Toyota BZ4X vs Mini Aceman

What's the difference?

When the bZ4X first launched it was already late to the game and blended into the background too much. However, this update has dramatically improved its appeal.

Despite this, the electric mid-size SUV segment is incredibly fierce and it’s hard to not get caught up in glitzier rivals like the BYD Sealion 7, Tesla Model Y and Zeekr 7X.

It’ll be interesting to see whether the Australian public reacts to this update and if it draws in more punters.

The Aceman could be the perfect Mini - bigger than a Cooper, smaller than a Countryman. It’s also surprisingly spacious and practical. The price is about right compared to rivals, and so is the battery size and range.

What the Mini has that others don’t is its unique and playful design and ‘attitude’. True to the Mini ethos it's not a restrained car, it’s whimsical in its design but serious in its ability. It's a great car to drive both dynamically and in terms of comfort.

The exterior design of the bZ4X never really blew me away. It’s just sensible and not too out there. In saying that though, being sensible is no bad thing and can be seen as a positive for some buyers.

This facelift has brought Toyota’s new corporate look, including the hammerhead shark-like LED lighting signature. It already features on models like the C-HR, Camry and RAV4. In fact this update has made the bZ4X look more like an electric RAV4 than ever before.

I like the C-shaped daytime running lights but I’m not a fan of how the main headlight section is now separate. I prefer how they looked before.

The black wheel arch cladding is now also glossy and not matte. Sure, this looks great right now, but it likely won’t be long until it unfortunately gets scratched.

Inside, if you covered up the Toyota badge you could likely fool me into thinking this is a Lexus. The new 14.0-inch touchscreen is virtually identical to the one in models like the Lexus NX, RX and GX.

There are also plenty of premium-feeling soft-touch materials around the cabin. I’m not a huge fan of the grey and white two-tone interior, at least from a family-friendly standpoint, but thankfully you can get an all-black interior instead.

Another major design change with the interior is the new centre console. It now features two wireless chargers and a revised button layout. I particularly like it because it’s no longer covered in glossy piano black.

New Minis are all about design, sometimes, in my opinion, to a fault. The Aceman is very 'Mini' with its big googly eyes, little rectangular ‘grille’,  blob-like tail-lights and a side profile that resembles a house brick.

That’s how all new Minis look with each model having its own distinguishing characteristics. In the Aceman's case it has more triangular headlights than the Cooper and Countryman but more rounded tail-lights and black plastic cladding around the lower grille, wheel arches and side skirts.

Our test car is painted 'Blazing Blue', with a black roof.

Inside the upholstery is 'Vescin Dark Petrol', a kind of grey blue. The stitched dash is made of recycled polyester and is knitted in 'Dark Petrol' and orange fabric.

I like Mini interiors and I love the multitude of buttons for everything. It's a refreshing change in a world where physical dials and controls are disappearing from car cabins.

The circular OLED screen is pretty and a hat-tip to early Minis with their centre speedo.

Is the Aceman an SUV or hatch? I honestly don’t know and I’ve lived with it for a week. It’s officially classified as an SUV, but it looks like a four-door hatchback with a slightly raised ride height.

If anything the Aceman looks like a cross between the Cooper and the Countryman, not quite a hatch, not quite an SUV, but probably just right for most people.

The Aceman’s dimensions make this car seem small at 4070mm long, 1754mm wide and 1514mm tall, but considering the fairly diminutive exterior the inside is impressively spacious.

The front seats in the bZ4X are deliciously comfortable and supportive. They make long trips a breeze, plus the ventilation that’s standard on the AWD trim works well in the heat.

Despite this, I’m still not a huge fan of the driving position. You need to look over the steering wheel in order to view the almost windscreen-mounted digital instrument cluster. It’s a similar set-up to what Peugeot employs and is intended to reduce the amount you need to stray your eyes from the road.

