SIX Things We Learnt About The MINI Electric Resolute Edition

We spent TWO whole weeks daily driving the MINI Electric Resolute Edition! Here's what we've garnered from said extended testing stint...

It’s not often that we get the chance to hold a tester for an extended period – two weeks, to be precise. We were granted just that recently with the MINI Electric Resolute Edition and, it gave us a proper taste of what EV ownership was like, albeit to a certain extent.

Much can be said about this Bavarian-owned British marque’s first all-electric offering which, incidentally, already has a successor that’s coming soon. Until then, if you wanted an electric twist to the fun and stylish MINI brand, this limited-run special is perhaps your last chance.

If you’ve been eyeing one up for a while now, here are SIX essential facts you ought to know about the MINI Electric Resolute Edition…

Even with a quick glance, there no hiding just how stylish and timeless the MINI hatch looks, even in all-electric form with the Resolute Edition treatment as featured.

1. It’s Very Posh And Stylish

It goes without saying that most – if not all – modern MINI models are pretty cars in their own rights. Nevertheless, one can never have enough style added, especially when it’s tastefully executed as how the Resolute Edition treatment is in the MINI Electric as featured.

Offsetting our tester’s Nanuq White – one of three hues available – paintjob are subtle yet distinct bronze-finished exterior trims and accents in place of MINI’s usual chrome affair, and it arguably looks much less tacky. Also, a nice touch here are the racing stripes adorned on the bonnet.

Instead of chrome, Resolute Edition treats the MINI electric with exterior accents and trims finished in bronze, and these offset well over the Nanuq White paintjob featured.

Yellow-tinged badges plus striking 17-inch wheels design are hallmarks of the base MINI Electric retained.

There’s little loathe with the MINI Electric’s exterior styling, even in its base form. Retained from which are the striking 17-inch wheels and yellow-hued ‘e’ badges, amongst many. Overall, if you already fancied the regular ICE-powered MINI hatch’s styling, you’ll certainly love this Electric version and the Resolute Edition’s treatment too.

On board, the Resolute Edition's signature treatment are the checkered-pattern seat fabrics. The seats also feature rich use of plush faux-leather.

Not only stylish, the MINI Electric Resolute Edition also boast plenty of novel tech, namely through its digital infotainment and instrument displays. Present too is a neat heads-up display (HUD).

The same can be said with the cabin’s chequered pattern seat fabrics matched with plush faux leather upholstery. Aside from good looks, these also felt posh and comfortable. Adding to the affair here are the stand-out tech brimmed, namely the cabin ambient lighting module, uprated digital displays, as well as the heads-up display (HUD).

While all this might not overcome Fact #5, at least they will make anyone piloting the MINI Electric Resolute Edition on the daily look suave and cool effortlessly. Speaking of drivers, the next fact shouldn’t come as a huge surprise…

Just like its ICE-powered twin, the MINI Electric boasts a well-sorted chassis that make it a very fun and highly-chuckable hot hatch.

2. It’s A Proper Driver’s Delight!

While output and power-to-weight ratio figures this all-electric version has are a tad lower than the regular ICE-powered Cooper S variant, MINI – and parent BMW – has kept a lot of said petrol-fuelled version’s fun driving magic here. Half of this stems from the well-sorted chassis all MINIs are blessed with, whilst the other is borne out of its electric powertrain.

This is still a rapid, zippy, and highly chuckable hot hatch – arguably, traits MINIs are renowned for. The difference here is the silence in the delivery of these theatrics, and the guilt-free feel of having all this fun without emitting a single gram of CO2. As far as handling dynamics and driving fun are concerned, this EV has an abundance of both.

Front-mounted motor drives the front wheels with 181 HP and 270 NM - slightly lower than the ICE-powered Cooper S. Nevertheless, 0-100 KM/H remains respectable at 7.4 seconds.

Moreover, this is also a much easier hot hatch to daily drive comfortably with, especially when set into either ‘Green’ or ‘Green+’ drive modes. Compared to its ICE-powered twin mentioned, the ‘softening’ of this powertrain’s delivery and performance in either mode doesn’t feel too awkward as how it does in the combustion-powered Cooper S twin.

Surely, this is one of the biggest draws of any electric powertrain – versatility. This is evident in the fact that one can easily switch between a mode with instant-torque for spirited driving and into a softer one that even enables single-pedal driving – another typical EV trait. This is indeed a desirable luxury.

