The 2022 Mini Cooper SE will arrive in India on February 24, 2022, as a 3-door hatchback EV and as completely built units (CBU). Price expected to begin at approx. Rs 50 lakhs.

The Mini is a king at keeping things compact. Bearing a V4 with an oil sump underneath, the quintessential variant freed up a ton of space for passengers and cargo – a new breed of compact everyday travel wrapped up with BMW’s premium accents. Riding the electric vehicle wave, now BMW has decided in 2019 to turn this icon into a plug-in, marking a milestone in the Mini Cooper’s 50-year heritage then. We’ve known for a while that Mini’s first electric car, the Cooper SE, has been on its way, after being previewed as a prototype in 2017. Next week on February 24th, the Mini Cooper SE arrives in India and would certainly be our next favorite 3-door EV.

Once you pop the hood, you’ll find a 32.6-kWh battery pack and a single electric motor that produces 181 horsepower and 270-lb-ft of peak torque. Don’t be fooled – it’s still very much capable of sprinting from zero-100-km/hour in 7.2 seconds. If you push this EV cruiser to its limits, you’ll be able to hit 150-km/hour and power-glide for about 270 kilometers. Also, the electric version is about 145 kgs heavier than the standard petrol version.

Aside from its electric accents, the interior sees a 5.5-inch digital gauge cluster that uses a new graphic design to show current speed, changing with the driving mode. You also have an option between a 6.5-inch and 8.8-inch central infotainment touchscreen. Using a smartphone app, SE owners can also heat or cool their car’s interior to a specific temperature before getting in.

In terms of structure, the Mini Cooper SE is practically the same as the previous Cooper S, just with a concealed front grille, unique plug emotes all around the car, and yellow accents on the grille, fender trim, and mirrors, all giving it a cleaner EV redesign. The Mini Cooper SE will be making a debut in the US in early 2020 and momentarily expand in its home grounds and then head to Asia. While the standard Cooper is priced in the ballpark of Rs 40-50 lakhs, this version should peak a little more.