I appreciate this but it just doesn’t work for everyone. Personally I need to jack the seat up more than I’d like in order to see the screen fully. When I do this my knees get in the way of the steering wheel no matter how I position it, which isn’t ideal.

The set-up in the related Solterra is a little better as it has a squared-off steering wheel instead of a traditional round steering wheel.

Going back to the digital instrument cluster, the content display on this is still rather limited. Thankfully, critical information like your current speed is displayed clearly, but having added customisation through more informative displays to toggle through or more themes would be a nice extra touch.

Moving across the larger touchscreen multimedia system is a welcome addition, but I didn’t think there was anything wrong with the old one. The user interface is still basic in a good way, meaning it’s hard to get lost.

A difference is the climate control features are now fully integrated into the touchscreen, save two physical dials that change the dual-zone climate control temperature.

While this means you need to press on the touchscreen to change certain climate control-related features now, a lot of these in the pre-update were touch-sensitive buttons on a panel under the touchscreen. Really, it makes no difference.

Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are still standard and work flawlessly with my iPhone 15 Pro Max. There are now also two wireless chargers, which is great if you want to charge your phone and your passenger’s phone.

However, they don’t work properly as they don’t offer any ventilation. They regularly make my phone overheat and stop charging, even on shorter trips. If you want to reliably top your phone’s battery up, it’s best to just plug into a USB port with a cable.

Looking elsewhere around the cabin, there is an adequate amount of storage, though some more would be nice. There are two decently sized cupholders, a small shelf under the centre console and a side-hinging centre console box. Like the pre-update version, there is still no proper glove box.

In the second row there’s plenty of legroom available for adults behind adults, though due to the placement of the high-voltage battery this leaves you with a knees-up feeling. This is common in a number of EVs, even some that are based on dedicated electric architectures, like the bZ4X.

Headroom also isn’t fantastic as the roof starts to taper back where your head is located. You wouldn’t want to be much taller than 180-odd centimetres back there. It’s also made worse when you recline the seat backrest.

Second-row amenities include air vents, heated outboard rear seats, USB-C ports, seatback map pockets, as well as a fold-down armrest with some cupholders and a tablet holder.

At the back there is a hands-free power tailgate which is rather slow to open and close and makes plenty of beeping while doing so. It's a classic Toyota on this front.

The bZ4X AWD offers 410L of boot space with the rear seats upright which is slightly less than the 2WD due to the added rear electric motor.

It’s a decent space but doesn’t stand out from the crowd. There’s some extra underfloor storage which is large enough to fit some cables and that’s about it. Unfortunately there’s no front boot.

Boot-related amenities include a cargo blind, a variety of hooks, as well as vehicle-to-load (V2L) capability using 220V/1500W AC inverter and a single household power socket. The latter allows you to power household appliances using the vehicle’s high-voltage battery.

Disappointingly there is no spare wheel, but this isn’t uncommon for EVs. You have to make do with a tyre repair kit, which is fine if you have a small air leak but pointless if you have a proper puncture.

OK, the moment I typed the word 'spacious’ in that previous section on Design I had a concern. You might think the Aceman is somehow huge on the inside, but it’s not. What it is, however, is cleverly designed so as to maximise the available space and at 188cm tall I’m a good test for this.

Space up front for me in the driver’s seat is excellent, and that goes for head, elbow and legroom. The second row is cramped for me and I can’t sit behind my driving position, but my children were happy back there - one almost a teenager and the other in a child seat.

Storage is good with door pockets, a tray for rear passengers with USB ports, cupholders up front and a wireless charging nook, plus a small box with a lid between the front seats.

The boot has a 300-litre cargo capacity which isn't bad given the car’s size.

Where is the Mini Aceman made? Yes, as I said in the intro the Aceman is made in China as a joint venture between GWM and BMW.

You knew BMW owns Mini right? Of course you did.

But as for being made in China, don’t let that put you off. Some of the best electric cars I've driven all come from China and the worst… not from China.

