Business Tech Africa got to drive the fabulous new Mini Cooper S, all electric vehicle this week that brought back lots of motoring “happy day” memories.
The Cooper classic small sedan is without doubt designed and built for the fun loving motor enthusiast who loves the adrenalin rush of great performance and incredible tech, all in one package.
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The Cooper S EV boasts a full-featured voice assistant for the first time. The MINI Intelligent Personal Assistant can be activated using the greeting “Hey MINI” or by pressing the push-to-talk button on the steering wheel.
Voice-controlled interaction on the circular OLED display takes the form of an animation featuring graphical elements, typography and an avatar. Drivers can select between “MINI” – a stylised image of a MINI – or the new digital MINI assistant known as “Spike”.
The MINI Intelligent Personal Assistant operate key functions of the vehicle, including the navigation App, mobile calls, the radio or even to adjust the air conditioner temperature. If you need to find out about road or weather conditions or tourism points along your journey you can ask the assistant for details.
The MINI has a cloud-based navigation system that is standard with all models with intuitive destination entry it enables fast and dynamic route calculation speed with real-time traffic based journey time estimation.
The MINI App allows drivers to connect seamlessly to the vehicle and has a digital key function that with compatible devices can lock or unlock the vehicle from your smartphone.
Styling and Design
Climbing into the driver’s seat is an experience I likened to sitting in the Star-Ship Enterprise, with a minimalist but futuristic feel enhanced by the large circular information panel that sits in the centre of the dash, reminiscent of the early model MINI’s
MINI now offers a completely animal-friendly, leather-free interior using sustainable, partly recycled materials. The 2D flat knit for dashboards, door panels and lids are all made from over 90% recycled polyester fibres with their stylish new generation wheels now made from up to 70% secondary aluminium.
The dashboard and armrests in our doors are fitted with a quality knitted textile made of recycled polyester yarn, with an innovative process that turns over 90% of recycled polyester fibres into a 2D flat woven fabric, the process uses around 98% less water than cotton, and it reduces CO2 emissions by around 80% compared to conventional polyester processing.
The exterior design, while maintaining the classic MINI feel, is modern and sporty with great detail included in the spider web rear tail lights and the front angled LED lights with a white surround and aluminium strip that surrounds and highlights the modern grill.
In front of the driver is a glass screen that projects the most critical data to the driver.
Driving Experience
There is no question in this writer’s mind that the MINI was made for fun. The low slung sedan was built to emulate “maximum go-kart feeling” and achieves this well with a low centre of gravity and weight (the vehicle batteries are below the cockpit floor), plus incredible power from the electric motor, providing scintillating acceleration with remarkably good road holding.
The vehicle uses enhanced driving dynamics with for optimised weight distribution and the use of a direct steering ratio coupled with a small steering wheel and great lateral dynamics and grip via optimised tyre width.
The all-electric MINI Cooper was designed from the start to manage aerodynamic forces in the most efficient way possible. With its fully closed underbody and grille as well as its smooth, minimalistic exterior.
All MINI wheels are also optimised for better aerodynamics, low wind resistance, creating better distance optimisation per charge.
Driving in traffic daily? No problem for the MINI with its Active Cruise Control as option to drive with its enhanced Driving Assistant Plus. In this mode, the MINI will automatically follow the vehicle in front of you at a safe distance.
And it also has its incredible Parking Assistant, that comes as standard, that identifies all potential parking spots for you, and then flawlessly manoeuvres into the one you select at the press of a button.
Driving Modes
There are 3 driving modes available
Green Mode: Sustainable, simplified, and completely silent, this is the extra-efficient drive that will make your battery last and last.
Core Mode: A classic and comfortable MINI driving experience with a sophisticated, modern ambience.
Go-Kart Mode: Inspired by the legendary John Cooper Works, this mode makes for a thrilling drive with an adrenalin-inducing motor-sport aesthetic.
If you want to experience what could just be the most fun you can have on four wheels then the MINI should definitely be on your wish list.
