The MINI Aceman is the brand’s all electric small, four door crossover. Based on the J01 MINI Cooper EV, the J05 Aceman debuted April 24th 2024 and will go on sale later in 2024.
The MINI Aceman might just be the best modern embodiment of Mini creator Alec Issigonis’ philosophy that started it all; maximum utilization of space with a minimum footprint. It may not be the smallest MINI in the line-up (that title naturally goes to the Cooper) but it’s not far off all while providing more interior volume than the original R60 MINI Countryman.
The Aceman crossover (or CUV as the industry call it) effectively replaced the Clubman in the MINI line-up. But it’s really not a replacement t all as it’s both smaller and designed as a crossover rather than a wagon. Instead think of it as a product that fills the void left when the Countryman grew in size from the original R60 model to the recent F60 model in 2015.
So it’s similar to the R60 in size. But there’s another important and more modern analogy that’s worth mentioning. The more you look at the Aceman and its’ stats the more you realize it’s a stretched J01 Cooper with extra doors squeezed in. It’s a formula that MINI has tried before with the F55 five door Cooper. Like the F55 MINI Cooper four door (itself a stretched version of the F56), the J05 is a longer, more spacious J01.
The Aceman will launch this fall in most of the world. It will be made initially in China initially with UK production coming in 2026. That means for the first two years the car will be in most of the world but not the US or Canada. Eventually we expect the Aceman to make its way to North America along with the electric J01 MINI Cooper.
For most of its modern history, MINI’s global identity was defined by small cars. Hatchbacks led the volume charts, while larger models played a supporting role. In 2025, that balance decisively shifted....
