DS DS9 E-Tense 250 vs MINI Cooper SE FWD: which is truly faster?

Off the line, the Cooper SE FWD hits 100 km/h in 7.32 s versus 8.36 s for the DS9 E-Tense 250. At this point, the Cooper SE FWD leads by 1.04 s and sits roughly 15 m ahead.

At 200 metres, the Cooper SE FWD is doing 124 km/h against 121 km/h for the DS9 E-Tense 250. The gap is 0.70 s. The challenger starts to claw back ground.

At 400 metres standing start, the Cooper SE FWD crosses the line in 15.46 s versus 16.22 s. The 0.76 s gap represents roughly 32 m of track - a gap visible to the naked eye.

Past 400 metres, the situation changes. The Cooper SE FWD maxes out at 150 km/h while the DS9 E-Tense 250 keeps accelerating towards 235 km/h. At 600 metres, the gap has dropped to 0.42 s.

Around 725 metres, both vehicles are level. This is the inversion point: the DS9 E-Tense 250 overcomes its launch deficit thanks to a 85 km/h higher top speed.

At 1,000 metres, the DS9 E-Tense 250 finishes in 28.57 s versus 29.86 s. The 1.29 s delta in favour of the DS9 E-Tense 250 shows that top speed makes a clear difference.

Electronically capped at 150 km/h, the Cooper SE FWD never reaches its natural aerodynamic ceiling in this duel. That’s not a physical limit of the motor - it’s a deliberate manufacturer decision, typically tied to standard-fit tyre ratings or model-range positioning.

With two plug-in hybrid powertrains, the difference comes down to power-to-weight ratio (7.51 kg/hp vs 7.42 kg/hp) and transmission (Automatic vs Automatic).

In European road use (130 km/h max), both vehicles reach the legal speed limit in under 12.32 seconds. The 1.04 s difference in 0 to 100 km/h is mostly felt in motorway merging and overtaking.