• Compact dimensions mean its great around town
• It’s less good at carrying passengers and stuff, though
• Cabin storage is reasonable for its size

How much space is there?

True to form and delightfully on brand, the Mini Cooper E is not an especially big car inside, but depending on where you sit, it can feel oddly so. When in the driver’s seat, the open expanse of the MINI’s dashboard coupled with an almost empty space between the driver and front passenger’s legs – no transmission tunnel in an EV, remember – help to engender a surprisingly roomy feel.

Owing to the reasonable amount of headroom it provides, you never get the sense that the car is swamped around you as you drive alone, which can be a real boon on long journeys.

The same cannot be said for the rear seats, however. The back row is strictly limited to two passengers, and even then, you’ll want them to be fresh out of the cradle to avoid any complaints about space. 

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Two children will likely feel cramped back there, while a pair of fairly tall adults may think they’re being subjected to some sort of Cirque du Soleil contortionist entrance exam. Best avoided on any jaunt longer than a quick dart back from the pub.

Boot space and storage

No surprises, the boot is pretty small, too. The MINI Cooper E can fit 210 litres in the boot with the seats up, or up to 800 litres with the rear seats folded down. Luggage space in the electric three-door Cooper is identical to that of its combustion twin, but still 99 fewer litres than you get in the Peugeot e-208 with its seats up or 218 with them down. 

Note that doubling over the rear seats creates a small step between the boot floor and the flat rear edge of the folded back row, which can limit and restrict how you stow away your 800 litres. The loading lip is conveniently low, however, even if the boot is relatively shallow.

There’s plenty of storage space around the front end of the cabin, including two fairly small door pockets and one large cubby strip between the two front seats. This is also where you’ll find your wireless charging bay, along with an oblong-shaped ring as your makeshift cup holders. 

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This storage strip extends into the rear, too, jutting out from the centre armrest. It’s about the only storage space you bet in the back of the Cooper E, aside from a pair of thin and shallow pockets for storing your phone or spare change next to either seat.

Is it easy to park?

Yes, the Mini Cooper E is an absolute peach to park. By virtue of its short wheelbase, the Cooper E can fit into almost every reasonable parking space. But since you sit at what feels like just under an arm’s length away from each corner of the car, you’re also granted a strong, perpetual sense of where each wheel is at any given time. 

Coupled with the elite BMW parking assistance camera system you get onboard, and the new Cooper E really is one of the easiest cars to park on the market.

Safety

Euro NCAP hasn’t yet crash tested this generation of MINI, but there’s plenty of safety kit. All models get automatic emergency braking, lane departure assist, blind spot monitoring and a system that’ll warn if you’re about to open your door into the path of a bike or car.