Shortly after the Aceman launched around a year ago Mini dropped the base E grade, leaving the SE and spicy JCW as the only grades left.

The Aceman SE lists for $60,990 before on-road costs. Another five grand will get you into the high-performance Aceman JCW.

Frankly, the SE feels plenty powerful and sporty and the features list is also plentiful.

Standard gear includes 19-inch alloy wheels, proximity unlocking, panoramic glass roof, black roof rails, JCW bucket-style sport seats, a Harman Kardon sound system, 240mm circular OLED central media display, digital radio, head-up display, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless phone charging, sat nav, ambient lighting, LED headlights and tail-lights.

The interior fabrics and colour styling show in the images are all standard, too.

The value is good considering the Mini Aceman is a prestige car, and you’ll pay a similar amount for entry-grade rivals such as Alfa Romeo's Junior, Volvo’s EX30 and the Zeekr X.

While there have been a number of spec changes or additions with this update, even more tweaks have happened under the skin.

All versions of the bZ4X now make more power and torque. The AWD’s dual electric motor set-up now has a total system output of 252kW (+92kW) and 438Nm (+101Nm).

Like the pre-update version, the bZ4X AWD offers 'X-Mode' off-road drive modes, crawl control, as well as downhill assist control. However with 20-inch alloy wheels as standard, I doubt these will be taken off the beaten track very often, if at all.

The Mini Aceman is fully electric and while there is talk of a combustion version coming in the future, whether that happens or not is yet to be confirmed. Besides, an electric powertrain is perfect for the Aceman.

In the SE grade the single electric motor drives the front wheels and makes 160kW and 330Nm which is enough to fling the little rectangular beastie from 0-100km/h in 7.1 seconds.

Just as a comparison the five-door Mini Cooper S has a combustion engine that makes 150kW and 300Nm and 0-100km/h comes in 6.8 seconds.

Another big under-the-skin change with this update is Toyota has fitted the bZ4X line-up with a larger 74.7kWh lithium-ion battery pack.

As a result this EV has more range. The AWD now offers up to 517km of WLTP claimed range (up from 411km) with an official energy consumption figure of 16.0kWh/100km.

During my largely urban testing over the Christmas break I saw an average energy consumption of 14.4kWh/100km. In fact, on one particular trip into the city with minimal traffic I saw an average energy consumption of 10.5kWh/100km. This is incredibly low for an all-wheel drive EV and almost Tesla-like.

Using my as-tested energy consumption figure, the bZ4X AWD has a theoretical total range of 518km.

The Type 2/CCS combination charge port remains on the left-hand front wheel arch which is fine because it’s kerbside, but at some public charging stations it can be hard to connect the cable without having it run up against the front bumper.

Speaking of charging, the maximum AC charging rate has now been upped all the way from 11kW to 22kW, which is a fantastic update. This now allows for a 10 to 100 per cent charge in 3.5 hours.

While peak DC fast-charging unfortunately is still capped at 150kW, Toyota claims it can remain at a higher charge rate for longer now thanks to reworked battery thermal technology.

A fast charge from 10 to 80 per cent is now meant to take 45 minutes. It would be good to see quicker charging because many of this car’s rivals are faster and this can make a world of a difference during long road trips.

The Aceman has a 49.2kWh battery which sounds small and it is compared with larger cars, but is the same size as similar vehicles such as the Volvo EX30 (49kWh) and Alfa Romeo Junior Elettrica (51kWh).

The DC charge rate of 95kW is disappointingly slow. The EX30 has up to 153kW. The AC charging speed is a standard 11kW.

Charging from 10-80 per cent using a DC charger takes 31 minutes.

Energy consumption is 14.4kWh/100km over combined driving conditions which is neither excessive nor super efficient. My own driving saw 15.4kWh, according to the trip computer.

Range is up to 406km, which also is close to rivals but could be better.

The bZ4X AWD was never a slow car to begin with but the added oomph is welcome.

