Head-to-head: Style over range?

Some will buy these cars based on their looks alone, although both have plenty of substance to back up the style

MINI Electric

THE MINI hatch range as a whole has always leant heavily on the original Mini’s styling, but given the car is also available with internal combustion engines that require a lot more moving parts, its look isn’t quite as radical. Some will like that, some won’t.

However, the basic styling of the MINI, with some EV adaptations for this Electric model, means it still looks great, with a big insert for the grille and the option of alloy wheels that look like a three-pin plug, even though they aren’t fitted to our test car.

It’s instantly recognisable and continues the success MINI has had in the modern era when it comes to design.

The interior isn’t as radical as the Honda’s, though, with a digital dash of sorts (it can’t show the nav map and is less sophisticated in the information it can display) and a conventional infotainment system surrounded by the LED rev counter that indicates speed and electric motor rpm in this model.

There are Sport, Mid, Green and Green + driving modes in the MINI. The Honda offers normal and Eco, but there’s no Sport mode.

The MINI’s charging port takes the place of the fuel filler, so it’s mounted on the offside rear panel. This means it might not be quite as flexible as the Honda when it comes to home or public charging, but again, the cables offer enough length so it’s not that much of a problem. The MINI image is still strong, but compared with the Honda here, it’s the e that feels like the more advanced machine when it comes to technology and styling.