Mini range. Big appeal. The MINI Electric Resolute Edition review!

What usually comes to mind when someone is asked about the MINI brand? Cute little cars? Mr. Bean? Whatever it may be, chances are you won’t hear much negative connotations associated with the MINI brand. MINI possesses such a strong positive brand image most manufacturers can only dream of having. MINI’s parent company BMW knew this very well and had clearly succeeded in keeping the momentum going into the 21st century.

The only compact car with similar brand recognition today would be the Volkswagen Beetle, but sadly the Beetle ended production in 2019 with no replacement in sight. Whenever you want to feel old, just remember that the latest Beetle was released 12 years ago, and launched locally a year later at the 2012 Das Auto Show. Perhaps some of you here have attended the event? But I digress.

As a car born for the city, it’s only a matter of time that there would be a fully-electric version of the MINI hatchback. Sure enough in 2019, MINI announced their first mass-production EV, called the Cooper SE which subsequently went on sale in Malaysia a year later in 2020. Fast forward to 2023 and a minor facelift later, what you’re looking at in these photos is the MINI Electric Resolute Edition.

This is most likely the final local iteration of the MINI Electric before being replaced by the all-new model which was already revealed globally. With a replacement coming soon, does it still make sense to buy one today? Let’s find out!

DESIGN

The third generation MINI was launched way back in 2013, and our last MINI review was back in 2018. Even ignoring all the countless updates and facelifts in between, it sure doesn’t look 10 years old today. The quirky interior also stood the test of time ironically thanks to all the “older” physical switches and toggles that not only looks cool, but also more user-friendly than most modern touchscreen system found in newer cars.

The MINI Electric also doesn’t try too hard to scream that it’s an EV. Other than the the yellow “S” badges, electric plug badge at the rear and the same graphic stamped on the charging cap, the biggest giveaway would be the distinctive 3-pin-plug inspired 17-inch Electric Collection Spoke design rims. Did you know that the rims were initially called Corona Spoke? MINI soon changed the name for obvious reasons.

RESOLUTE DETAILS

We know the general design is pretty timeless, but what does the Resolute Edition specifically gets you? Exterior wise, all the chrome bits and some parts are now in a muted bronze colour MINI calls Resolute Bronze. You also get black MINI badges, plus a pair of unique front bonnet stripes and similar pattern on the door sills. You also have the option to spec the car in Rebel Green paint usually reserved for the John Cooper Works (JCW) models.

The car you see here is in Nanuq White, while the third and final paint option is Enigmatic Black. Not visually obvious in our white test car is the roof and mirror caps finished in Pepper White in the Resolute Edition regardless of which paint you go for. Overall pretty subtle changes on the outside but inside sees a more distinctive change.

Open up the frameless door and the first thing you’ll notice is what you’ll be sitting on. While the regular MINI Electric comes with full black leatherette seats, the Resolute Edition seats are wrapped in a combination of black leatherette and yellow tartan fabric, which also extends to the rear seats and headrests.

While I’m sure the yellow tartan can be divisive, I personally find that it looks and feels fantastic and definitely befits the fun image of a MINI. The one sacrifice would be losing front heated seats fitted on the regular variant, which I find a worthwhile trade-off. Besides the seats, the Resolute Edition also adds a unique stripe pattern on the dash trim and finally, a Resolute branded steering wheel wrapped in Nappa leather.

DRIVING

Just like the regular MINI Electric, the Resolute Edition is powered by a single front motor making 181hp and 270Nm of torque backed by a relatively tiny battery of 32.6 kWh (28.9 kWh usable) in capacity. The 0-100 kph time of 7.3 seconds may be slower than the petrol Cooper S, but the instant electric torque makes it feel otherwise and is probably the quicker car in the real world as there’s no delay when power is needed.

MINI focused on giving the car the electric punch where it matters most: during city speeds. Which explains its 0-50kph time of just 3.9 seconds, making it properly nippy in the city where the car is at its best. Step on it from a standstill, and you’ll get the front Goodyear Eagle F1 tyres to squeal briefly despite having traction control on. Turn it off, and the car turns into a squeal generator while the car goes nowhere. I may have a huge grin on my face testing the standstill acceleration, but it’s all for journalistic purposes of course.

The initial surge of acceleration quickly wanes off beyond 100kph where it can achieve an electronically limited top speed of just 150kph, which further reflects its intention as a city car. With a small battery and and even smaller range, you don’t want to spend much time on the highways anyway, but more on the range later.

