Mini Cooper VS Renault Clio

After all the excitement of the all-new electrified architecture and pared-back design, would the Mini Cooper Electric also impress from behind the wheel, particularly as it now hails from China rather than the UK?

We needn’t have worried - at least, not as far as the more-expensive Copper SE is concerned, as BMW did not have a base E for us to test.

First off, remember how comfortable the JCW seats are? Combined with the intuitiveness of the ergonomics, they set the driver up for an immersive and fun experience.

With 160kW, the single-motor/front-drive electric powertrain will not keep up with Tesla Model 3s costing similar money, but the Cooper SE is still tuned to feel fast off the line, responsive to your right foot inputs on the go, and rapid when you really need to leap ahead, especially in Sport mode. The latter is part of seven settings ranging from lazy cruisy to ultra-alertness. All maintain the Mini’s can-do charm.

But, as with all great super-minis in history, it's the chassis underneath that brings the electric Cooper to life.

Yes, it is heavy at 1.6 tonnes - though not for an EV with this sized battery. And, yes, the lack of a manual, integral to hot hatches for some drivers, is a drawback.

But the Mini is a taut, reactive and agile little runabout, with sharp steering that’s totally on-brand, tenacious grip (in teeming rain, too) and a level of tautness and control that just makes you feel part of the dynamic experience. Tight, alert and athletic. It’s what we expect from a Cooper and the charming, charismatic SE delivers.

Boasting such moves whilst still capable of offering a sufficiently supple ride on the standard 18-inch alloys is just as much of a joy for folks who need to commute in a Mini. The old brittle hardness of most earlier Cooper S’ has been exorcised in this affable little beauty.

We cannot tell you how quiet or otherwise the SE is on freeways as there was just too much water on the road (tyre roar is a typical German car bugbear), but the lively chassis, strong performance and impressive overall refinement are the hallmarks of the electric Mini made in China.

And, speaking of China, the handy driver-assist tech breaks from tradition by not interfering abruptly, highlighting the nuanced level of tuning BMW has performed on its petitie English patient.

Foibles? Over our two hours, we found those thick side pillars do impede vision to an alarming degree, so be grateful for the blind-spot alert. While the brakes worked magnificently, as you’d expect, we’d like some broader adjustability for the off-pedal regen braking. As it stands, it doesn’t quite bring the car to a full stop, single-pedal style. Paddle shifters to facilitate that might be nice, too.

Note, too, that another test car with two larger occupants garnered some criticism for riding too firmly. All our driving was performed with just the driver on board.

But what a drive it turned out to be. Even in high winds and torrential rain over slippery roads, the new Cooper Electric SE proved to be an irresistibly fun drive, yet with a newfound maturity that makes us impatient to get back behind that natty little wheel.

The RS has always had a belter of a chassis. The Cup chassis became a thing just over a decade ago and is lauded by the fans as The One To Have. I've not always been convinced of this as my earlier drives of the Cup-equipped machines have usually been in close proximity to the Sport chassis. 

The Cup is slightly lower than the Sport, with 15 per cent stiffer springs and dampers and perhaps more importantly it scores 18-inch wheels with Dunlop Sport Maxx RT2 tyres, which you can reasonably expect to be a bit firmer than the 17s with Goodyear F1s on the Sport. And they are.

However, in most situations, the Cup chassis is perfectly benign. You certainly feel the bumps and lumps, but you haven't bought a Cup chassis for Lexus-like isolation. It's certainly sharper than the Sport chassis and when you're really giving it a go around the bends, the comfort deficit is more than made up for by the extra grip and poise.

The chassis is aided and abetted by a torquey 1.6-turbo that cheerfully...no, gleefully spins to the redline which could do with another thousand revs, but that's forced induction for you. The aluminium shift paddles need a good positive pull to get a gear, but that gear is delivered quickly and effortlessly. The Clio is a great deal of fun in Sport and Race modes, with throttle mappings and gearshifts becoming more aggressive as you switch through the modes.

The brakes are tremendously effective and the electronic limited slip diff (*cough* brake-based torque vectoring) ensures you'll hit your apexes and the tyres spend more time gripping than spinning.

But it's not all hairpins and off-camber left-right-lefts, is it? Plenty of owners have to live with the car in traffic day to day. Driving the Cup in isolation, I've changed my mind about it. I reckon it's the best of the two chassis settings. The city ride is better than decent, with the hard edges potholes chamfered off by the dampers and decent compliance. It's not too noisy, either.