A three-door MINI using the electric expertise of parent, BMW Group (think BMW i3). Intrigued? You should be.

Price: $59,900

Powertrain and range: Single electric motor with 135kW/270Nm, single-speed transmission, 32.6kWh battery, 235km range (WLTP), FWD.

Vital statistics: 3850mm long, 1727mm wide, 1414mm high, 2495mm wheelbase, luggage capacity 211 litres, 17-inch alloy wheels.

We like: Easy and highly enjoyable to drive, delivers essential MINI elements.

We don't like: Short changes on range, confusing switchgear, phone recharge pad design.

SO much about what MINI is now traces back to what it became in its first life – a fun-loving darling wild child of the Swinging Sixties.

Becoming the life of the party then was really chapter two of the car’s story; it really starts in more sobering fashion, in the decade prior, with British Motor Corporation signing off on the design for more dramatic reason: To meet a crisis.

Britain was in the midst of the Suez Crisis that was causing significant fuel shortages. What got the car into production was urgent need to present a thriftier car than anything BMC was building back then.

Of course, as history relates, in the long run, an ability to better eke excitement from every drop of petrol ultimately took a back seat. What really drove the car to fantastic success and almost global greatness were the car’s dynamic flair and endearingly timeless design (so iconic that Rover Group registered the shape as a trademark in the 1990s).

When BMW took over rights to MINI, they quite properly focused on reinvigorating that chic characteristics; many modern age MINIs have subsequently rolled out in different sizes and silhouettes since, all have kept that familiar and famous flavour.

It’s fitting the model that resonates most strongly with history, the Hatch, now leads the way into a whole new adventure. Despite having had to eschew pretty much every design signature of the first cars, mainly for sake of safety – so, no visible welded seams and external door and boot hinges, no sliding windows, string-pull door latch releases and so on – it nonetheless cleverly has the strongest connect to the past with three doors, the most compact dimensions and the cheekiest on-road nip and zip flair.

All those factors fuel the logic for it being the car as driven today; in a format that takes the MINI full circle, in that it has only become necessary through dint of another fuel crisis. One somewhat more serious than Suez.

Meeting fads is something MINIs have always done well, but anyone who imagines that the make’s first fully electric car is here simply to appeal to a moment of emergent populism are missing the point entirely.

The world is turning away from fossil fuels. Electric cars are, at least in the short term, the best alternate. Accordingly, as much as it come across as being a fun-first toy, the variant that arrives here with a 32.6kWh battery that is sandwiched into the floor of the car and a 137kW electric motor that drives the front wheels via a single-speed automatic transmission is a serious first step toward a future into which this maker, like every other looking to keep in the car business, must fully engage.

Even so, we’re not yet at the point where electric is a must-have, so logically the car still has to sell itself on more than just efficiency.

It’s probably just as well the Cooper SE – which, strictly speaking, is the correct name for what will inevitably be called the ‘MINI Electric’ – can firmly relate credibility as a fun drive.

In reality, it’s not quite the best example to use when mounting argument for why battery variants score an ohm run over fossil-fuelled equivalents.

As with many EVs, the full benefits will only reveal in the long run. It is pricier than many fossil fuelled MINIs and doesn’t look too hot when comparing with other like-priced battery pure products. If the lens is on proficiency and practicality, and cares not for panache, then the NZ-new Nissan Leaf and the Hyundai Ioniq that sell for much the same might seem more sensible; being larger, more functional and offering much better range.

I’ve driven enough EVs now to accept that manufacturer-cited maximum ranges, and even WLTP-attested efficiencies, should not be considered as absolutes by any stretch. In this instance, the maker claim, backed by WLTP evidence, that the Cooper SE should provision up to 235 kilometres between charges simply raises thought that German and British electricity is to a higher strength than ours.

The car was picked up in fully-charged state. The computer said it would offer 173kms’ driving before requiring recharge. Interesting.

The first drive was the longest, a 165km run open run. But that was directly A to B. I also put in around 40kms urban driving first. That actually didn’t seem to hurt it too much.

When I finally hit the 100km sector, it still suggested ability to complete the big journey with about 10kms’ margin. I replenished the battery by direct current fast charge (13 minutes, 9.38kWh taken on, for $5.75) at a ChargeNet station with 40 minutes’ driving to go, but probably didn’t need to; at that point it still had around 35 percent charge remaining.

On arriving home, I plugged it in; I don’t have a home charger so it drew off a normal wall socket. No ideal, but all I could do. Recharging the battery back to 100 percent health took from 1.30pm until 9.30pm. This time the car attested expectation of provisioning me with 186kms range.

