Finally, You Can Get The Mini Cooper SE In A Hot-looking Red, But There’s A Catch

• Mini Cooper SE Charge Edition launched in India at Rs 55 lakh (ex-showroom).

• Limited to just 20 units.

• It is a fully imported model.

• Gets a contrasting paint scheme with a new red exterior hue.

• Carries a premium of Rs 1.5 lakh over the standard Cooper SE.

• There are no powertrain revisions over the standard Cooper SE.

Mini has just brought the Cooper SE Charge Edition to India with just 20 units allocated, each one priced at Rs 55 lakh (ex-showroom), a premium of Rs 1.5 lakh over the standard car. The limited run electric hatchback gets a striking visual treatment, courtesy of the new paint scheme and contrasting inserts. It makes its way to India as a fully imported unit (CBU) and can be booked, but only via Mini’s online shop.

Red chilli meets electrification

Mini has left the silhouette, including the stuff like the headlights, panels, and grille, untouched. The design is immediately recognisable as a Cooper SE, but gone are the simple and sober exterior hue options that were used on the standard EV. Mini has played around with the colour scheme of the Cooper SE in this special edition, with a spicy new Chili Red colour covering most of the exterior.

This new colour is contrasted with a bunch of varying contrasting inserts that further liven up the appeal of the cutesy electric hatchbacks. For starters, the multitone roof gets a white hue, which follows down on the ORVMs, door handles, head and tailights surrounds (or rings), tailgate handle and on the logo as well.

The second layer of contrast comes from the black strip for the mustache-like grille shape which follows over to the wheel arches, and side sills. Then there are the yellow bits that have been carried from the standard Cooper SE – found on the ‘S’ lettering on the grille and around the circumference of the 17-inch alloy wheels. Further highlighting the contrasting character is the additional use of yellow accents in profile and on the hood. Not overdone, not underworked – just perfect. 

Interior

Note: Cabin image used is of standard Cooper SE

The cabin of this special edition Cooper SE gets sports seats finished in carbon black leatherette upholstery. The three spoke steering gets Nappa leather for a premium feel, while you still get yellow accents on the start/stop toggle switch, and gear lever, complimented by unique badging on door sills. 

Features still include the same 5.5-inch MID for the driver, an 8.8-inch touchscreen infotainment system, Apple CarPlay, and ambient lighting. It also gets a Harmon Kardon speaker system and wireless phone charging. The safety kit is made up of dual front airbags, ABS with EBD, run flat tyres, a rear view camera, cruise control, and a tyre pressure monitoring system.

Powertrain

No changes whatsoever on this front. The Coope SE Charge Edition’s electric powertrain still makes use of the same 32.6kWh battery pack that powers its 184PS/270Nm electric motor. The setup offers the same claimed range of 270km and boasts a 0-100kmph time of 7.3 seconds. 

It supports fast DC charging, and using a 50kW fast charger will take just 36 minutes for a 0-80% charge fill. The same will take 2.5 hours via a 11kW AC charger and 9 hours 43 minutes through a 2.3kW AC charger.

Also Read: Mini Reveals Next-gen Cooper’s Minimalistic And Retro Interior Design

Compared to the standard Cooper SE, this special edition charges a premium of Rs 1.5 lakh for all its contrasting paint work and exclusiveness. And given that the import numbers are limited to just a mere 20 units, we reckon these will be sold out sooner than you’d think. The Mini Cooper SE rivals the likes of the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Volvo XC40 Recharge in the country.