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The little, electric 2020 Mini Cooper SE finally has a price tag

With a starting retail price of $29,900, the Mini makes a somewhat surprising argument for itself on value alone.

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Mini's first fully electric Cooper is much cheaper than we'd have thought.

Andrew Hoyle/Roadshow

The electric Mini SE has been on our radar for a long time now. We've driven it, we've seen it without camouflage, and now, thanks to an announcement by  Mini  on Monday, we know how much it's going to cost.

The 2020 Mini SE will retail for $29,900 in the US before any kind of tax credits or incentives. For comparison, a two-door Cooper S is $27,900 before any options, so going electric really isn't going to be that much of a premium.

But surely, you must be thinking that for $29,900, it'll be a stripped-out base model, right? Actually, the answer to that is nope. The standard features list is surprisingly decent. For your money, you get navigation with a 6.5-inch display, heated seats, keyless access, LED lighting, automatic wipers and leatherette upholstery. It's not a Bentley, but for thirty grand, it ain't bad.

How does it compare to a Cooper S in outright performance? Pretty dang well. The Cooper SE makes 181 horsepower and 199 pound-feet of torque compared to the Cooper S' 189 hp and frankly staggering 280 lb-ft. Which would win in a drag race? That's tough to say, but we wouldn't count the EV out.

When it comes to range, we're still waiting on an EPA-certified range estimate, but the European WLTP cycle places it between 146 and 168 miles. We'd expect the EPA to rate it a little lower. Still, that's more than enough range for most people in a day. If it's not quite enough, the little electric Mini can take advantage of DC fast charging at rates of up to 50 kilowatts.

The 2020 Mini Cooper SE will start showing up in US showrooms in March of next year.

Watch this: AutoComplete: Mini debuts the Cooper SE in all its highlighter-yellow glory

2020 Mini Cooper SE zaps its way onto the scene with battery-electric power

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Kyle Hyatt Former news and features editor
Kyle Hyatt (he/him/his) hails originally from the Pacific Northwest, but has long called Los Angeles home. He's had a lifelong obsession with cars and motorcycles (both old and new).
Kyle Hyatt
Kyle Hyatt (he/him/his) hails originally from the Pacific Northwest, but has long called Los Angeles home. He's had a lifelong obsession with cars and motorcycles (both old and new).

Article updated on October 28, 2019 at 6:00 AM PDT

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Kyle Hyatt Former news and features editor
Kyle Hyatt (he/him/his) hails originally from the Pacific Northwest, but has long called Los Angeles home. He's had a lifelong obsession with cars and motorcycles (both old and new).
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