The design of the Mini Aceman has leaked online over a month before its official unveiling, which was due to take place at the Beijing motor show on 24 April.
The new images posted to Cochespias.net reveal a close resemblance to the larger Countryman, below which the Aceman will sit in Mini’s line-up.
They also confirm that the Aceman will receive a John Cooper Works (JCW) range-topper with larger wheels, low-profile rubber and racing-inspired stickers.
The Aceman will share much of its mechanical make-up with the new Cooper electric hatchback, using a stretched version of its Spotlight architecture.
Billed as the Mini with the broadest appeal, the Aceman is 192mm longer, 23mm wider and 130mm taller than the Cooper.
Power will come from a single motor at the front axle, with an output of either 181bhp or 215bhp.
The former is capable of sending the Cooper from 0-62mph in 7.3sec, while the latter reduces this to 6.7sec, and the Aceman should achieve broadly similar times.
As with the Cooper, two battery packs will be offered, with capacities corresponding to the motor’s output: the 181bhp car will have a 40kWh pack and the 215bhp model will receive a 54kWh unit.
In the Cooper, these yield official WLTP ranges of 188 miles and 248 miles respectively.
Charging rates will be limited to 95kW, almost matching the rival Jeep Avenger’s 100kW but behind the Renault Mégane E-Tech (130kW) and Volvo EX30 (134kW-plus).
The JCW version will not be differentiated by powertrain changes but by a more aggressive chassis set-up, as recently outlined to Autocar by Mini product line boss Stefan Floeck.
He said: “The most important thing when it’s a front-driven car is that on one side you have a big benefit, because the centre of gravity is lower because you have the battery in the bottom.
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It's kind of cool, and at least it looks a bit different. I like it.
It looks ever so marginally better, but nowhere near good, wrapped in the pink and turquoise wallpaper. It is I believe made by Great Wall and based on the ORA Funky Cat (or whatever that is now called.)
Looks too much like the (now much larger) Countryman, and its a big shame they couldn't have done without all the black plastic cladding, which makes it look clumsy. The new MINI Cooper Electric lokks so much better for its smoother flanks.