14/03/2025

MOTORING FRIDAY | MAR 14, 2025

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Twist the centre knob to start the car.

Harmon Kardon sound system makes your favourite music sound good.

Big and chunky steering wheel.

Seats are electronic with memory function.

quality can feel a little stiff. The 40-profile tyres don’t help either but they definitely make the car look good from the outside. But comfort aside, the car handles like a dream if you are into cars with sharp and agile handling. It changes directions on a dime, and you can launch into a corner with little body roll threatening to upset the distribution of grip. It is a lot of fun, which I guess is what the team at Mini means when they say their cars handle like go-karts. But the flipside to that is the car tends to reveal where the fat on your body is by jiggling those lose bits on uneven roads. The rear passengers don’t have it easy either as they are already cramped for space and then have to deal with being thrown around. But something had to be sacrificed in the pursuit of fun, and that is a small price to pay. And as I said earlier, if it is comfort you want, the Countryman is the Mini to go for. Let’s get to the technical bits now The Aceman S utilises a single, front mounted electric motor that is also used in the Cooper SE. The motor is juiced by a 49.2kWh battery. The motor puts out 218PS and 330Nm of torque and catapults the car to 100kph in 7.1 seconds. It maxes out at 170kph. Before you frown, electric cars other than a Porsche Taycan are not known for their top speed capabilities. As for charging, the car takes 11kW of AC charging and 95kW of DC charging. The latter lets the car juice up from 10-80% in just 30 minutes. Should you put down your hard earned money for one? It all depends on what you want. If it is something that is stylish, fun and stands out as a testament to your success as well as good taste, then why not? The Aceman S is surely more practical than a Cooper and depending on who you ask, looks better too. But if you want something comfortable and convenient, then the Countryman SE is worth a look. That costs about RM45,000 more though. So perhaps the Volvo EX30 may be worth a look if it is comfort and convenience that you want.

is more similar to the Cooper SE than the Countryman. Despite its bigger size, the Aceman S uses the same electric motors as the Cooper SE, which is not exactly surprising since they are built on the same assembly line. The key distinguishing factor is of course its size and design, which looks like a watered down version of the bigger Countryman. The battery packs and electric motors are the same as well. Step inside, and the same interior

Mini ditched the circular headlamps eons ago

greets you, though with a little redesign but with the same bits and pieces. The circular, 9.4-inch oled infotainment

Cool 9.4-inch Oled screen. Lags occasionally.

screen is shared among the Mini siblings though. This is something that Mini is particularly proud of since it is quite large yet thin at the same time. It looks good, gives you access to all the car’s information as well as entertainment and navigation. Yet it also doubles as the speedometer with customisable displays. So you can have it look like a 70s Mini, or like a tech laden 2025 model. What else about the interior? The seats are from the John Cooper Works models, and that means they look and feel great. The layout of the dash is great as well, with everything laid out clearly and within easy reach. Quality feels good too. Overall spaciousness around the front is generous even for taller drivers and passengers, but the same cannot be said about the rear seats. The rear is cramped while the backrests are too upright. Personally, I would not want to spend too much time in the back seats other than short 10 minute trips. The rear third window does a good job at making the back feel airy though. So the rear might feel tight, but it is far from working on your claustrophobia. How does it drive? Like a typical modern Mini. The company is particularly proud of the “go-kart like handling” embedded into each of their cars, which is great if it were a sports car. But Mini’s have grown to accommodate families, and go-karts have little to none in terms of suspension and absorbers and the Aceman S, like some of the other Minis, has inherited that trait. So, fortunately or unfortunately (depending which part of the argument you sit on), the ride

Stunning 19-inch wheels.

Unique LED brake and indicators.

No spare wheel, just a tyre repair kit.

Specifications Motor: Single, front-mounted Power: 218hp Torque: 330Nm Battery: 49.2kWh Charging: 11kW AC/ 95kW DC Acceleration (0-100kph): 7.1 seconds Top speed: 170kph We like: Stylish design. We don’t like: Ride quality.