The MINI – as iconic as pop art or The Beatles – started life as a sensible family car. While it can still port around mum, dad, and a couple of kids, these days the car looks more like a stylish sporty coupé.

The MINI was always more suited to urban driving than epic road trips along Route 66 – if any car was made for an electric variant, this is it. The MINI Electric retains the bubbly personality of its predecessors while adding premium bells and whistles.

Importantly, it’s still a fun drive: a safe-yet-sporty five-star go-kart immortalised by Michael Caine in The Italian Job. MINI Electric covers up to 233 kilometres between charges: a reasonable mileage considering the average person drives 80km a day. Recharging stops won’t take a lifetime. According to MINI, a fast charger can top up the battery in 35 minutes.

Every version of the car includes an 8.8-inch touch screen with navigation, Apple CarPlay and MINI Connected functionality. There’s a rear-view camera, LED headlights, and heated leatherette seats for warm bums on cold days. The MINI allows a little space to go a long way – seating in the back can be folded down to expand into the boot – and the electric motor and battery pack don’t infringe on the car’s interior real estate.

There’s an electronic greeting signal when you start up the car, but that’s the most noise you’ll get out of it. The MINI Electric whispers around town: zero noise to accompany its zero admissions. Pricier versions of the car allow owners to customise colours on the bodywork, mirrors and roof. The Level 2 model is selling in showrooms for €38,075.

See the full feature in the current issue of Hot Press – out now: