The BMW Group is new again! The world premiere of the new electric MINI Cooper is a quick look at these highlights

On September 1, at the 2023 International Automotive and Smart Mobility Expo (IAA MOBILITY), the new electric MINI Cooper of the MINI brand of the BMW Group made its debut in Munich. As the first all-electric product in the next-generation MINI family, the new electric MINI Cooper highlights the brand's essence – its signature minimalist design and go-kart-like driving pleasure. In the future, MINI will focus more on electrification, achieving 50% electrification by 2025 and 100% electrification by 2030.

The new electric MINI Cooper is still a three-door version of the model, and the design language of "mini to simple" is a modern interpretation of the brand's classic elements, while at the same time has a refreshing sense of design in the details.

Specifically, the front of the car inherits the MINI's signature round headlight design, with a new octagonal grille, LED daytime running lights not only have three adjustable modes, but also interact with people, showing a welcome/farewell animation when on/off.

On the side of the body, the white suspended roof and blue body complement each other, and the new wheels with exquisite styling are very recognizable. The overall shape of the tail is clear and flat, and the matrix LED taillight also has 3 adjustment modes, which is still the classic vertical light group shape of MINI, and still hides the beige flag element.

In terms of interior, the new electric MINI Cooper has also been replaced with a new interior design and layout, the most obvious difference is the elimination of the instrument cluster, and the HUD head-up display system instead of the instrument cluster. Only three basic elements: a new-style steering wheel, a circular OLED center display, and a toggle switch remain in the center console area. At the same time, the electronic handlebar shape has been replaced, and the air conditioning outlet has also adopted the popular through-through design instead of the classic circular air outlet design.

Among them, the circular OLED center display is the biggest highlight in the car, and it is also a high-resolution touch screen that integrates rich functions. The overall shape is slim, with a diameter of 240mm, and the internal interface interaction design is clear, colorful, intuitive, and the screen image can be extended to the entire interior panel through projection technology.

It is worth mentioning that the new electric MINI Cooper is also equipped with the new MINI operating system (MINI OS 9), which can wake up the MINI intelligent personal assistant with just a "Hello MINI". There are 2 visual representations – the stylized "MINI", or the digital pet Spike with the image of an English Bulldog. The whole operation logic is as convenient as using a smartphone, and the assistant can also identify the location of the speaker, and realize functions such as making calls, turning on navigation, and controlling temperature.

Underneath the circular OLED center display, five lever switches control parking, gear, start-stop, experience mode and volume. Other functions can also be operated via the display. A closer look reveals that one of the toggle switches also has the MINI "BIGLOVE" idea hidden in it.

In terms of digital experience, the next generation of MINI family models has a total of 8 "experience modes" - Core, Go-Kart, Green, Balance, Timeless, Personal, Vivid and Trail. Each mode has its own specific user interface design. Even more notably, the entire dashboard can be used through Light Magic to present colors and patterns that match the selected experience mode. Bite! There's also a small detail here, where each experience mode emits a unique sound effect that indicates that the mode is activated.

The interior is also heavily wrapped in well-designed fabrics and individually designed. These are two-tone fabrics made by a knitting process specially developed by MINI, all made from recycled polyester fibers, with a varied structure, excellent texture and easy care. For the first time, the wide, curved instrument panel in the front row is also made of renewable weave, not only with a two-tone design, but also with a tailor-made decorative color scheme.

In terms of seats, the seats of the new electric MINI Cooper are made of high-quality Vescin material, and all fabrics, roofs and floors are made of recycled materials. The doors are also covered in delicate fabrics, and the multi-function buttons are integrated under the backlit fabric surface, revealing a refined touch of detail.

In terms of power, the new electric MINI Cooper will be available in two models. Among them, the entry-level version of the MINI Cooper E is equipped with a drive motor with a maximum power of 135kW (184Ps) and a 40.7kWh battery pack; while the high-end version of the MINI Cooper SE is an electric motor with a maximum power of 160kW (218Ps), a peak torque of 330Nm, an acceleration of 6.7s per 100km, and a battery pack of 54.2kWh, with a WLTP cruising range of 402km.

(Photo: MINI, Text/Liu Kanshun)