Mini turns on all-electric charm as it mixes past and future

So even though your steering is grounded on gravel as you drive, you are “travelling” through a virtual wonderland of roads.

This VR is enormously detailed and ever-changing. Colourful city streets merge with, and meld into, dramatic new scenarios such as a precipitous dive into darkest space.

I felt I was falling into a black hole only to emerge into a Star-Trek-like ­array of planets.

Anyone on the outside would never have suspected what was going on – ­other than there was a man with goggles (me) driving a new Mini Cooper electric.

So you have three time dimensions tied into the launch of the Mini electric: the past, from which the new generation Mini draws today’s stylistic, practical cues and dynamics, to the future where VR and AI are projecting visual bites of profound future change in mobility.

But it’s all in the present now. This Mini electric is new from the ground up, based on electric car underpinnings while the previous Mini was built for petrol engines.

It is due here in a couple of months and it will cost from €36,330 for the E model and €41,760 for the SE version. It’s a fair old whack of cash, I agree, especially with lower-price pressures in a shrinking market.

It is a larger, even sturdier looking car now with those front “surprised to see you” LED head lamps marking out this fifth generation of the three-door for another departure on a long road to tomorrow.

It’s all there: small overhangs, short bonnet, long wheelbase with large wheels (from 16ins), flush door handles, classic side scuttles, and those circular headlights. The suspension, damping system and increased track are all tuned for better handling.

Inside is totally dominated by the gigantic circular screen interface that’s clever in display and function. A few key physical buttons slot in underneath. Materials are good quality and vary a lot from car trim so there’s a lot to choose from. Room at the back, as is to be expected, is suitable for younger children.

The Mini Cooper E has a 184hp electric motor (0-100kmh in 7.3 seconds). The Cooper SE version generates 218hp (6.7 seconds to 100kmh and felt it). There was an abundance of the famous “go-kart feel”.

The range between full recharge is up to a claimed 305km, which isn’t great for the Cooper E based on its useable energy 40.7kWh battery. The SE can, they say, cover 402km because of a larger 54.2 kWh battery.

The Cooper has three trims: Classic, Exclusive and Sport. The first two are mostly applied to the cabin while Sport emphasises dynamic driving.

Meanwhile, “experience” modes – Core, Green, Go-Kart and more – have their own user interface design. You can change modes with the flick of a toggle switch, for example, Green Mode for more efficient performance. ​

Inside, the curved dashboard gets textile surfaces for the first time. The ones in our test cars looked and felt classy, though I wonder how some greyer colours will cope with wear and tear.

Using Operating System 9, the OLED circular display interface means you can work all vehicle functions with either touch or voice control. On top is vehicle-related information such as speed and battery status. You use the lower down menu items for navigation, media, phone and climate. You can access all other menu functions in the same way as on a smartphone.

The Personal Assistant can be activated by calling out “Hey Mini” or by using the push-to-talk steering wheel button.

The battery can be charged via alternating current with 11kW. Fast charging with direct current is possible in the Cooper E with 75kW and in the SE with up to 95kW. Charging from 10pc to 80pc takes just under 30 minutes.

There you have it, an all-electric new Mini that drives well, feels premium and still charms. Not sure you can get charm on virtual reality goggles.