It’s “charged with passion” according to MINI, and three weeks are left until the Cooper SE will premiere. If you were waiting for a different design language, you’ll be disappointed to find out that ain’t gonna happen.
The Cooper SE looks similar toy the Cooper S with the exception of the front grille, side mirrors, wheels, and the lack of exhaust tips. On the technical front, the BMW Group leveraged the i3 and i3s for this model, meaning that acceleration and range won’t be on the same level as Tesla.
Despite these circumstances, MINI insists the Cooper SE “heralds a supercharged evolutionary step, (…) empowering you on a whole new level.” The marketing mumbo-jumbo for the Cooper SE continues with “urban electric lifestyle,” the best clue we have about where the newcomer feels at home the most.
Expected to feature a 33.2-kWh battery, the Cooper SE should deliver under 160 miles of range on the Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicle Test Procedure. The i3, which is indubitably lighter than the MINI, is rated at up to 158.4 miles (255 kilometers). Stepping up to the 42.4-kWh battery translates to 183.3 miles (285 kilometers) on the WLTP, enough electric range for a day’s worth of driving in the urban jungle.
A front-mounted electric motor with 184 PS (181 horsepower) will have to make do, along with 270 Nm (199 pound-feet) of torque. The charging port is on the right side of the vehicle, a similar design to the i3. The big question is, why did BMW insist on developing the Cooper SE on a vehicle architecture for vehicles with internal combustion?
UKL is the name of the platform, and thus far, only the 2 Series, X1, and Countryman are offered with plug-in hybrid options. The Cooper SE would be the first-ever UKL model with all-electric propulsion, which goes to show that BMW made compromises during the development process in order to bring the car to market as quickly as possible.
Production of the Cooper SE is scheduled to start this November, which means the first examples of the breed will be delivered for the 2020 model year.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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