- The 2025 Mini Cooper E and SE variants make their debut at the IAA Show in Munich, setting the stage for the brand’s electric transformation over the next five years.
- This model debuted next to its Countryman sibling, which also gets a pure electric variant.
- This fifth-generation Mini hatchback brings in a new exterior design, minimalist interior and two electric powertrains offering up to 218 horsepower and 250 miles of range (using the WLTP cycle).
- Both the Mini Cooper and the updated Countryman will launch next year, once the 2024 models end their run.
Mini is kicking off its latest-generation hatchback with the electric models.
We’ve seen teasers over the past few months, but now the automaker provided a great deal more information about what to expect with the 2025 Mini Cooper E and SE versions. There are more official photos of the new 3-door EV from every angle, giving clearer impressions of the more angular (and smaller) exterior as well as the minimalist interior. Good news if you’re not a chrome enthusiast: The 2025 Mini Cooper doesn’t have a lick, instead using “Vibrant Silver” grille surrounds and accents along with a two-tone paint scheme and black surrounds on the headlights for some models.
While it’s still immediately recognizable as a Mini — that face is part and parcel to its identity — the octagonal grille is a bit less rounded than before, and this new model loses the cladding around the wheel arches. It also picks up BMW-style flush door handles, giving it a bit of a smoother profile than before.
Powertrains
The 2025 Mini Cooper lineup kicks off with two electric versions: the base Cooper E and the higher-output Cooper SE. Gas models are coming in base and S forms for at least the first couple model years, but Mini is keeping those details under wraps for now.
Starting off, the front-wheel drive Cooper E manages an output similar to that of the outgoing electric Mini. It’s single motor puts out 184 horsepower and 214 lb-ft of torque. Mini says that’s good enough for this little hatch to make a 0-60 sprint in about 7.3 seconds. It also packs a 40.7-kWh battery, which is good for an estimated 190 miles using the WLTP cycle. EPA ratings tend to skew the driving range lower than that, so expect a modest improvement over the old car‘s range when we get those figures.
If you’re looking for more oomph, the Cooper SE bumps the output to 214 horsepower and 243 lb-ft of torque. That shaves a little more than half a second off the 0-60 time (to about 6.7 seconds). The more powerful Mini Cooper also gets a larger 54.2-kWh battery. Mini says that should enhance its range capability to 250 miles, though again that’s using the WLTP cycle. In EPA terms, I’d say expect somewhere around 200 miles per charge.
Speaking of charging, which model you get also impacts your fast-charging speed. Both cars can manage up to 11 kW on AC (Level 2) charging. However, the Cooper E tops out at 75 kW DC fast charging. The Cooper SE, on the other hand, can handle up to 95 kW, which the automaker claims is good for a 10-80% recharge in under 30 minutes.
Switches, what switches?
The old Mini was a bit of a button fest for such a small car, but this new model is far from that. The 2025 Mini Cooper takes on a far more minimalist layout, bringing most of the controls into the 9.4-inch circular infotainment screen. Running a brand-new operating system, the center screen houses the major driving information up top, as well as a configurable center area (so you can run navigation, for example) and climate controls along with menu features along the lower sections.
As for the switches you do get, Mini centralizes all the major controls just below the screen. That includes the gear selector which is just a rocker switch this time around, as well as the power switch, hazards, media controls and high-level climate controls (like windshield defrost).
One feature that does stick out here is the “Experience” mode switch, which cycles through up to seven different modes. Those range from “Green” to “Go-Kart”, changing up the interior ambience as well as the actual driving experience. There’s even a Timeless mode if you want that center dial to look more like a classic, first-generation Mini. Other options include an optional head-up display, and you can even have “Spike” the dog as your personal assistant, a nod to all the enthusiasts out there.
When is it coming, and how much will it cost?
We have much more information on the 2025 Mini Cooper, which you can check out below. We don’t know exactly how much the new electric Mini will cost yet, but we do know it’s coming next year. The gas versions will follow, if you aren’t quite ready to make the swap to an EV yet.
One thing to keep in mind if you do shop this car: It will not be eligible for the $7,500 tax credit. Mini will manufacture the new electric hatchbacks in China, which exempts them from any of that credit amount. (To be clear, it wouldn’t get the credit even if it were built in the UK, since final assembly happens outside North America.)
We’ll have more details on the launch window and pricing next year.
