Mini’s next-generation electric hatchback is getting the John Cooper Works (JCW) treatment, though it won’t pack any more power.
The Mini Cooper SE JCW has been revealed, and CarExpert understands it will come to Australia.
The core electric Cooper range is due here in the third quarter of 2024.
The JCW trim features a raft of cosmetic changes both inside and out.
There’s a more aggressive grille, a chilli red and high-gloss black colour scheme complete with racing stripes, along with JCW badging.
The car now rolls on unique 18-inch wheels with a ‘Lap Spoke 2-tone’ design. Behind the wheels sit red-painted JCW brake calipers.
Additionally, the JCW trim includes unique LED headlight signatures, contrast red-painted mirror caps, a more aggressive splitter and diffuser and a roof spoiler.
A new ‘Go Kart’ drive mode is now accessible through the main touchscreen in addition to the standard modes.
When selected, the mode sharpens throttle response, adds a ‘special’ go-kart sound and colours the display and interior lighting red.
There are unique JCW seats covered in leather on the lower sections with a multi-coloured 2D knit adorning the top of the seats. The dashboard and door cards are trimmed with the same 2D knit, with the passenger side door card showcasing a chequered flag pattern.
While the JCW trim enhances the driving experience and aesthetics of the Cooper SE, performance ultimately remains the same.
The Mini Cooper SE has a 160kW/330Nm electric motor that can propel the three-door hatch to 100km/h from rest in 6.7 seconds.
It features a 54.2kWh battery, with energy consumption of 14.1-14.7kWh/100km on the WLTP combined cycle.
Range is 402 kilometres on the WLTP cycle.
The car features 95kW DC charging that allows the battery to be topped up from 10-80 per cent in 30 minutes. The battery can also be charged with 11kW of alternating current.
Cooper SEs have started rolling down production lines in China ahead of its local launch in the third quarter of 2024.
The Mini Cooper electric vehicle (EV) is underpinned by a new electric car platform dubbed Spotlight EV, the result of a joint venture between BMW and Great Wall Motor (GWM).
BMW and GWM each have a 50 per cent stake in Spotlight Automotive, which was established to accelerate Mini’s electrification strategy.
The unrelated combustion-powered Mini Cooper will continue to be built in Oxford in the UK. An updated version of that car is expected to launch in 2024.
Oxford will also begin producing the new electric hatch starting from 2026.
