After some updates for the previous model year, the 2023 Mini Cooper SE continues with only minor changes.
The base price of $29,900 will not change for 2023, Mini USA confirmed on Thursday, meaning the Mini retains its position as the cheapest electric vehicle in the United States after the Nissan Leaf.
Range and efficiency are also expected to remain unchanged. Both got a boost for 2022, to a rated 114 miles of range by the EPA (up from 110 miles for the 2021 and 2020 models) and 110 MPGe combined (up from 108 MPGe before). That was due to a new EPA test, prompted by a slight update to the Cooper SE, which resulted in better numbers.
The Cooper SE swaps out the gasoline engine of the Cooper Hardtop 2 Door for a single electric motor, which sends 181 horsepower to the front wheels. Power comes from a 32.6-kwh battery pack. In one of the first drives of the Cooper SE, it was found to be nimble but range-limited. We haven’t been able to follow up since.
Like other Mini models, the Cooper SE gets standard Apple CarPlay for the 2023 model year. Other changes include a new exterior color option (Island Blue) and a handful of new interior trim options. The Mini Resolute Edition special edition package available on other Mini models will also be available on the Cooper SE.
Mini’s parent, BMW, has said it plans to make the brand all-electric by the early 2030s, but for now, the Cooper SE is Mini’s only EV. Mini offers a plug-in hybrid version of the Countryman crossover SUV. It also recently introduced a program to convert classic Minis to electric power, but that is limited to the UK for now.
