Mini John Cooper Works Aceman review main image

Mini John Cooper Works Aceman review: A chiropractor’s dream

June 27, 2025 Matt Allan

The Mini John Cooper Works Aceman is here to show other hot compact crossovers how things are done. But does it succeed?

Hot electric compact SUVs are rapidly becoming a thing. We’ve got the ludicrous Smart #1 Brabus, the related AWD Volvo EX30, Skoda’s Elroq vRS and the Italian twins of the Abarth 600e and the Alfa Romeo Junior Veloce. Later this year we’ll also see the Kia EV3 GT race onto the scene.

But Mini is a specialist in quick, engaging small cars, so surely the Mini John Cooper Works Aceman can hold its own against this surprising phalanx of rivals?

Mini Aceman John Cooper Works design, interior and technology

The standard Aceman is a middle ground between the regular three-door hatch and the now gargantuan Countryman SUV and is a little challenging to look at. It has the chunky, boxy SUV looks of the Countryman but in a smaller, lower-riding package that struggles a bit with its proportions. The JCW spec disguises this somewhat by ditching the chrome and matte black trim in favour of a deeper gloss black body kit, complete with JCW badging. It also leans into its sporty nature with touches such as racing stripes on the bonnet, wild 19-inch wheel designs and the option of a multi-tone roof that fades from red to black.

Mini John Cooper Works Aceman wheel detail — Sporty touches make the JCW Aceman look less awkward than the regular model

The JCW Aceman’s interior has a lot in common with other John Cooper Works models. The intriguing textured dashboard with its chequered flag motif is shared with the hatch and Countryman, as is the fabric third spoke on the comically thick steering wheel. So too are the retro switches panel with a “key” to start the motor and toggle-style drive selector.

Like those other cars, the Aceman’s interior stands out from rivals for both its interesting design and its quality. For those in the front, it’s also outstandingly comfortable with plenty of space and great support from the well-judged sports seats. In the back it’s not so good. The Aceman is the bigger brother to the three-door Cooper, but that’s not to say it’s a big car. With an average-sized driver, you’ll fit a child in the back seats but there’s still not a lot in the way of legroom and the boot’s a meagre 300 litres. The Italians are similarly limited on legroom but the incoming Kia and Skoda will provide more passenger space, if that’s what you need.

At the centre of the dashboard a 23cm circular touchscreen apes the dials of the original Issigonis Mini but packs all the latest connected features from music streaming and live navigation to smartphone mirroring. It also controls everything from the air conditioning to the baffling number of “experiences” which change elements such as the ambient lighting, “engine” sound and, oddly, whether the panoramic sunroof blind is open or closed.

mini john cooper works aceman interior — The JCW Aceman’s interior is a step above rivals in design and quality

The system is sharp and responsive and there’s a handy physical shortcut button for accessing key drive features. However, adjusting elements around the edge, such as the temperature, takes a very steady hand.

Battery, motor and performance

Beneath the surface, the JCW Aceman uses the same powertrain as the smaller three-door hatch.

That means a 49.2kWh battery and a front-mounted motor producing 255bhp and 258lb ft in boost mode (it’s capped at 228bhp normally). That’s good for 0-62mph in 6.4 seconds – 0.5 slower than its smaller stablemate and the Abarth.

To achieve that time you’ll need to pull the big Boost lever to unlock all the power and sink the throttle, which results in some properly hot hatch torque steer and a wild electronic zooming noise courtesy. This can be switched off if you’re a killjoy but it also disappears once you ease off to cruise, unlike the Abarth’s constant drone.

Seek out some tight and twisty roads – Mini’s historic home turf – and you’re rewarded with quick, reasonably feelsome steering and agility that goes some way to masking this car’s 1,820kg kerb weight.

It doesn’t have quite the apex-chasing directness of the Alfa or Abarth, nor can it haul itself out of corners quite so deftly as those LSD-equipped Italians, but you can still sling the JCW Aceman through bends with enthusiasm.

The problem is that even with decent steering and plenty of grip, you’ll end up fighting the car on all but the most glass-like of surfaces.

The ride isn’t just firm in the way you’d expect from a ‘sporty’ model. It’s actively unpleasant. Even on half-decent surfaces it’s uncomfortably stiff and unyielding, with an ever-present jitteriness no matter what speed you’re travelling at.

This is particularly disappointing when more-lively rivals like the Abarth and Alfa have much better road manners.

mini jcw aceman driving image — The Aceman is lively but spoiled by an appalling ride

Mini says you should get up to 218 miles from a full charge. In the real world you should bank on closer to 150 if you’re pressing on. That’s comparable with its rivals, although the 95kW DC charging is a bit behind the curve.

Mini Aceman John Cooper Works price and specification

The Mini Aceman John Cooper Works is priced from £36,905 – £2,000 more than the smaller hatchback, £3,000 less than the Abarth Scorpionissima and a hefty £8,000 less than the Junior Veloce.

That brings all the JCW cosmetic enhancements, 19-inch alloys, LED lights, a Harman Kardon surround sound system, sports seats and a heated steering wheel.

As with every Mini, you could spend thousands on the extras. Our advice would be to tick the Level 2 box (£1,300) that brings heated seats, the panoramic sunroof, adaptive headlights and head-up display. Avoid the unnecessary Level 3, which costs an additional £1,500 and brings memory seats, parking assist plus and an interior camera.

Verdict

Mini set out with this car to give the John Cooper Works Aceman some of the traditional JCW rawness, and it certainly managed that.

The punch from the motor and keenness of the steering is exactly what you’d want from a performance-focused model like this. But the ride is unforgivably bad and the Abarth/Alfa pair offer even more pace and engagement and won’t shake your teeth loose while doing it.

Yes, the Mini undoubtedly has the nicest, best-constructed interior and is a little less in-your-face than the Abarth but I’m not sure that’s enough to compensate. Maybe the Czechs and Koreans will find the happy middle ground.