Mini 5D Hatch vs Mini Aceman

What's the difference?

The Mini Clubman JCW is quirky in a lot of the right ways, and now has a hard-charging engine to up the adrenalin factor. If you were already sold on the idea of joining the Clubman club, this one will steal your heart more than any other.

In many ways - range, performance and purchase price, for instance - the Mini Aceman is decent value, somewhat par for the course and would give its logical competition a proper marketplace run. But it’s better than that. The car’s big point of difference is its retro charm and the fact that it’s been tuned to be a fun drive rather than the non-confronting experience some carmakers strive for.

The performance is strong and the handling and steering serve up a bit of entertainment as well as giving the car a particular flavour. Which, as electric drivelines threaten to homogenise cars even further, must count for something.

Yes, some of what you’re paying goes towards that arguably nebulous notion of 'driving-spice' but once you’ve driven it, you’ll probably know what we’re talking about. A new car purchase is always special, so why not make that specialness last a bit longer with a car that will still be an entertainer long after the showroom thrill has worn off.

Meantime, it’s easy to see why Mini has already begun to run-out stocks of the cheaper E model. The SE still manages to play on that cheeky charm, but offers a more mature vehicle into the bargain. Not a bad trick, really.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with accommodation and meals provided.

It's no real secret that earlier iterations of the Clubman were, well, a little challenging on the eye (Mini itself says “It was cool - if you were built that way…").

But this face-lifted version is much easier on the eye, if not as a cute a package as the three-door hatch variants. It's dimensions - long, smooth sides, a squared-off rump and bulging grille - somehow work as one to create car that is undoubtedly unique, but also rather  fetching.

Inside, it’s all pretty familiar Mini, what with the circle screens and jet-style switches. And it is a stylish space in the cabin, with a good material mix and the addition of wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto making the centre screen far more functional.

The only downside is that, for mine, it favours that style over substance. It’s not the most user-friendly space I’ve ever sat in, though I imagine you’d get a little more used to it the more time you spent in there.

Though vaguely retro on the outside, the real nostalgia hit comes when you step inside the Aceman.

The huge, round central display that’s been associated with the Mini brand since day one, returns, but this time in 240mm, OLED screen form.

The display is also where you get to choose how the instrumentation and information looks, with configurable display incorporating a total of eight modes that alter the colours, sounds and visuals of the screen. Is it cool? Er, yes, actually.

There’s also the Mini personal assistant at your service to crank up the heat when you’re cold and switch on the air conditioning when you’re not (all voice activated) and the personal assistant can also learn stuff such as knowing particular navigation co-ordinates mean you’re at the entrance to an underground car-park, at which point the car will wind down the driver’s window so you can flash your credit card. If you think about it too hard, that’s going to be more creepy than cool for some of us.

The move to electrification, of course, is environmentally driven, so the Aceman’s ethos leans into that, too. There is, for example, a complete absence of leather or chrome, the alloy wheels contain as much as 70 per cent recycled material and are produced with renewable energy.

The floor mats, floor structure and interior surfaces are made from at least 90 per cent recycled polyester, and Mini claims a 98 per cent reduction in greenhouse gases compared with the same stuff made from leather.

The Clubman is super practical - for a Mini... This is not a Bunnings bandit, and nor will you be piling endless Ikea flatpacks into the boot. 

It measures just over 4.2m in the length, 1.4m in height and 1.8m in width, and while they're not massive numbers, you might find yourself surprised by the room in the backset.

I'm around 175cm, and I could sit behind my own driving position with ease - thanks in no small part to the clever scalloped seas that give you extra leg room - and the headroom isn't half bad, either. 

Yep,  you can definitely fit two adults in the backseat (but never three), and those travelling back there will find air vents to help keep the temp down, as well as USB points and a pair of child seat anchors. 

Up front, the cabin somehow manages to feel more cramped, with the steering wheel, centre console and controls on the driver's door all feeling like they're encroaching on your personal space a bit, but it's a comfortable place to sit all the same. 

Step around to the barn-door style boot and you'll find what looks a little bit like a station wagon, only without all the space. Yes, it looks like a positive load-lugger next to the three-door hatch, but you still don't get that much space for luggage, with the official number at 360 - 1250 litres.

Perhaps it’s the packaging designed to play the retro card, but I can’t help feeling the door openings on this car are pretty tight. The rear doors, in particular, seem designed for someone smaller than I, and even once I’m in the news doesn’t really improve.

The Aceman’s rear pew seems tight for both foot and legroom and should you have an adult in the back seat, they’re only going to fit by having somebody smaller in the front seats. The chances of a six-footer (183cm) sitting behind a driver of similar stature are pretty slim (over a distance, anyway).

This is all to do with Mini keeping the overall length of the car to just over four metres, and stuffing a compact SUV into that space.

Perhaps that also explains the giant blind spot formed by the thick B-pillar. Either way, taller drivers will find themselves peering around it when crossing or tuning into intersections.

The seats themselves, however, are quite charming. They look a bit small with their cloth trim, but in reality, they’re comfy and supportive. The pleated John Cooper Works front seats that are standard in the SE are phenomenally good. The only thing missing is that distinct smell of leather we’d normally associate with a 60-grand car.

