(Beijing) BMW Group's classic British brand MINI continues to make a strong attack, and the family welcomes another new member, the all-new electric MINI Aceman, which made its world premiere on April 24. The family's first five-seater crossover, the all-new electric MINI Aceman is a modern interpretation of the disruptive vision of MINI founder Sir Alec Issigonis, further highlighting the brand's unique concept of vehicle development and its inspiring spirit of innovation. The new model is more expressive with the brand's typical body proportions, incorporating more interior space and versatility, and breathing new life into the MINI go-kart-like driving experience with an all-electric architecture. The new electric MINI Aceman is a striking model for moving around the city, with a young personality that stands out in the family.
Stefanie Wurst, Senior Vice President of the MINI brand at BMW Group, expressed her excitement about the launch of the new model: "The addition of the MINI Aceman makes our all-electric line-up even more exciting! I am confident that the unique and stylish design, outstanding performance and versatility of the 5-seater crossover will make the MINI Aceman a great success." ”
The avant-garde new expression of the "mini to simple" design language is young and eye-catching, with a distinct personality
Oliver Heilmer, Head of MINI Brand Design at the BMW Group, emphasises the features of the new model: "The MINI Aceman is a young model with a strong personality in the new family. It has a self-contained design language and is compact and agile. For the individualistic people in the city, it will be an excellent everyday companion with a very characteristic expression. MINI designers use the "mini to simple" design language to define an independent avant-garde new expression, giving the new electric MINI Aceman a distinctive personality and enterprising young character.
The all-new electric MINI Aceman combines the characteristics of two of MINI's most successful models to date, the MINI Cooper and the MINI Countryman, and fills the gap between the two models in terms of body size, reaching 4076x1754x1515 mm, with a wheelbase of 2606 mm, which can normally accommodate 5 passengers, ensuring flexible mobility in urban travel.
The new shape has a crossover design with compact proportions, but it is still a typical MINI design that is "instantly recognizable", and the MINI style is full. In the classic MINI gold proportions, the refined front and rear overhangs combine with a high level of safety, reflecting truly outstanding engineering. The "four wheels and four corners" are more extreme in the pure electric architecture, making the body more solid. The brand's heritage is clearly evident in a number of classic MINI elements, such as the mechanical exterior door handles that are semi-concealed to reduce wind resistance, and the striking Mi Flag element in the vertical taillights makes it easy to identify the MINI.
The striking new front face features a sharply defined octagonal grille and hexagonal LED headlights, making the new model extremely expressive. In the MINI three-section body, the flush transition between the windows and the body optimizes the aerodynamics. The designers have adopted both a strong body silhouette and sleek lines and corners on the new car, reflecting the agility and confidence that characterize the MINI.
The interior highlights the "mini-minimalist" style and has a more sense of space
The "mini-minimalist" design style is particularly evident in the interior of the new model. Deliberately reducing redundant trim and following the "practicality-oriented" principle that has been applied by the MINI since its inception, the three key design elements that pay homage to the classic Mini model have been retained: a new steering wheel that is easier to operate, a unique round OLED center display, and a modified 5-way paddle lever, as if connecting the history of the MINI to the new model.
There is a greater sense of space throughout the cabin. Fully implement the "28 principle", better space utilization, ample shoulder and leg room bring better comfort. A panoramic sunroof provides plenty of light, making the entire cabin bright and open. The flexible luggage compartment capacity can be adjusted from 300 litres to 1,005 litres to meet more diverse loading needs.
Striving for a "minimum carbon footprint", the MINI uses a large number of recycled and fabric materials in the interior of the car, and the interior is sophisticated and stylish. The two-tone fabric that wraps around the cabin is made of recycled polyester, including the curved dashboard and doors, and the seat surface is made of fabric surface or perforated Vescin vegan leather, which is delicately patterned and delicate, creating a warm and luxurious interior atmosphere. The use of leather is abandoned. What's more worth mentioning is that the production of the new model is 100% green electricity, and sustainable development is implemented from the source.
