All-New 2025 MINI Cooper SE Looks Sharp, Offers More Power and Range

Published on September 1, 2023 in New Models by Guillaume Rivard

MINI today unveiled the next generation of the fully electric Cooper SE on the eve of the IAA Mobility event in Munich. The car will hit the Canadian market next year as a 2025 model.

The gas-powered 3 Door and 5 Door variants will be introduced at a later date, representing the final non-electric new MINIs before the brand completely ditches internal combustion engines by the end of the decade. We can tell you this: they won't offer a manual transmission.

Evolutionary Design

We already had seen the exterior from pictures released earlier this year. It’s not a radical departure from the current Cooper SE. The body features cleaner surfaces with flush door handles and the elimination of plastic cladding around the wheel arches. Up front, the grille surround is slimmer and not unlike the one on the Aceman concept, while the body-coloured panel in the middle is larger.

MINI continues to offer contrasting mirror caps and roof—the latter now incorporating panoramic glass—and unique wheel designs. The black-and-silver alloys seen here make it look like the spokes are broken up. We can only imagine the result once they start to spin.

The rear-end treatment is totally different, with trapezoidal taillights connected by a thick black bar where the model’s name is found. They are fully integrated to the liftgate, too, and the Union Jack motif seems to have been revised to look less prominent.

Fun and Modern Cabin

This new electric MINI benefits from a longer wheelbase that results in a bit more passenger room inside, where the layout is much more modern, cleaner and more upscale. You can see it with the selection of rich and sustainable materials, as well as the elimination of several controls. The main highlight, of course, is the large and round centre touchscreen powered by MINI’s new infotainment system, which we covered recently. It doubles up as an instrument cluster since there’s no more physical panel in front of the steering wheel, just a head-up display.

This interactive OLED display measures 9.5 inches in diameter and is much thinner than the one it replaces. It incorporates MINI’s 9th-generation interface which, according to the company, focuses on emotion in its interactions with occupants, with cutting-edge visual and audio themes that promote its intuitive nature, while drawing inspiration from the brand's rich heritage.

MINI has equipped its system with a choice of nine distinct display modes that transform not only the way in which information is arranged on the screen, but also the general ambience in the cabin, thanks to a projector located behind the screen that can dress the dashboard in various colours depending on the selected mode.

And because this is a major trend in the industry, MINI has also created a new virtual assistant that responds to the command "Hey Mini". This can take the form of cute little doggo named Spike, which can recognize and distinguish between the voices of the vehicle's various occupants. As with other virtual assistants, Spike can further push interaction with occupants with jokes and other random interventions.

More Power and Range

Two different configurations are available globally including Cooper E and Cooper SE. Canadian-specific product information will be released at a later date, but we bet only the latter will be offered here.

The 2025 Cooper SE retains a FWD setup but gains a more powerful motor that delivers 215 horsepower instead of 181 horsepower. Consequently, acceleration from 0-100 km/h is now achieved in 6.7 seconds instead of 7.3 seconds, MINI claims.

The best news comes from the battery, which boasts increased capacity—54.2 kWh vs. 32.6 kWh in the outgoing model—and as much as 402 km of range based on the WLTP standard. Obviously, the range estimates in North America will be lower, but we can expect the Cooper SE to be able to travel up to around 275 km, or maybe more, which would be a significant improvement from the current NRC-rated 183 km. Fast charging with direct current is possible with up to 95 kW, allowing the battery to be charged from 10-80 percent in just under an estimated 30 minutes.

What else? Well, MINI says handling is even sharper thanks to wider tires and recalibrated steering. We sure are looking forward to getting our butts in the driver’s seat of this new 2025 Cooper SE. Keep in touch for more Canadian-specific details.