Next generation (J01) MINI Cooper revealed

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3703.766 lbs = deal-breaker for me.

For Michigan MINI drivers who need the added range and accept the weight penalty, I hope the front end looks good without a lot of ugly holes when the license-plate bracket isn't there.

I don't like how long it takes for the powered front seats to allow entrance to the rear seats and then return to their original position (OK, who uses the rear seats, right?).

Why would anyone want to see a rotating BMW SUV on the big round screen of their MINI? Why does the MINI on the big round screen have exhaust pipes?

Last gripe: If MINI's going to make a 2-spoke steering wheel (a form I like), don't add a fabric strap that prevents me from holding the steering wheel at the bottom.
 
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insightman said:
I hope the front end looks good without a lot of ugly holes when the license-plate bracket isn't there.
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I think the holes are in a license bracket for European plates, added by the dealer. I know my dealer (in Minnesota) actually drills the holes in the front end to add the bracket.

Still no lighting inside the charge port, sigh.
I see the front speakers (tweeters?) are moved off the A pillar and into the doors. No sign of a center speaker? And was that a giant subwoofer in the boot?
That new air vent design is guaranteed to break just about every vent mounting product on the market.
It doesn't seem clear from the video that the back seats lay flat when down.
The new Countryman next to it looks huge, not a MINI at all. It appears to be almost a foot taller than the J01.
 
insightman said:
I don't like how long it takes for the powered front seats to allow entrance to the rear seats and then return to their original position (OK, who uses the rear seats, right?).
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Me! I'm about 5'9" and so is my 23yr old son and I sat quite comfortably behind him while enticing my wife to drive the SE. In fact after initial hesitation she admits to enjoying one pedal driving, but has to remember that it works poorly in those other types of vehicles that emit fumes.

cheers
MacMini34
 
Puppethead said:
I see the front speakers (tweeters?) are moved off the A pillar and into the doors. No sign of a center speaker? And was that a giant subwoofer in the boot?
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hkaudio.webp

It's a 10 speaker 315 watt system with a subwoofer in the boot. Center speaker will be behind the circular display screen (holes on dash trim) Happy to see 7 bands of EQ compared to the current 2 band (treble/bass) EQ.

The Countryman EV has a light to illuminate the charge ports like BMWs.
 
Wow, those issues highlighted by @insightman from that J01 JCW video really are bad!

One would hope that at least the software issues—e.g. the main display depicting an ICE Mini, the 360º camera depicting a BMW SUV, etc.—will be resolved, perhaps even before the car reaches customers. But many aspects of the physical design of the car feel half-baked. For example, the controls for that central air vent scream afterthought, as does the fact that the power button for the head unit once again spins with the volume knob. And, as @Puppethead noted, the continued lack of lighting in the charging port is just plain lame. Overall, the J01 doesn't give the impression of a car built on a purely electric platform.

This may be wishful thinking, but I'm hoping that, by the time this new E/SE makes it over to the US, it'll be with a mid-cycle refresh that addresses these shortcomings and gives us a car that feels more resolved and fully thought-through.

@insightman I'm fairly certain I've seen video reviews indicating that that textile strap on the steering wheel is an option, so it may be possible to get a version of the steering wheel with just the two spokes.

@Puppethead Re: the back seats, I believe they lay as flat as the back seats in the current SE. The tray in the boot that covers the sub-woofer has two levels. In the shot where you see the back seats laid down, that tray is in its lower position, which would enable you to fit taller items in the boot. If the tray were in its upper position, it would effectively be flush with the base of the back seats—does this make sense? I saw that in one of the many "first look" videos that's floating around YouTube.

And, re: the new Countryman, man, it really is huge.

I know I've got plenty of time to think about this, but I'm facing a bit of a conundrum when it comes to our vehicles. We currently own a 2022 Cooper SE and lease a 2023 Countryman (ICE), and this combo has been perfect for my wife and me. Where the conundrum comes in is that our Countryman lease will be up at the end of 2025 and, while I think we'd be ready to replace it with an EV (so long as it offers 250+ miles of range), the new Countryman EV is way too big.

I'm a huge fan of the Aceman concept and think it's the perfect size for us, but...
  • It seems highly unlikely that it'll be available in the US by the end of 2025
  • Given the indications that the Aceman will ride on the same platform as the J01, it almost certainly won't offer 250 miles of real world range.
If anything, the Aceman might be what ends up replacing our existing Cooper SE.

What would you all consider as a replacement for our 2023 Countryman that will be available by the end of 2025/early-2026, gets at least 250 miles of range, and is in the territory of $45 - $55K? One obvious option is the Volvo EX30, but the many reliability issues I continue to read about vis-a-vis Volvo's EVs give me pause. An option that has me really excited is the BMW Neue Klasse. I've always been partial to wagons and hatchbacks, but, man, that Neue Klasse concept looks incredible to my eyes. It sounds like it'll deliver plenty of range and it looks like it should be available in the US by late-2025/early-2026, but my concern here is whether it'll be within our price range.