While it's not overtly noticeable in everyday driving, when you mash the throttle at the lights you're pinned back in the seat a lot more than before.

Despite this, it still doesn’t feel like this car wants to be driven quickly. If you drive with a docile right foot, the bZ4X is a supremely comfortable vehicle that’s relaxing and easy to drive.

There are a number of regenerative braking modes to select from by using the steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters, but none of them offer a one-pedal driving mode. This means you need to use the brake pedal to come to a complete stop.

As a result, this car’s driving experience is more like a combustion or hybrid vehicle, like the RAV4. This can make the transition to an EV easier if you’ve never driven one before.

The steering feel in the bZ4X has a noticeable weight and heft to it which feels nice when you’re zipping around on urban streets. It also feels like the steering wheel is actually connected to the wheels rather than the overly assisted and light steering systems in some of its rivals.

Where the added steering heft can feel a touch annoying is when you’re doing a tight parking manoeuvre. This car is longer than you think, meaning you may need to do three-point turns more often.

Speaking of parking, the bZ4X’s surround-view camera system is detailed and high-resolution, which is a great peace of mind. The semi-autonomous park assist is also fantastic as it can detect and park the vehicle within painted lines, rather than just slot it between two parked vehicles.

Adding to the comfort factor is this car’s ride, which is a major highlight. Despite the large 20-inch alloy wheels, the suspension does a great job at softening bigger bumps and small road imperfections.

There is little that upsets the interior ambience in this car, making it a serene place to be regardless of where you’re travelling. For an EV you’d expect more tyre and wind noise given there’s no engine to drown the noise out, but Toyota has seemingly done a great job of insulating the cabin and choosing suitable tyres.

There’s not a Mini model I haven’t driven in the past 15 years and the Aceman lives up to the sporty and engaging feel that makes these little cars fun to pilot, even if it’s just down the road to get milk.

Good, instant acceleration, quick steering that’s a little on the heavy side and a comfortable suspension tune that can handle quick corners while keeping the car flat makes the Aceman a liveable and enjoyable car.

A range of noises - Mini calls it a 'Sonic Universe' - provides a soundtrack to your driving and while they’re all a bit embarrassing, only one can be heard outside the vehicle and it’s not too cringeworthy.

The Mini Aceman drives like a small, sporty prestige car, meaning there’s a solid, planted feel with good handling and comfort to go with it.

And its tiny proportions makes it super easy to pilot through tight laneways and park in impossibly small places.

The Mini Aceman was awarded the maximum five-star ANCAP rating in 2025. The safety equipment list is vast and includes tech from auto emergency braking (AEB), lane keeping assistance and blind spot warning to rear cross-traffic alert with braking, exit warning and auto parking.

The Aceman has a puncture repair kit in the place of a spare tyre.

For child seats there are two ISOFIX points and three top tether anchor points.

As standard there is a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty which is fine but does not stand out for the segment anymore.

However, if you service at one of Toyota’s 260+ dealers around Australia when required, warranty coverage for the high-voltage battery can be extended all the way out to 10 years.

Logbook servicing is required every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever comes first, and the first five services are capped at $180 each. While the pricing in classic Toyota fashion is competitive, the 12 month intervals aren’t (in the EV space). The standard is now closer to 24 months.

As part of the ownership package owners get Mode 2 and Mode 3 charging cables. The 'Toyota Go' loyalty programs also allows for the choice of a complimentary 7.0kW home charger or 12-month Chargefox subscription.

Mini covers the Aceman with a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty and while that's the standard for prestige makers such as BMW and Mercedes-Benz, it falls short of mainstream coverage with some brands now offering seven years or more of coverage.

The Aceman’s battery is covered by an eight-year/100,000km warranty, which is the norm right across the industry.

Mini has conditions-based servicing so rather than a specific schedule, the car's computer will tell you when it is due for a service.

Mini offers owners pre-paid service packages priced from $1575 for four years and $2360 for six years.