Why The MINI Aceman Won’t Have All Wheel Drive & How That Might be a Good Thing
In what might be a major oversight by MINI, the forthcoming electric MINI Aceman Crossover will not be offered with all wheel drive even as an option. In our mind this is a major misstep for the vehicle that MINI looks at as its future volume seller globally. Why and could the options eventually come to the Aceman? Read on.
The reason is fairly simple. The J05 Aceman on a lengthened version of the J01 electric MINI Cooper’s skateboard chassis. That chassis is designed to accommodate a single electric engine and a flat battery pack between its wheels. Why? Likely for two reasons.
MINI has been very keen to differentiate the Aceman from the Countryman in terms of price and equipment. What better way to clearly mark out the difference between the two by making the smaller, cheaper model not available with AWD. The thought is likely that, if a buyers wants AWD, they’ll likely be ok with spending more on a larger car to get it.
Another is likely cost. Keeping the Aceman front wheel drive immediately keeps prices lower even in high-spec models. That’s important because MINI wants the Aceman to be an entry point for consumer into the brand that need more room than the new electric Cooper. In effect it’s taking the place of the four door Cooper in the electric line-up and not the larger Clubman.
| Countryman E | Countryman SE | |
| WLTP Averaged Range – Europe | 287.073 miles | 269.054 miles |
| EPA Range – United States ESTIMATED | Not coming to the US | 245 miles (EST)* |
Finally there’s efficiency. As you can see below, the MINI Countryman C has better range than the all wheel drive SE and we can imagine the same would happen with an all wheel drive Aceman. While the Countryman’s higher range can accommodate a slight decrease, the Aceman is offered exclusively with the smaller and lighter J01 Cooper’s drivetrain configurations. That means it’s already at a disadvantage of having a lower range than the J01 and certainly the U25. Adding all wheel drive would likely bring that range figure down even figure making it a tough sell.
Then there’s the reality that all wheel drive is unnecessary for the vast majority of driving scenarios. As a road based electric car the with highly advanced stability and traction control and excellent weight distribution, the front wheel drive Aceman will likely excel in snow with the proper tires. Having driven from wheel drive MINIs in snow for years (most recently in an Alpine blizzard) the proper tires are more important than which wheels are driven in our experience.
Why The Aceman Not Having All Wheel Drive Might be a Good Thing
While all wheel drive is considered a must have for many consumers, the reality is that it adds weight, cost and reduces efficiency all for the rare scenario where it’s actually needed. And if you truly do need it, you’d be better off with the Countryman which has higher ground clearance and more light off road capability.
All that said we still think it’s a mistake to not have designed the Aceman to accommodate all wheel drive as an option. As much as we think it’s unnecessary, the reality is the market demands it and MINI will be missing out on sales because of it.
AWD in the Clubman brought me back to the Mini family.
Calling this now… If the Rivian R3x comes to fruition, Mini will have a big problem on their hands.
Agreed 100%. I’ve been driving MINIs for 20 years now and thought I would continue on, but the Rivian R3 is so much more attractive AND it’s smaller than the Countryman. Still a few years out though, so we’ll see.
I had this exact same thought, not to mention Tesla’s new more affordable compact crossover (2025?) If either of those come out at $32,500 and qualify for the $7,500 point-of-sale rebate then it’s game over for MINI in the States. Tesla’s compact crossover will definitely have AWD in the long range and performance models and Rivian has said that single, dual, and tri motor variations will be available for the R3 and R3X as well.
The Rivian R2 is expected to come out in 2026 with the R3 coming out after that, but they haven’t said how soon. If the R2 gets delayed or doesn’t sell well Rivian is finished. They’re trying to avoid going bankrupt in the next couple of years.
In the end, I hope all of these automakers survive and build amazing electric vehicles.
it was surprising to see all of these comments saying the same thing I’ve been thinking. I’m on my 5th mini and have been with the brand since 2003 – my current is an SE. I put a reservation down on the R3x as soon as I saw it. Mini’s new design language does nothing for me, sad to say I’m leaving the brand.