Short test: Mini Cooper SESE (2020) // Despite the electricity, it remains a purebred Mini

Mini Cooper. This small car was tasked with motorizing England, but in addition, it conquered the world faster than any other car before it, and over the decades of development, it also acquired a strong sportiness. This, of course, is largely due to Paddy Hopkirk, who won the legendary Monte Carlo Rally in 1964, to the surprise of both competitors and the racing public.

Hopkirk handled this with a small 1,3-liter petrol engine under the hood, and we reckon the virtuous racer won't defend the novelty that the first Minias got as standard last year: the electric drive.

Well, it's unlikely that the electric Mini will appear at any rally any time soon.... Of course, this does not mean that he cannot boast of a sporty character. How else! The British did not give it the Cooper SE name for free, which is obvious at first glance. Above the rear doors, there are large fenders on the roof, and on the hood there is a large slot for the air intake.

Details are what make this Mini special. Asymmetric wheels, flashy yellow, the “airplane” start button… All these are additional advantages.

In fact, the gap is virtual, since there are no holes inside it that let air through. However, the many green accessories and closed grille give the impression that something is wrong with this Mini. Sorry, wrong expression on his face, he's okay, he's just different than everyone else was until now. And yet this is a purebred Mini.

He reveals his sporty character to us as soon as we leave. Its powertrain isn't exactly sporty - both the electric motor (hidden under a plastic cover that can convince an inexperienced observer that there's a gas station downstairs) and a battery pack. exactly the same as in the BMW i3S with a smaller set, which means a good 28 kilowatt hours of electricity and, which is currently more important than 135 kilowatts of power) - but on the road it does not disappoint.

While we have already found that the slightly greener i3 (AM 10/2019) can be fast enough, we can say that for the Cooper SE you will be able to leave 80 percent of drivers behind at an intersection. These moments of your personal satisfaction will be accompanied only by the whistling of the engine and digging the tires into the asphalt, and the electronics will do everything possible to prevent the wheels from shifting into neutral. On dry roads it still succeeds, but on wet roads the high torque is already a headache.

However, the fun of driving does not end with a quick start, because that is just the beginning of the fun. The center of gravity is three centimeters lower than the classic Cooper S, which means that handling is slightly better than its gasoline sibling. This is partly due to the new suspension and steering system, which are adapted to the newcomer and will soon become good friends of the driver. The Cooper SE happily goes from corner to corner, giving the impression of being stuck to the road. Even more care should be taken while driving to avoid missing speed limit and settlement signs during intense right-footed play.

Unfortunately, the fun in the corners doesn't last long. Of course, because The 28-kilowatt battery on paper promises up to 235 kilometers of autonomy, and we didn't even come close to that during our test. At the end of our standard 100-kilometer lap, the autonomy display showed that the batteries had enough power for just over 70 kilometers.

In fast corners, the Cooper SE shows its true colors and really comes to life.

Before the test, of course, we reboot the on-board computer and instead of using the brakes, we braked as much as possible with the electronic pedal, thus returning some electricity to the battery each time. Thus, a home refueling outlet is a piece of mandatory equipment, a trip to the sea without stopping to “refuel”, especially if you are driving on the highway and driving at a speed of 120 (or more) kilometers per hour, is simply a godly desire.

The battery pack is so small due to the engineers' decision to use exactly the same technology as on the i3, but they do not affect the space in the car's interior and trunk. Luckily this one has a double bottom so we can fit both bags of electrical cables into the bottom. However, the rear seats are more than not emergency - at my 190 centimeters, the seat was moved forward enough, and the distance between the back and the rear seat was only about 10 centimeters.

Otherwise, the interior echoes the exterior, at least as far as hiding the true nature of this Mini is concerned.... Everything in one way or another remains familiar with the classic Mini, only the recognizable bright yellow color gives the impression that this is something else. The engine start switch under the air conditioning buttons is also yellow, the hidden lights hidden in the door handles are yellow, and the partially chrome ring around the infotainment screen glows yellow in standby mode.

It's touch-sensitive, but if you don't like this type of operation the most, you still have four classic buttons and one rotary button, and they are located where the handbrake lever used to be. It's a shame that there is no such variety in mobile phone support. As we were until recently accustomed to cars from the manufacturer BMW, which also owns the Mini brand, Cooper SE provides full support only to owners of Apple smartphones.

Well, the good side of the infotainment system is that all key data is also displayed on the head-up screen in front of the driver. It contains all the most important information needed so that the driver almost never has to look at either the digital instrument cluster or the center of the dashboard while driving – except for reversing parking and if he wants to help himself with the rear view camera and graphics . .. shows the distance to obstacles.

However, this system is completely useless. On the driveway to the 2,5-meter-wide house, he kept maneuvering so loudly, as if I had crashed into the house on the left or on the fence on the right at any moment. Fortunately, mirrors are still standard on the vehicle.

Thus, the Mini Cooper SE remains a real Cooper. Basically the same as the original, but still proves that it will continue to offer drivers fun in cornering for decades to come, and when gasoline finally runs out.... But when we draw the line, the electric novelty is today still several hundred euros more expensive than the petrol version, which, on the other hand, is slightly more powerful and also inappropriately more useful due to its low battery capacity and therefore poor driving performance. range.

Mini Cooper SESE (2020)

Basic data

Sales:	BMW GROUP Slovenia
Test model cost:	40.169 €
Base model price with discounts:	33.400 €
Test model price discount:	40.169 €
Power:	135kW (184 KM)

Costs (per year)

Technical information

engine:	electric motor - maximum power 135 kW (184 hp) - constant power np - maximum torque 270 Nm from 100-1.000 / min.
Battery:	Lithium-ion - nominal voltage 350,4 V - 32,6 kWh.
Energy transfer:	the engine is driven by the front wheels - 1-speed automatic transmission.
Capacity:	top speed 150 km / h - acceleration 0-100 km / h 7,3 s - power consumption (ECE) 16,8-14,8 kWh / 100 km - electric range (ECE) 235-270 km - charging time battery life 4 h 20 min (AC 7,4 kW), 35 min (DC 50 kW to 80%).
Mass:	empty vehicle 1.365 kg - permissible gross weight 1.770 kg.
External dimensions:	length 3.845 mm - width 1.727 mm - height 1.432 mm - wheelbase 2.495 mm
Box:	211-731 liters

We praise and reproach

attention to detail

position on the road

projection screen

insufficient battery capacity