• What’s new
Mini has broken new ground as a brand on multiple fronts with the Aceman. An all-new model that slots in between the compact Cooper and the substantially larger Countryman, it stands out for being available solely as an EV, which is a first for Mini.
Having been previewed as a concept car in 2022, the Aceman entered production in 2024, with the New Zealand launch last year. Drivesouth provided initial impressions of the new model soon after its arrival, but more recently we’ve had our hands on an Aceman for long enough to provide a full road test.
The JCW, as tested here, is rated to deliver up to 190kW and 350Nm in its boost mode, and 200kW and 356Nm when launch mode is deployed to maximise acceleration off the line.
Along with more pep than a regular Aceman, the JCW features sports-oriented suspension, chassis and brake tweaks, bigger wheels, and distinctive JCW styling enhancements inside and out.
• What it looks like
Even the current three-door Mini Cooper is a giant of a machine compared to Minis of old, with a length of 3879mm. The Aceman is larger again, at 4079mm long, 1754mm wide and 1514mm tall. On the other hand, if the current Mini Countryman (4444mm long) is your point of comparison, the Aceman is decidedly more compact.
Regardless of whether you judge it as usefully small or unnecessarily large, the Aceman is at least visually identifiable as a member of the modern Mini family thanks to its short overhangs, squat, angular body, and overall proportions. Up front, its angular LED headlights are a distinguishing feature, while the rear end includes that now-familiar Mini feature of tail lights that illuminate in a stylised Union Jack.
If the 19-inch alloys, low-profile tyres, red brake calipers, big air intakes, heavily sculpted front bumper and other sports accenting are not clue enough, JCW variants are also adorned with John Cooper Works badging on the nose, tail and side sills.
• What comes as standard
The standard JCW specification includes an array of active features including adaptive radar cruise control, auto lights and wipers, and a bevy of active safety warning and assist systems.
Comfort and convenience features on the JCW include keyless entry and digital key functionality, wireless phone charging and smartphone mirroring, dual-zone climate control, power-operated and heated front seats (with a massage function for the driver), a heated steering wheel, a 10-speaker Harman/Kardon sound system and a Panorama Glass Roof.
• What it’s like inside
There’s a wonderful sense of occasion about the cabin of the Aceman JCW. While much of the presentation is familiar from other members of the Mini family, that means it is quite different from the interior of any other brand.
The experiences toggle calls up different displays for the centre screen along with specific sound augmentation and ambient lighting settings. The most unusual of these experience modes is surely "trail", in which the centre screen displays vehicle angle, a compass and GPS position — as if you’d actually off-road the Aceman, which is a two-wheel-drive lifestyle SUV. The other displays include "balance", "vivid" (which is just that), "green" (focusing the display on energy use), "JCW" (sports dials and gauges), "timeless" (a digital rendering of original Mini-style gauges) and "core", which was my default mode on test.
Air conditioning operates solely through the touchscreen, via a separate tab low on the screen, with quick-access physical buttons below for demisting. The screen is highly configurable and includes a swipe-selectable "toolbelt" that can be customised to provide quick access to frequently used functions that would otherwise be buried deep in the menus.
The latest layout dispenses entirely with an instrument panel behind the steering wheel. Instead, there is a head-up display (HUD) for the driver which, to be fair, is great for displaying essential information.
Being a five-door, the Aceman delivers far easier access to the rear of the cabin than the three-door Mini Cooper, and more room too. The rear seats are reasonable for a couple of adults on shorter trips, though six-footers may find both head and legroom tight.
Boot space is superior to the Mini Cooper too at 300 litres with all seats raised, and 1005 litres when the split-folding back seats are dropped down.
• What it’s like to drive
A key expectation of a Mini is that its dynamics will centre on a highly engaging, nimble, darting character. With its sports-tuned suspension, low centre of gravity, short overhangs and compact dimensions, the Aceman JCW nails this brief.
Around town it is an easy steer, though with a firm suspension set-up surface imperfections are felt through the seat and speed humps are not especially comfortable to traverse. A relatively high seating position provides good visibility and supports Mini’s contention that the Aceman is a compact crossover SUV rather than an oversized hatchback.
Away from city limits, the test car took all manner of open-road twists and turns in its stride, putting a smile on my face while doing so. Its dynamic strengths at pace include crisp, assured turn-in and tenacious grip. The steering is accurate and well weighted, and the regenerative and friction braking are very well integrated.
Acceleration-wise, the Aceman JCW is brisk enough for fun motoring. That said, with a 0-100kmh time of 6.4 seconds it doesn’t gather speed at quite the rate one might expect of a genuinely "hot" EV, or a vehicle blessed with the coveted John Cooper Works appellation.
Also absent are the mechanical theatrics of a rorty engine and exhaust crackle that one associates with petrol-powered JCW machines. By way of partial compensation, the Aceman JCW boasts a specialised "Mini Sound" generator to produce artificial whirring noises during acceleration. This soundtrack is customisable for intensity, and while some folk will love it, others will prefer to switch it off.
The greatest aural fanfare from the sound generator occurs in short bursts when one pushes the red boost button on the steering wheel to liberate a few extra kW/Nm for 10 seconds. At this point, a vivid display pops up on the centre screen to count down those seconds. This is fun at first but ultimately gimmicky. For real-world driving engagement, I’d prefer Mini to have fitted paddle controls for easy control of regenerative braking; as things stand, one can only alter regenerative braking intensity by diving into the centre-screen menus.
Range-wise, the standard WLTP test regime rates the Aceman JCW as good for almost 350km. In real-world highway motoring, I’d expect something closer to 200–250km depending on weather, terrain and vehicle load; that’s a simple function of the battery, which at 49.2kWh usable capacity is not that big. To put that in context, a non-stop run from Dunedin to Alexandra, Timaru or Invercargill is probably feasible, but any greater distance than that will require a pause to recharge along the way.
• Verdict
Vote with your head ahead of your heart, and unless you are a committed Mini aficionado, there are more objectively sensible choices out there than the Aceman JCW. However, there’s little if anything beyond the Mini family that offers such a distinctive mix of substance, style and sheer fun. On that basis, the Aceman JCW is an easy car to love.