The traditional row of toggle switches under the central screen remains… sort of. These days, they’ve been modified to act as the starter button for the keyless start system and also the gear selector. The problem is that they’re gloss black on a black background, so they can seem a bit indistinct.

The gear selector has also been reinvented – again – with a separate Park button now to the side of the toggle. The other ergonomic glitch I noticed was every time I went for the interior door handle to leave the car, I fumbled for a second till I located it, tucked up under the armrest.

The clean, uncluttered dashboard means a couple of items have moved to the space between the front seats. So, there’s a pair of cupholders, a small, lidded compartments and a pair of USB charge-points all living in the real estate between the front chairs. That’s in the SE, anyway, because the cheaper E retains only the cupholders.

The luggage space is deeper than a lot of EVs manage and the rear seat folds 60/40 to open up a huge area if you don’t need the seats. With the rear seat up, there’s 300 litres of capacity and, with the seat folded, that leaps to 1005 litres.

There are three child restraint tether points, and the luggage space is served by a 12 volt socket.

There’s also a luggage cover that can be quickly removed for taller items. The tailgate is manually operated.

There are also three ISOFIX attachment points for child seats; two on the rear seat and one on the front passenger seat.

Like the electric Mini Cooper launched last year, the Aceman is available in two versions with some important technical differences beyond the usual trim and equipment stuff most carmakers rely on to locate their models on the price totem.

The E (Electric) model is the most affordable five-door Mini EV with a price-tag if $51,990, driveaway. For that you get plenty of kit including adaptive cruise control, augmented reality navigation, heated front sports seats, a panoramic sunroof, sports steering wheel, 100-watt stereo and a cabin with splashes of nostalgia and piano black in equal measures.

There are also 19-inch alloy wheels and two-tone paint which teams a metallic body colour with a black roof. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are included, too. So is dual-zone climate control, keyless entry and start, digital radio and folding exterior mirrors

The SE (Sports Electric) gets a different 19-inch alloy wheel, and adds an extra exterior colour as well as the lovely John Cooper Works front seats with electric adjustment, tinted glass, silver interior highlights, a Harman Kardon stereo upgrade and a different trim grade for the upholstery. All yours for $60,990 which sounds like quite a bit of extra money for those add-ons.

Until, that is, you realise the SE also packs a bigger punch with a bigger battery for more range and a perkier motor for better performance. Ah, so that’s where the money goes.

The catch is the E model is not long for the Australian market (I have never, till now, been invited to the launch of a car that was already in run-out). Local customers have voted with their feet and told Mini the more expensive SE is the one they want for a variety of reasons.

So, the E will continue to be sold here until stocks run out, probably around the end of 2025. And for that reason, the model we’ve driven here is the SE.

This is a cracking engine; a twin-charge, 2.0-litre, four-cylinder weapon that sends 225kW and 450Nm thundering to all four tyres.

That power is funnelled through an eight-speed automatic transmission, and will see the Clubman JCW clip 100km/h in 4.9 seconds before pushing on to a 250km/h.

Things kick off the with the E model’s 135kW electric motor that also produces 290Nm of torque. That, says Mini, is enough to get it from rest to 100km/h in just under eight seconds. The motor is powered by a 38.5kWh battery living under the floor

The SE gets more battery and more power; 49.2kWh and 160kW, respectively, with 330Nm of torque on tap as well. The claimed 0-100km/h time falls almost a second to 7.1sec.

A single-speed reduction transmission is fitted and the electric motor in both models is a single one, driving the front wheels in true Mini tradition.

Of course, the other aspect of a Mini’s driving experience is its go-kart handling. To that end, the Mini EV is tuned for handling and response and features a MacPherson strut front end and a multi-link suspension arrangement at the rear. Potentially offsetting that sidestep, however, is the car’s heft which, at 1.6 tonnes, is very un-Mini.

Mini says its Clubman JCW will sip 7.7L/100km on the combined cycle, and emit some 175g/km of C02.

Mini claims a power consumption figure of 14kWh per 100km for the E and 14.4 for the SE. Theoretically, that should give the E a (WLPT) range of 310km and the SE a claimed maximum of 406km.

In reality, you’ll be looking for a power-point before that, because those are both maximum range projections and, in highway conditions, without the regeneration potential of suburban running, you’ll use more power per 100km travelled.

Both version of the Mini EV can use fast chargers, the E model capable of 75kW DC charging, and the SE’s bigger battery able to handle 95kW. Charging at home on an 11kW AC outlet is also possible but, obviously, takes a lot longer to reach full charge.

For DC charging, the Mini uses a CCS Type 2 charging plug.

Speaking of which, on that 75kW fast charger, the E’s battery will go from 10 to 80 per cent charged in 28 minutes, while the bigger battery in the SE will take 31 minutes, its faster charging offset by its larger battery capacity.

At 11kW AC, the Aceman E can go from discharged to fully charged in four hours, 15 minutes, while the SE will take five-and-a-half hours.

