Alpine A290 GTS vs MINI Aceman SE 2026: which hot hatch EV wins?

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Identical 218 hp doesn’t make two electric cars alike. In AUTO BILD’s comparison test, the Alpine A290 GTS turned out to be almost 300 kg lighter than the MINI Aceman SE — and that weight difference is exactly what makes the French model feel sharper and more emotional to drive. It didn’t translate into an overall win, though. The A290 GTS reacts faster to the throttle, changes direction more eagerly, and holds off understeer longer. Its steering feeds back more information, the body responds more actively to load changes, and the driver feels more connected to the road. The flip side of that character: the car struggles to hold a calm straight line on rough surfaces and demands more attention. The MINI is tuned differently. The Aceman SE feels heavier and starts sliding at the front axle sooner, but its behavior is calmer, the body leans less, the seats are comfier, and the rear bench is far better suited to adult passengers. In the end, AUTO BILD gave it an overall score of 2.1 against 2.3 for the Alpine — 557 points out of 800 versus 535. On paper, the Aceman SE makes 218 hp and 330 Nm, hits 100 km/h in 7.2 seconds and can cover up to 406 km on the WLTP cycle. Its battery holds a usable 49.2 kWh, and fast charging at up to 95 kW takes 31 minutes from 10 to 80%. The A290 GTS has the same 218 hp but 300 Nm; Alpine claims a 0–100 km/h sprint of 6.5 seconds, and its 52 kWh battery accepts up to 100 kW of DC charging. The GTS currently starts at €45,000. Spec-sheet numbers, though, don’t tell the whole story of a real-world drive. In the mixed test, the MINI managed roughly 30 km more range than the Alpine, and driven hard, both cars’ range dropped below 200 km. That’s exactly why there are two different winners here. For an everyday car, AUTO BILD picked the Aceman SE: it’s roomier, calmer and more efficient. But if 218 electric horses are bought mainly for a winding road, the A290 GTS came out noticeably closer to a classic hot hatch.

SPEEDME.RU previously reported that the MINI Aceman SE launched in Australia with up to 405 km of range.