The brand new all-electric Mini Cooper SE is a far cry from my first car. That was a 1970s Mini panel van, which was cute but hopelessly unrefined and hideously slow. This EV, on the other hand, is essentially a hot hatch, even though there’s a trunk lid rather than a liftback. It’s also very refined, with the model I’ve been driving this last week featuring a lot of extras that give it a premium feel.

For me, however, the main appeal of the Mini Cooper SE is the way it drives. Anyone who finds most EVs mundane to drive should try one out because it’s a riot, with oodles of performance and great handling on tap. While the latest incarnation of the Mini might look and feel a million miles away from the original vision, it’s got a surprising amount in common with earlier cars. That ranges from retro styling touches through to the go-kart style buzz delivered when behind the wheel.

I’ve driven some of the best electric cars this year, including the brilliant Hyundai Ionic N. The Mini Cooper SE can now join the list; it’s a blast. Even if you’re a purist and think the new model is a bit too far removed from the original, it’s worth experiencing if only for the surprise you’ll get when pushing down on the accelerator pedal.

Price, specs, and availability

The model I’ve been testing is a top-of-the-range trim edition, which is fitted with more than £5,000 worth of optional extras. That means it comes with a hefty £33,920 (just over $45,000) price tag. Anyone who can do without the extra trimmings can lop a chunk of change off the asking price, and it isn’t going to be to any real detriment of the driving experience either.

Design and build

Classic looks just got better

To be honest, I haven’t been a big fan of the modern Mini. They’re hugely popular, and I see them everywhere, but I’ve never felt like I wanted to own one. All that has changed with the arrival of the Mini Cooper SE. Maybe it’s the color combination I got to try, which featured a Blazing Blue exterior topped with a brilliant white roof, black tinted glass and sporty 18-inch alloy wheels. It looks the business.

While the overall design might be very modern, there’s also enough retro stuff going on that helps to keep the essence of what made the original mini so tempting. There are still plenty of styling touches that help keep the car relevant though, with my test car featuring excellent adaptive LED headlights and folding mirrors that helpfully auto-dimmed as and when I needed them to. A panoramic glass sunroof provided the icing on the cake.

The interior take

Premium feel on the inside

Admittedly, my test car had exclusive trim content and over £5,000’s worth of options, but it was still a real treat to sit in the cockpit. The white trimmed seats have that classic Mini look, but are way more comfortable. There’s a brilliant little steering wheel too, which lets me carry out plenty of car control options instead of using the touchscreen, and the electric heated seats helped to take the edge off cooler fall temperatures.

I might have been spoiled with this trim level, but it left me feeling like the extra cost was justified. The interior of the Mini Cooper SE is really quite special and one of the comfiest small car cockpits I’ve been in recently.

The technology breakdown

Lots of tech treats to enjoy

My old Mini had nothing in the way of tech, and the Cooper SE shows just how far we’ve come with interiors. The great thing about this is that Mini’s designers retained the original look and feel. Case in point: The central Speedo, which is now a touchscreen that bristles with everything I need, including an excellent satellite navigation system. It can be customized too and even switched into Go-Kart mode, whereby the screen changes to suit the occasion. The retro mode, meanwhile, makes the display look like it did in old Minis.

My Cooper SE also came with a small heads-up display, a host of the usual driver aids and wireless phone charging, plus comfort touches, including heated seats. Cleverly, it’s the little details that make all the difference, with a button panel beneath the Speedo screen, which has an on/off toggle for the power where the original car ignition key used to be located. The Harmon Kardon surround audio system sounded very good, too.

Battery, range and performance

I drove an earlier version of the all-electric Mini, and it was fine, but nowhere near as good as the new model. With 215 horsepower to play with, this car is always eager to get on down the road, with the 0 to 60mph time of 6.7 seconds seeming even quicker than that due to its compact size. The other major appeal of the Cooper SE is its range, with the official figure of 244 miles proving really practical. I also found the battery to be quick and easy to charge, with the 95kW maximum charging capacity meaning my stops were often done and dusted in less than 30 minutes.

Should you buy the Mini Cooper SE?

I’m totally sold on the Mini Cooper SE. It’s got everything I love about small electric cars. There’s the performance and handling, which can be tweaked and fine-tuned to provide even more fun depending on your mood and the driving situation. This car has a practical range too, with the ability to get it charged in next to no time as well. Add on the fab design, great color combination and old-meets-new styling touches and this is one very strong package. Great stuff.