Yes, this is the most powerful Mini to have landed in Australia. And even better, it’ll remain so, or at least equal first, when the Mini GP arrives next year. That car gets this same thumping engine, and the outputs are the same, though the smaller, lighter hatch will no doubt be faster. 

It means Clubman JCW shoppers aren't about to lose their street credit, with this engine likely to remain the king of the castle for some time yet. 

The Clubman It might tip the scales at 1550kg, but the kilos don’t hurt its straight line speed much. Whack it in sport mode, which also adds this deep bass to the exhaust, plant your right foot and the Clubman positively pounces forward.

Better still, it feels - and sounds - quick, too, There’s this angry snap and crackle on the overrun, and the exhaust genuinely booms in the cabin when you really bury your foot. 

You’ve heard the cliches before, of course, about Minis feeling like they’re on rails, and we won’t waste your time with those here. Suffice to say we have pushed Clubman around some pretty tight corners at some pretty decent speeds, and while it doesn’t feel like a featherweight, it also picks and sticks to a line with absolutely no nonsense from the tyres and very little in the way of body roll.

That’s the good, now the not so good. The impressive handling feels like it’s been achieved by hardening up the suspension as much as possible, and the downside of that is that it can feel plenty sharp and bouncy over big bumps. On the right road, it kind of adds to the experience, but I'd imagine the daily commute would start to fray your patience fairly quickly.

There’s also a kind of skittishness to the way it drives fast too, which I actually don’t mind, but others might say isn’t as natural and flowing as others in the segment.

But this is the hardest, fastest clubman you can buy, and so you’re going into it knowing there’s going to be some comfort compromises. And if you’re looking a loud and rorty hot-hatch experience, this thing delivers in spades.

And on the right stretch of road, it’s an absolute hoot.

Much is made by Mini of its tradition of go-kart-like handling. And fair enough, it’s one of the things that allows the Mini brand to justify a premium price-point. And the good news is that this version, electric driveline notwithstanding, continues that theme. Position the manually-adjustable steering column to the right spot and suddenly, you’re in a car that encourages you to enjoy the drive.

The steering is light but accurate and is actually one of the better calibrated modern, electrically-assisted set-ups we’ve sampled for a while.

The only thing it doesn’t do is give the feeling that you’re sitting right over the physical point in the car that it rotates around when it corners.

Instead, you get the impression of there being a fair bit of Mini nose jutting out in front of you, with the driver’s seat positioned well back in the cabin.

Given the extra length of the five-door layout, that’s not completely unexpected, but it’s something drivers of short-wheelbase Minis will perhaps note.

What that doesn’t affect is the way the car feels tied down pretty well, but never degenerates into a crashing, buck-board. Despite the flat cornering, there’s always some suspension travel left, it seems, and the damping is clearly spot on as it arrests wheel movement without interfering with the fun.

There’s plenty of grip, too, and if you play the Mini game and hustle it through a few corners, the Aceman quickly reveals its fun side, which is precisely the point here.

The instant urge of an electric drivetrain is also very much in evidence and flooring the throttle pedal results in an instant surge of Newton-metres. I could do without the Warner Brothers soundtrack (and I did, by turning it off) but the acceleration itself is pretty impressive without being confronting (as some EVs with their brutal delivery can feel).

The only other thing we’d comment on is a level of tyre and road noise that is far from best in class. Okay, so a bit of tyre roar is okay, and it’s only audible at all because silence from traditional mechanical sources is such an EV thing.

Driver assistance packages abound in the Aceman, starting with adaptive cruise-control, parking assistance, rain sensing wipers and auto headlights, lane-keeping assistance, tyre pressure monitoring and a driver-attention monitor.

There’s autonomous emergency braking that works from 5.0km/h up and can detect cyclists and pedestrians. There’s also blind-spot monitoring, cornering brake control, stability control, rear collision prevention and rear cross-traffic alert and braking.

Inside, you’ll find front, side and head airbags as well as a centre airbag to prevent head clashes in the case of a side impact. There’s also a surround view camera system and rain-sensing wipers.

The Mini Aceman hasn’t been locally crash tested, but other variants of the same platform have been tested in Europe according to Euro NCAP protocols, in which they scored the full five stars for safety.

The Mini Clubman JCW is covered by a three-year warranty, and falls under the BMW group's condition-based servicing program, in that it will tell you when it's time for a service. 

The Mini factory warranty was extended a couple of years ago to five years/unlimited kilometres. That’s an improvement on the three years the brand previously covered, but it’s still well short of the seven, eight and even 10 years of some competitors. In the fully electric Aceman’s case, there’s also eight years/160,000km worth of cover for the high-voltage battery. There’s also five years of roadside assistance thrown in.

There are no set service intervals for the Aceman, Mini instead preferring to use the concept of condition based servicing which involves the car telling you when its ready for maintenance. There’s capped price servicing available which costs $1371 for the first four years.

Beyond that, running costs will depend heavily on where and how your charge the car. Charging at home form a solar array will be the cheapest, while using commercial fast-chargers will inevitably ratchet up your running costs.