCW, yet it still feels lively in a straight line, in no small part thanks to a steering wheel that wriggles in your hands as the JCW's chassis fights to deploy all of that torque to the road. Advertisement - Article continues below
Still, that acceleration figure is half a second behind that of the three-door JCW, and a large part of that comes down to the Aceman's weight. For a car that's less than 4.1 metres long, a 1,820kg kerbweight is pretty significant, and it's something that becomes more obvious when you start to reach the Aceman's limits on the road. Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below
Typical of every current MINI, the Aceman's steering is incredibly responsive, so initially the car feels incredibly keen to dart into corners. However, lean on it through longer turns or ask for a quick direction change, and the Aceman doesn't quite feel as darty as we'd like, or indeed as darty as its Stellantis rivals.
Things have improved over the standard models, however; the uprated Hankook tyres and revised suspension geometry make it a more grippy yet more enjoyable car than the rest of the range, but those changes don't improve one of the Aceman's main weaknesses, which is its lifeless steering. For a brand that has produced so many cracking hot hatches over the years, its current line-up's lack of feedback is a bit of a disappointment.
The ride also falls into the same category. While not quite as punishingly firm as the three-door JCW, the Aceman is still incredibly hard over bumps. A certain degree of stiffness is necessary to keep that weight in check of course, but on an undulating B-road, it works against it, throwing the Aceman's body from one bump to the next. With more compliance, there's no doubt that it could flow along a road better, and ultimately carry more speed.
That extra weight relative to the hatchback has only a minor adverse effect on the car's range, at least officially; WLTP figures state 243 miles between charges, which is significantly up on the official 200-mile range of the Alfa Romeo Junior. Our time behind the wheel wasn't thorough enough to get a fair judgement of real-world range, although with enthusiastic driving, that figure looks like it'll drop closer to 160 miles between top-ups. At 95kW, the charging speeds are bang on the money with its closest rivals.
With prices starting at £36,905, however, the Aceman does undercut its Italian rivals, with both the Abarth and the Alfa priced from around £40,000 in their most potent forms. Model: MINI John Cooper Works Aceman Base price: £36,905 Powertrain: 1x e-motor, 54.2kWh battery Transmission: Single-speed, front-wheel drive Power/torque: 254bhp/340Nm 0-62mph: 6.4 seconds Top speed: 124mph Range/charging: 243 miles/95kW (10-80% in 30 minutes) Length/width/height: 4,079/1,754/1,514mm On sale: Now
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