The leap of "intelligence" brings a unique digital experience
In all the new family members, including the MINI Aceman, the BMW Group has taken a leap forward in "intelligence" with the latest technology and a unique digital experience. From the re-evolution of the industry's first circular OLED central control screen, to the special R&D and design of light, shadow and sound effects, to the continuous renewal of remote software upgrades, the immersive cockpit full of MINI brand characteristics has been created, and the experience is both unique and interesting.
The new model continues the industry's unique round OLED central control screen, which remains 240 mm in diameter, slim and sturdy, with bright and delicate colors and a rich black screen background that is more pleasing to the eye. The MINI interactive system based on the round screen is even more unique. Powered by the BMW Group's latest operating system platform, the new MINI operating system has its own MINI user interface and apps, which are similar to smartphones and present a distinct MINI style, such as circular widgets that slide to switch and a flag in the shape of a Mi flag. All interactive interfaces and apps are highly adapted to the circular screen, including a circular navigation map that is more suitable for human brain cognition, a circular air conditioning touch area with a full sense of MINI, etc., which is more realistic and intuitive to operate.
Each of the 8 "MINI Experience Modes" is highly emotionally rendered, allowing users to immerse themselves in the scene through the new MINI sound DNA and carefully crafted light and shadow, so as to match different moods and travel needs. For example, in "go-kart mode", the driving sound is like a high-pitched power output, while the car adjusts the power and chassis conditions to be more racetrack-like. The "Nostalgic Mode" sampling blends the dynamic sound from the classic 1959 Mini to the most powerful MINI John Cooper Works GP, and the more the driver accelerates, the more the sound shifts from the internal combustion engine of the past to the all-electric of today. In the "energy-saving mode", the small hummingbird on the round screen indicates the precise control of the vehicle's minimal energy consumption, and uses a game-like light strip to remind the driver of the energy saving degree of control, adding fun to the trip. The all-new electric MINI Aceman also enjoys an off-road style "nomad mode", which makes the vehicle look hard-core. The projection technology is also carefully coordinated with each mode, casting a variety of light and shadows on the sides of the front centre console, door panels and sunroof.
The cute pet SPIKE has always been a loyal companion to the MINI, and now it lives in the circular screen of the new model, turning it into a digital companion. As an intelligent personal voice assistant, it has 6 vivid emotional expressions that can make people feel good when they carry out commands to communicate. And it can stand by for a longer period of time without waking up frequently. With the switch of experience mode, SPIKE will also change 8 kinds of skins to change the mood with the user.
More interesting digital ingenuity is dedicated to bringing users a good mood. "DJ Mode" allows you to play as a DJ, choosing the color of the ambient lights can be like playing a game of "Wheel of Fortune", and outside the car, your MINI will say Hi!
In the electric age, go-kart driving is even more fun
Thanks to the electric drive, the go-kart-like driving pleasure of the MINI brand has become even richer. The solid foundation of the golden body proportions, namely the balanced body, refined front and rear overhangs, the more extreme "four wheels and four corners" and the lower center of gravity of the car, pave the way for the car's dynamic and agile performance.
The MINI's characteristic precise steering feel and powerful braking system are tuned for intense maneuvering. In the all-new electric MINI Aceman, the steering system has been significantly improved, and the support response is more significant, so that the driving and riding comfort have been further improved. The ARB anti-skid stability control makes traction more accurate in cornering and the vehicle more agile and stable in cornering. The neutral coasting function unique to electric driving further reduces the burden on the driver and makes energy application more efficient. The phrase "you can always trust BMW tuning" is well validated.
The new model is powered by a 54.2 kWh battery with a CLTC range of up to 450 km. With an output of up to 160 kW, the electric motor produces a maximum torque of 330 Nm, enabling the vehicle to accelerate from zero to 100 in 7.3 seconds. At the fast charging station, the battery can be charged from 10% to 80% in 31 minutes.
As the youngest member of the family, the all-new electric MINI Aceman shows that MINI has always been classic and timeless, and has always been a trendsetter in the automotive industry, vividly confirming the brand's development principle of "born from classics, absolute MINI". With the launch of the new MINI family, the MINI brand is entering a new dimension.