Any thoughts along these lines from this crew are more than welcome!
 
kicksology said:
This may be wishful thinking, but I'm hoping that, by the time this new E/SE makes it over to the US, it'll be with a mid-cycle refresh that addresses these shortcomings and gives us a car that feels more resolved and fully thought-through.
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This was actually my thinking when I first heard that we may not see the J01 in the U.S. until its first refresh--all the better to let them work out the bugs and make some refinements before it's our turn to play. I'm happy to wait for something more fully-baked.

I think this is the unsung advantage of the F56 SE: it's built on a very mature platform and all the "new" EV technologies have largely been vetted in other vehicles. Yes there are some little quirks, but overall it's been a really solid car for me.
 
SameGuy said:
Very plasticky-looking plastic all over. And the textile surfaces everywhere will look really grungy in no time at all – unless nobody ever touches them or opens the windows or doors.
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Maybe you might change your mind after experiencing the ventilated Massagefunktion driver seat?
 
kicksology said:
The tray in the boot that covers the sub-woofer has two levels. In the shot where you see the back seats laid down, that tray is in its lower position, which would enable you to fit taller items in the boot. If the tray were in its upper position, it would effectively be flush with the base of the back seats—does this make sense?
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I did notice that, but if you look closely the tops of the seats seem angled slightly higher than the base when down. It may be due to the headrests which seem integrated into the seat backs, maybe they come all the way off. Having a completely flat cargo area is important to me for my dogs.

I do agree a lot on the reactions to the interior fit and finish, it seems to me a lot of things feel like Chinese-influenced manufacture: cheaper mass-produced material and not the same premium quality as our F56. I have always been a huge fan of German engineering, having been a loyal VW customer until I switched to MINI. But the J01 doesn't seem to have the same feel (like what VW has become, which is why I switched brand loyalty).
 
MichaelC said:
This was actually my thinking when I first heard that we may not see the J01 in the U.S. until its first refresh--all the better to let them work out the bugs and make some refinements before it's our turn to play. I'm happy to wait for something more fully-baked.

I think this is the unsung advantage of the F56 SE: it's built on a very mature platform and all the "new" EV technologies have largely been vetted in other vehicles. Yes there are some little quirks, but overall it's been a really solid car for me.
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@ Puppethead
SE was build on dinosaur platform 40 years old from GAS car and they add new technology retrofit from BMW I 3 which was develop from scratch by BMW . A car is a teaser just to keep with EV development and as on a market for 4 years they missed to build that car at 2020 at least by 5 years to new standards .I love a car anyway bc with 114 miles range meet my needs an is also nostalgic aspect to it. SE in-that shape 2020 -2024 will be only mini as classic British / BMW car not a Chinese crap
 
Eh, it looks pretty good to me. Pretty slow evolution for all 4 gens of Mini. I quite love the new clean exterior. Interior gimmicks are a Mini thing, I think I'm most concerned of that pull strap on the armrest, seems uncomfortable. The OS looks snappy with the exception of changing the skins, it's going to have to be with the cost cutting of hard buttons.

The weight is too high. Same could be said about me too though. Hoping for a JCW (real, not style pack) with sunroof delete option and manual seats but I'll most likely end up in a J01 whether I get my wish list or not. Every time I go to something else because it's bigger, or faster, or makes more sense, I'm angry at myself almost immediately and go back to a Mini.
 
The J01 looks to be a reasonable next-step from a business standpoint for BMW to make a profit or break-even on a small global EV. Personally, the new model does not provide me with anything over my 2023 SE aside from the additional range. I like how they removed the plastic wheel arches, but I prefer the look of the F56 with the clam-shell bonnet and more traditional rear-end. I like the look of the new screen, but I spend most of my time driving the car and not playing around with the screen. I would seriously miss the climate controls and volume knob on my F56, and also the sunroof that opens. As previously mentioned, the small control panel below the screen on the J01 looks incredibly cheap.

Probably the part that influenced my decision the most to buy the 2023 SE was that the vehicle itself was on the market for a very long time. Most of the rattles and squeaks are worked out in the first few years of a vehicle's production, and the motor/battery technology was inherited in part from the BMW i3. If I need to replace a wheel bearing or a suspension part, I can buy the parts and replace them myself. (At least this is what I suspect, but I haven't actually had to repair anything yet). I just passed 1 year of ownership and 18,000 miles with no maintenance and not a single trip to the dealer.
 
I noticed the key fob is now oblong instead of circular, probably fits in the pocket better.

The new door handles aren't as stylistic as the F56 handles, but thankfully not as horrible as the likes of the Ioniq 5 pop-out stubs.

upload_2024-1-9_12-52-36.webp
 
The J01 SEs actual (DIN) weight is 1,605 kg = 3538.42 lbs. The 1,680kg/3704lbs is the EU weight, which is +75kg representing the driver.
 
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