Weighing over 140kg more than the equivalent petrol-powered MINI, the Electric version is heavy for a city hatchback, but it’s still relatively light for a modern vehicle at under 1400kg. The floor mounted batteries also gives it a lower center of gravity than the combustion engine siblings which translates to a more stable handling car in the corners. You really have to push it to feel the weight, but for the majority of drivers it just feels agile thanks to the sporty handling and punchy low-end acceleration.

SPACE

Thanks to the frameless doors and rather slim pillars, the “wraparound” greenhouse look from the outside actually does translate to good visibility from the inside. Even two adults over 170cm can fit in the rear with serviceable legroom and just enough headroom to endure short to medium journeys. Just keep in mind that there are no rear aircon vents, so even with the front vents on full blast, the rear passengers might still be warm on hot days.

Rear trunk space is what you come to expect from a 3-door hatch. With all the seats up, there’s barely enough space for two carry-on bags, or one large luggage. Flip up the hidden compartment underneath and you’ll find just enough space to keep the provided charging cables. And there is no front trunk.

LIMITED RANGE OF ABILITIES

The MINI Electric is not a dedicated EV from the ground up and it shows. The small battery capacity of 32.6 kWh is probably all they could fit within the combustion engine platform using battery tech of its time. For context, the similarly sized BYD Dolphin has almost double the capacity at 60.48 kWh for the top variant, while the Renault Zoe has 52 kWh. While there’s nothing wrong with a small battery capacity, the lack of optimization combined with older battery technology translates to a less than stellar driving range.

The roughly 230km claimed WLTP range is average at best when it launched 5 years ago, and it’s definitely way below average by today’s standard. On a full charge, the car never indicated above 200km during my few days with it, and I usually see 180km or less displayed on the screen.

Driving it enthusiastically like it’s designed to, and expect the range to drop even lower. Losing just 20km of driving range matters a lot when you only have 180km range compared to a car with over 400km range.

Due to its small range, I find myself subconsciously caring about power consumption constantly. Should I perhaps turn the AC fan lower? Maybe lower the speaker volume? I’ve even joked with my passengers that lowering the electric windows or using the windshield wipers would cost me a few kilometers of range. A car is supposed to give you freedom, and having range anxiety is not what I pay premium money to experience every time I’m behind the wheel.

The limited range ultimately restricts the MINI Electric into an errands car. Use it to meet your friends for lunch and perhaps a quick grocery run after and that’s it, time to go home or find a charger. Want to explore somewhere new? Can’t do, got to charge or switch cars. Low on range? You better not take the wrong turn because the car may not make it for the detour.

FULLY CHARGED

When you do find a charger, the older tech also meant the MINI Electric can only DC fast charge at 50 kW which is actually the same as the Renault Zoe. However, the Zoe can AC charge at an impressive 22 kW while the MINI can do half that at a respectable 11 kW. For more context, the BYD Dolphin can only AC charge at 7 kW but DC fast charge at either 60 kW or 80 kW depending on the variant. Tesla Model 3 on the other hand can also AC charge between 7 kW to 11 kW, and DC charge between 170 kW to 250 kW. Still within the RM200k price segment, the Hyundai Ionic 5 has everyone beat with 350 kW DC fast charging capabilities. That being said, the fastest DC chargers available in Malaysia is 180 kW at the time of writing.

Thanks to having a small battery capacity however, the MINI actually doesn’t take long to fully charge. AC charging at 11 kW will fill it up from zero in a claimed 2.5 hours, while DC fast charging at 50 kW MINI claims it can fill 10% to 80% in less than 40 minutes.

DEAL OR NO DEAL

At the asking price of around RM211k for the Resolute Edition, or closer to RM200k for the regular variant, the MINI Electric is objectively bad value however you see it. The market knows this, and a quick internet search finds you plenty of options at huge discounts. One particular example I found was a 2023 model year Resolute Edition with four figure mileage selling at a whooping RM70k off retail price, making it a much more reasonable proposition. However, I still think MINI fans are better off waiting for the all-new model.

As for everyone else, the options are plenty in the price range. The smart #1 ticks practically all the boxes when it comes to a stylish electric hatchback. And if maximum range is all you prioritize, the Tesla Model 3 is the way to go. Before the arrival of Tesla, I would even recommend the Volvo XC40 EV and C40 twins. However, the Volvos currently look like bad value at around RM280k and is only worth a look at a sizable rebate. The base Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 6 models are also worth considering for that head-turning exterior. Willing to explore the less premium segment? The BYD Dolphin dominates in value, while the more premium Seal is launching soon with prices estimated to be close to the MINI. I could go on…

Clearly, there’s never a better time to be an EV buyer, and with how fast technology progresses, the current MINI Electric is simply not the best place to spend your money. More and more EV options are coming to our shores, and trust us that the wait will be worth it.

All it takes is some resolute patience.