MINI Aceman vs Suzuki e VITARA

The MINI Aceman costs £2,061 more than the Suzuki e VITARA. On the headline specs that premium buys little measurable advantage - the two are closely matched on range, charging and space. The Suzuki e VITARA is not just cheaper - it also offers 75 kW faster peak rapid charging and a 3.1s quicker 0-62mph time. On EVcarsguide's combined category scores, the MINI Aceman comes out ahead overall.

The Suzuki e VITARA is £2,061 cheaper to buy. Running costs are almost identical - about £136 a year either way, at 8,000 miles on an off-peak home tariff. Add 5 years of charging and the Suzuki e VITARA comes out roughly £1,941 cheaper overall. These figures cover list price and home charging only - insurance, servicing, tyres and depreciation will move the real total.

EVcarsguide estimates a real-world motorway range of about 159 miles for the MINI Aceman and 162 miles for the Suzuki e VITARA - effectively matched, and both well below their WLTP figures because sustained high speed is the hardest case for an EV. A rapid charge to 80% takes around 29 minutes in the MINI Aceman and 45 in the Suzuki e VITARA, so the MINI Aceman loses less time at each stop.

The MINI Aceman is the easier car for tight UK car parks: it is 46 mm narrower than the Suzuki e VITARA. In a standard 2,400 mm bay that leaves about 646 mm of total clearance for the MINI Aceman and about 600 mm of total clearance for the Suzuki e VITARA. The Suzuki e VITARA also turns in a 0.4 m tighter circle, which helps with U-turns and multi-storey ramps.

Over a 8-year ownership window EVcarsguide's degradation model projects roughly 84% battery health for the MINI Aceman and 90% for the Suzuki e VITARA. That gives the Suzuki e VITARA a modest edge in retained real-world range. The Suzuki e VITARA's LFP-type pack tolerates daily 100% charging, while the MINI Aceman's NMC-type pack lasts longest kept to about 80% for everyday use.