MINI Aceman JCW review

Driving position 

If you’ve sat in a new MINI recently, then the Aceman JCW is going to feel very familiar. Straight off the bat, you’re greeted by MINI’s unique dash layout, which displays speed in the middle, unlike almost every other car. 

To combat this, MINI fitted the JCW as standard with a head-up display that projects your speed onto the windscreen. It’s supposed to look like a classic MINI with the central speedometer, we get it, but it takes some getting used to. 

The seats themselves are manually adjustable sports seats (how old school, but electric ones are available at an added cost), which are comfortable on longer drives but lack the lateral support needed for faster driving, should you wish to engage in it. 

Then the steering wheel is that classic BMW MINI design of being chunky yet comfortable to hold. We really like it. Plus, it has an array of physical buttons to change songs, turn off ADAS, adjust volume, etc. 

And something we find quite amusing is the twist to start/stop the ‘engine’. It mimics a key being put in the central ignition (like an old MINI), but it stays there all the time. 

It’s the little things. 

Tech and features 

To finish off the cabin’s look, the Aceman JCW is filled with lots of plush leather elements and smart woven materials atop the dash for added ‘coolness’. 

Dominating the cockpit, however, is MINI’s signature 9.4-inch circular OLED display – the first ever round OLED screen fitted to a car.  

The reason it sits so proudly is because you control everything on it, and we mean everything. Being the only screen, it’s like a Tesla in the way it operates every car function you might need. 

It also gets wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, though this only shows up in a square in the centre of the screen. It’s a shame it can’t fill more of it, but we suspect this is an Apple software limitation over MINI not bothering to optimise it. 

Electric motors and power 

Being the most powerful and quickest Aceman in the lineup, it’s no surprise that the JCW delivers. 

For starters, it gets the larger of the two battery packs and 258hp (that’s 80hp more than the standard Aceman). 

This, and its ‘Go Kart’ sports mode, helps it with its 6.4-second 0-62mph sprint, which you feel even more when you pull on the red boost paddle on the steering wheel, giving you an extra 26hp for ten seconds. 

As well as ‘Go Kart’ mode, the JCW also gets a range of ‘Experiences’, including Core, Green, Balance, Timeless, Vivid, Personal and Trail. 

These are just drive modes, but each change is slightly different, and Green softens off everything a bit to make things a bit more comfortable and efficient. 

Handling and ride comfort 

In true MINI fashion, the Aceman JCW has quite a harsh ride. This is a trait we’ve noticed with almost every new MINI, but it’s particularly noticeable in this version, due to its tuned sports suspension. 

On a smooth racetrack, we can imagine it’s ideal, but on Britain’s rough roads? Less so. 

It has a real crashy ride around town, and on the motorway, you find that any small bumps or undulations unsettle it. Weirdly enough, at around 30mph it’s decent, but anything below or above that is too firm for our liking. 

Compare it to its Abarth 600e rival, and it’s night and day. 

But if you like a firmer, sporty ride and don’t mind the compromise, then on the right stretch of road, it comes alive. 

Boot space 

The MINI Aceman JCW has 300 litres of boot space, growing to 1,005 litres with the rear seats folded flat. 

This is enough for a couple of suitcases or some softer overnight bags. It’s not loads of space, and there’s quite a high loading lip, which can make putting heavier items in the back a struggle, but it’s still enough space for most. 

There’s also a bit of underfloor storage for charging cables because there’s no front boot (froot) to work with. 

Compared with rivals, it doesn’t quite match the Abarth 600e’s 360-litre boot. 

Rear seats 

Despite its crossover name, there isn’t a whole lot of space in the back of the Aceman.  

Because of the packaging, knee room isn’t great and headroom – due to the impeding sunroof – isn’t the best either, but at least the sports seats have a soft back for a bit more knee cushioning. 

It’s fine for kids on longer journeys, but adults may struggle on a trip up to Scotland. Luckily, there are ISOFIX mounts, so families will be just fine. 

Storage solutions 

Overall storage in the Aceman is decent.  

You’ve got surprisingly big door bins that can fit larger water bottles, quite a lot of open space between the driver and passenger, and a small central storage box under the central armrest. 

Safety 

The MINI Aceman (in any form) hasn’t yet been independently tested by Euro NCAP, but if you take its Cooper Electric sibling, it’s going to be fairly similar. 

That scored the full five stars, and is fitted with much of the same safety kit, including active cruise control, lane-keep assist, collision warning, brake intervention, etc. 

Range and charging times 

MINI claims the Aceman JCW gets up to 242 miles of range (10 miles less than the standard Aceman with the same 54.2kWh battery), but in reality, it’s going to be slightly lower. 

From a full charge, we saw 199 miles on the screen, which is about the same as the much smaller Fiat 500e, but the MINI did prove to be quite efficient. 

Over hundreds of miles, we averaged 4.2kWh/mile, just shy of its claimed 4.3kWh/mile. Usually, cars struggle to meet their claimed efficiency, so this was a pleasant surprise. 

When it comes to charging, the Aceman JCW can charge at speeds up to 95kW (which is quite slow by today’s standards), but it’s enough to get a 10-80% charge in around 30 minutes. 

Reliability 

Being such a new model, we don’t know how reliable the Aceman will be over time, but if it’s anything like the Cooper Electric and other existing electric MINIs, you’re in safe hands. 

All new MINIs come with the same standard three-year warranty, but it offers unlimited mileage, which is a bonus. 

It also comes with an eight-year/100,000-mile battery warranty for added peace of mind, though this is also a pretty standard offering.