The new Aceman is a car that seems to capture the essence of its maker better than many of its stablemates.
It promises to give you compact but useful dimensions, lots of plush and premium materials and design appeal, alongside a pretty good electric range and respectable performance.
But how does this translate in the real world? After all, the Aceman's rivals include cars like the Renault 5, Kia EV3 and Peugeot e-208 - all of which provide exactly what the Mini does, for around the same sort of money.
In which case, should you consider one? Is it a worthy contender for some of the most stylish electric superminis on the market, or simply a weirdly-styled, overpriced Mini hatch on stilts?
The Aceman is based on the same platform as the electric Mini Cooper, which means you can only have it as an EV. This also means it gets five doors and an extra 22cm over the regular Mini Cooper hatch. Overall, it is 4.08m long.
In terms of battery options, you can have either a 38.5kWh nickel-manganese cobalt battery in the entry-level car, or 49.2kWh in the Aceman SE. This is good for an electric range of either 192 miles or 251 miles, which is competitive with the Renault 5 and Peugeot e-208, but less than the Kia EV3.
Overall performance is pretty strong. Power output goes up with battery size, with the 38.5kWh car getting 181bhp and a 0-62mph time of 7.9sec, and the 49.2kWh model getting 215bhp and a 0-62mph time of 7.1sec.
Its power delivery feels punchy enough that you don't have to worry about getting up to speed to join a motorway or into a desirable gap in traffic, and once you're up to speed it is quiet, composed and feels planted. This grown-up side to its personality sits at odds with its playful, quick steering when the going gets twisty.
Its handling around tight corners is, perhaps, typical of what a Mini should be like. The steering is quick, and gives a darty turn-in, so you really feel like you're benefiting from the Aceman's wide yet stubby stance.
You can choose between one of eight driving modes: Core, Green, Go-Kart, Vivid, Timeless, Balance, Personal and Trail. Even in the most relaxed mode, the car feels satisfyingly sharp to drive, as a Mini should.
Ride comfort is the trade-off for that handling, however. Even over smoother roads, the car can find it quite difficult to settle, bobbing along restlessly as the suspension thunks heavily over large imperfections in the road surface.
This restlessness has the potential to become quite tiresome on longer journeys, but it's damped well enough for it not to get crashy, which means that it isn't likely to be a deal-breaker.
On the subject of slight criticism, the Aceman has a turning circle of 11.1m, which is pretty underwhelming for a small car, especially when you consider the Jeep Avenger, Peugeot e-208 and Renault 5 manage closer to 10.5m.
You can forgive the car for these shortcomings when you climb inside, however. The 9.4in circular OLED touchscreen dominates the cabin, and it's generally quite an easy-to-use system. If you would rather not use the native system, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto both come as standard.
Elsewhere, the Aceman's interior is covered in textured fabrics and bright colours that fade into more muted textures and blocks. There is a strange belt that sits straight ahead of you and behind the steering wheel, but aside from this, the Aceman has a fantastic interior: high-class yet quirky and interesting.
As for practicality, you might be a little disappointed by the fact that the rear seats are very tight - you'll struggle to get a child seat back there - and there's no centre armrest. However, the boot gives 300 litres of space, which means it will be fine for a buggy or a couple of suitcases. What's more, the seats fold in a 60/40 split if you want them to.
Overall, the Aceman makes a pretty good attempt at being practical, but it is overshadowed by the cheaper, rangier Renault 5.
It's easy to see why you would want to choose the Mini Aceman. With an interior that is unmatched for quality, personalisation and 'wow' factor, fun and involving driving dynamics, and a badge with more kudos than many of its rivals, the Aceman is a car you buy simply because you want it.