Of course, no package is perfect, and this applies to this MINI too. While it is very stylish, posh, and tech-laden on top of being a hoot to drive, it does come with several prices, some not as hefty as others as how the next trio of facts will tell you… 

The small battery capacity has one big upside, which is faster recharge times. Even when using an 11 kW wallbox, full charges take just 2.5 hours.

3. Battery Size And Charging Speed Aren’t Deal-Breakers…

 Compared to newer contemporaries, the MINI Electric Resolute Edition’s 96-cell 32.6 kWh (28.9 kWh useable) battery capacity does seem tiny. However, it’s small size does mean it takes lesser time to recharge, especially via a DC fast-charging (DCFC) station, where it accepts up to 50 kW and enables 10-80% recharges in just about 36 minutes.

Aside from AC, the MINI electric also accepts  DC fast-charging up to 50 kW. This method sees 10-80% recharges take just 36 minutes.

Even if you’re relegated to 11 kW AC charging via a wallbox charger, full (100%) recharges take just 2.5 hours using said device. In more drastic situations where neither AC wallbox or DCFC station is present, you could still plug in to a regular home wall socket to gain 20% in just about 3 hours or leave it overnight (15 hours) to attain 100%.

Given the abundance of both AC wallboxes and DCFC stations in the greater Klang Valley today, discerning urbanite piloting the MINI Electric Resolute Edition will not find it difficult to keep it charged for their daily round-trip urban commutes. However, some will find occasional out of state trips a tad challenging given the next fact…

With a claimed WLTP max range of 237 KM, let's just say that the MINI Electric is perhaps best tasked as a daily urban runabout more than anything else.

4. …But Range Is, To A Certain Degree

Unfortunately, the small battery capacity translates to lower maximum range, for which MINI touts just 237 KM (WLTP) with each full charge. Said figure lowers should the MINI Electric get tasked with highway driving, though the existence of DCFC’s at selected R&Rs on major highways today mitigate range anxiety here to an extent.

In fact, said highway based DCFC facilities did confidently enable us to perform an impromptu daytrip from KL to Ipoh and back during our testing stint. With a little bit of planning, we’re confident a weekend trip from KL to Penang and back, for instance, is indeed possible – a feat made easier given the abundance of charging facilities mentioned.

That aside, it’s plain to see perhaps the MINI Electric Resolute Edition is best tasked as a daily urban driver instead – a task where this EV truly excels in. The bonuses are, of course, Fact #1 and #2, bundled into its package.

As you can probably tell, the MINI Electric is indeed very small, evident with the sparse and miniscule cabin storage cubbies, cramped rear seat quarters, as well as its 211-litre boot space.

5. It’s Actually Very Small

Having personal experience owning and daily driving the ICE-powered pre-facelift MINI Cooper S, there’s no hiding the fact that this 3-door hatch is tiny. Storage cubbies in the cabin are both sparse and miniscule, as is the 211-litre boot space. Aptly, the same quirks remain in this all-electric offshoot.

While split-folding rear seats mitigate the tiny boot issue for the most parts, we reckon most won’t be eager to offer rides to any back-seat passengers in this tiny hot hatch. That’s because said space is perhaps best reserved for small children – there really isn’t much space here for the average adult.

Nevertheless, these are perhaps quirks of the 3-door MINI hatch that many have already come to terms with. It’s no deal-breaker given that this is the price one pays towards having a properly fun-to-drive hatch that’s also easy to manage through the urban jungle with – traits enabled through small, fun-sized packages as such…

With its limited 90-unit allocation selling out fast, you'd best hurry to secure one.  Excluding insurance, the MINI Electric Resolute Edition commands RM211,164 with the MINI extended warranty and service package included.

6. Just A Few Brand-New Units Are Left Right Now…

Despite some of the quirks and drawbacks we highlighted, we’re certain these are small prices to pay should you seek to adopt a green yet stylish and fun urban daily EV that’s not too hard to adapt into.

The only other bad news perhaps lay in both price and availability. In Resolute Edition guise as tested, just 90 units were initially allocated, and we’re reliably informed these are selling out fast with a handful of brand-new units left at dealers.

Should you be able to locate any, then prepare to part ways with RM205,834 excluding insurance, or RM211,164 should you opt in to include MINI’s extended warranty and service package – which you really should.

SPECIFICATIONS

MINI COOPER SE RESOLUTE EDITION