Mini JCW Electric 2025 review – the Alpine A290 has nothing to worry about

On the surface, everything is about right. The new electric Mini JCW has the kind of pert, compact stance, short overhangs and racy addenda that scream hot hatch. Even sitting still, it looks like it’ll be a riot. Then you read the spec sheet and that excitement turns into dread, because this JCW is hiding an embarrassing secret: it weighs 1650kg. Yes, you read that right. That’s an enormous 320kg more than the current petrol JCW, and more even than a BMW 3-series, which for a sub-four-metre three-door supermini is almost inexcusable. We know EVs are heavy, but when the Alpine A290 is 171kg lighter despite having an extra pair of doors and a similarly sized battery, you can’t help but wonder whether the electric JCW has started off on completely the wrong foot.

It’s worth giving it a chance, though, because this is Mini’s most serious effort at an electric hot hatch yet. It builds on the existing Cooper SE, turning its power and dynamics up a notch to take on the Alpine A290, which has so far done the best job of capturing the character of a traditional hot supermini in an EV. With that said, the Alpine certainly leaves room on the table for more personality and excitement, which the JCW has a chance of delivering. 

Under the skin is the bespoke EV platform that sees use in all electric Mini hatches and the Aceman crossover, with the wick turned up for its single front-mounted motor. It's up from 215bhp in the Cooper SE to 254bhp here (when using a paddle-controlled boost mode), outdoing the Alpine A290 GT Performance by 37bhp. Power comes from a 54.2kWh (and apparently rather weighty…)  battery pack mounted within the floor, which is good for a claimed 251 miles of range. That's on par with the Cooper SE, and 25 miles more than the Alpine. Topping up the battery from 10 to 80 per cent takes less than 30 minutes thanks to 95kW DC charging capability. 

The JCW hasn't been designed to make headlines with its performance figures, but we don't mind that – just look at the ragged, 429bhp MG4 XPower for an example of why big power doesn’t always mean big fun in an EV. Still, the JCW hits 62mph in a brisk 5.9sec, with the top speed pegged at 124mph (the A290 is half a second slower to complete the benchmark sprint). The JCW also gets bespoke suspension tuning to make the most of its extra power, and deliver Mini’s trademark ‘go kart’ feel – however cringey that sounds. 

The go kart influence is hardly obvious to begin with, because the underfloor battery means you sit high in the JCW’s cabin, perched on the seat rather than hunkered down in it. The steering wheel is also far, far too thick – you need to be a primate to grip it properly. But the cabin is a delight in places. The use of fabric trim, nifty dash-mounted toggles and the huge, ultra-crisp circular OLED display in the centre make it more modern and upmarket than most cars from the class above. The touchscreen is quick to respond too, though sifting through the myriad menus and submenus can be a chore on the move. There’s a lot going on, but by and large this is a thoughtfully designed and really special interior for a supermini. 

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Twist the start/stop toggle on the dash and the Mini whooshes into life, and sets off to the hum of an onboard driving sound (which can be turned off). Things don’t start off particularly well. As in the petrol JCW, there’s an uncompromising tension to the way it rides that quickly becomes wearing on anything other than super smooth roads. You jostle, jiggle and rock around in the seat as the JCW fights the surface beneath, skipping from bump to bump and never settling into a flow. It’s Mini’s usual flavour of dynamics and ironically, it feels like it was designed for pristine German roads rather than broken British ones. It feels solid around you and doesn’t rattle or shake itself to pieces, but it’s much more tightly wound than an A290. 

The rest of the car has a similarly tetchy, keen feel. You can configure the powertrain response, steering weight and DSC settings within that central screen, and in its most dynamic Go Kart mode, the JCW is quite unruly. Dump the full 251lb ft to the front wheels and the wheel starts pulling at your hands, and in the dry with the traction control off, wheelspin can carry right up to 40mph. A more measured right foot helps get the power down, and once through that initial slip the JCW feels quick, sprightly and urgent up to motorway speeds. It’s not the neck snapping thrust we’ve grown used to from some performance EVs, but it’s about the right level of performance for a hot hatch, and more power would probably give the chassis too much to deal with. It’s frantic as it is. 

Things improve on smooth roads. Without so many bumps and flashes of wheelspin to distract you you can hone in on the Mini’s fundamentals – it’s a sharp, grippy and surprisingly playful car. The steering, though gloopy in its weighting, is quick and points the nose into corners sharply. You’re conscious there’s a chunk of mass beneath you, but it’s concentrated low in the car, so the JCW doesn’t lazily fall onto its outer wheels on turn in. Be aggressive and there’s scope to play with the Mini’s balance, too. Hold the brakes into a corner and the rear loosens up, the car pivoting around its nose in typical hot hatch style and setting up for a straighter exit, riding out some torque steer. It’s no Fiesta ST – it’s far from as delicate or poised across the ground – but you sense that Mini has tried to engineer a sense of fun into the JCW. It’s just gone a step (or three) too far in how tense, busy and unyielding it is. 

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To that end, it’s a car with a more vibrant and frenetic character than the A290, but a much smaller window of capability. The Alpine is a more mature, accomplished and rounded hatch, more enjoyable more of the time. The Mini would get closer if it was less busy and more nuanced, making it more livable and leaving you to enjoy the fun, playful handling that does reveal itself in the right conditions. Losing 200kg wouldn’t hurt, either. 

Price and rivals

Electric hot hatches are flooding in left right and centre, but at £35,455, the JCW’s closest competitor is Alpine’s A290. You need to opt for the £36,000 GT Performance model to get the most powerful 217bhp motor, and though it’s outgunned by the Mini on paper, the A290 is a more sophisticated, satisfying all-round hatch – if lacking the edge of a truly hot one. 

Lower down the food chain there’s Abarth’s 500e, which offers 150bhp in a feisty, £30k package. Its bigger brother, the 600e, is a closer match to the Mini on price at £36,985, and comes with a healthier 237bhp motor. 

From the dark side of petrol power, there’s the £30,740, 204bhp Volkswagen Polo GTI to choose from, as well as Mini’s own petrol JCW hatch at £33,815. But be warned – it’s no less unruly than the EV.