[Test Drive] Electrified Mini adds comfort in city driving

For Mini Cooper fans, it’s likely the car’s iconic design is enough for them to put up with the notorious bumpy ride.

The electrified compact vehicle, however, dispels such worries. Like any other EVs, the Mini Cooper SE Electric offers a smooth driving experience in a quieter atmosphere.

Not just because of the 32.6 kWh battery that replaces the gasoline-powered powertrain but also because of the lower center of gravity, 30 millimeters lower than the standard Cooper -- a significant change in the vehicle that offers a remarkable cornering performance.

During the test drive within Seoul last week, the vehicle -- at 3,850 mm long, 1,432 mm tall and 1,727 mm wide -- was agile enough to navigate through the narrow alleys of Seoul.

The car, which could be driven in four different driving modes including sport, mid, green, and green plus, was also energy efficient as it could go for as long as 159 kilometers once fully charged.

In sports mode, the all-electric Mini could reach 100 kph from zero in a whopping 7.3 seconds.

Its electric motor boasts a maximum of 184 horsepower and up to 27.5 kilogram-meters of torque.

The brand seemed to have made efforts in making driving an EV easier for first-timers by offering drivers two different modes of regenerative braking -- low and high.

The Mini Cooper SE Electric is the first all-electric car offered by the brand, but its iconic yet traditional design stays the same, except for the splash of “energetic yellow” added to side mirrors, emblems, and interior panels.

But the infotainment system may take some getting used to. It stuck with the same version released in other markets rather than adopting the one by South Korean navigation platform Tmap, as other newly launched imported EVs have.

The car is available in three colors in South Korea -- Midnight Black, Moonwalk Grey and White Silver.

The price starts at 49.9 million won but -- with the government’s EV subsidy -- it would be an attractive option for the Mini’s targeted customers in their 30s and 40s at between 35 million and 45 million won.

By Hong Yoo (yoohong@heraldcorp.com)