The rest of the test period was to that formula. Drive around all day, mainly short journeys, recharge at night in my garage. But every time the battery returned to an indicated full charge, the trip computer estimated a slightly lower range; just 160km from the final zap. Huh?

As much as a shorter than expected range niggled a bit, it never actually annoyed and certainly didn’t lessen the overall enjoyment factor. However, it did cement impression that it’s likely better off in the role I tend to envisage all MINIs doing best. Being a car aimed at typical urban commuters who don't face long daily journeys and, perhaps more to the point, want an electric car to be stylish. It fills that role admirably and, I guess, if you were to get caught short on that duty, there’s no need to scurry home. It’s all set up for a rapid DC charger, which will get the battery back up to 80 percent in 35 minutes.

As for the money? Well, sure, it does look pricey when there are so many enthusiast-tailored small -admittedly non-electric - cars that give just as much pleasure and cost considerably less, but you can’t really hang the Cooper SE out to dry for being expensive. That’s a burden all MINIs seem to carry.

In fairness, even the cheap ones don’t feel budget. Premium translates into top quality content and build and a fulsome equipment level. The test car was in a First Edition trim that delivered with a digital instrument cluster and large central touch screen, a head up display, cruise control and dual-zone air conditioning, heated seats, keyless entry, reversing camera with front and rear parking sensors and a number of driver assistance features including speed limit and traffic sign information, automatic emergency braking for pedestrians and high-beam assistance. It also ran a Harman/Kardon sound system and a panoramic glass sunroof. There’s also wireless phone charging and dual zone air that uses heat pump technology. Very snazzy.

Drawbacks? Aside from the usual pointlessly confusing switchgear madness, the biggest issue with a three-door MINI Hatch is that the rear passenger space is useless. It's best to only think of the back seats as somewhere to throw a bag.

The boot is the same volume as any other Hatch, so don’t go overboard at Bunnings: It's shallow and has just 211 litres’ volume, so anything beyond a few shopping bags is going to require some planning. What is useful is the additional bit of storage under the boot floor; this is where the charging cable will live.

By the way, it’s easy to pick it’s the ‘electric one.’ The 'E' badges on either end and embossed in the battery charge port cap and the wheels are meant to resemble a three-pin plug socket. Another indicator to it not having a bar of Planet Oil is the Energetic Yellow colour across the front of the blanked-off grille and on the door mirror caps, too.

There’s another giveaway. To accept the drivetrain – which is basically the one from the BMW i3, but reversed (and re-engineered for driving via the steering wheels) so that the battery sits in a T-shape with the crossbar under the back and the rest in a tunnel between the front seats - the Electric sits 18mm taller than a regular Hatch. You might not twig, as modified wheel arch and sill covers hide the difference.

The ‘MINI-ness’ to how it drives and performs comes through well. With the additional weight of the battery and other powertrain-related parts, the Electric incurs a 225kg weight increase of the equivalent MINI Cooper S.

However, the fact that the majority of that weight is set low in the chassis means the extra burden isn't all that apparent. If anything, the lower centre of gravity improves that grippy, go-kart feeling that the MINI is known for and always bangs on about. The steering is nicely weighted, with that typical slightly-heavier-than-normal feel that is a signature of sporty MINIs. Ride quality is generally never that great with MINIs but it’s not too bad here. We’re not talking magic carpet ride but the suspension has clearly been recalibrated and even biggish bumps are easily absorbed, as are smaller imperfections. Of course, on such a small wheelbase, it’s no limo.

A top speed of 150kmh reminds it isn't a fast car overall but neither is it a slow one in the speed bands that are more relevant. The initial step-off is majorly decent – 0-100kmh in 7.3 seconds - and it maintains that sense of urgency around city streets. The four drive modes vary the amount of power available, but I ran a fair distance at 100kmh in the ‘eco’ modes and it didn’t feel tardy. Snick in Sport and, of course, it is far more enlivening, though this also draws more power, so will shorten a range that’s already about 40 percent down on what you’d get from a petrol version.

Decent levels of energy recovery are there too when you lift off the accelerator. There are two regen settings, the higher being strong enough to be considered one-pedal driving.

The only element absent is a pukka aural signature. It does emit a bit of warble at low speed, presumably as a pedestrian warning, and when gaining impetus at higher speed there’s some shrillness. But never could it be called rorty. I can’t imagine the forthcoming John Cooper Works edition will be allowed to get away with sounding like a giant Scalextric car, as this one does.

The saving grace, and the big attraction, is that even with an anodyne soundtrack, the car is far from anonymous, because it looks great. Beyond that, it is fun to drive, acquits perfectly well as a chic inner-city plaything and can also sustain open road trips, albeit of no more than several hours.

Life is going to be different in an electric age. Cars like this will at least keep it interesting.