The Mini Concept Aceman crossover exemplifies Mini design's future and is hip.

An electric urban crossover, the Aceman sits between the Hatch and Countryman.

The covers of Mini's most recent concept, the Mini Concept Aceman, have been taken off. The Aceman will be produced, and its designer, Oliver Heilmer, claims that it is very similar to the model we anticipate seeing on the road in 2024. This is not just a wild idea.

The Mini Concept Aceman is designed to be in the middle of the Mini family, between the Countryman and the Hatch in terms of size. We asked Heilmer if there was a connection to the Paceman, which also sat in this middle position, had a crossover design, and had a name that was almost identical to that of the Paceman. He said that it was completely different.

The Acemen is a brand-new Mini design that exemplifies the brand's future direction. The design goes further, with creases on the exterior designed to imitate the weld seams from the classic Mini and a liberal use of Union Jack flag motifs, to evoke memories of the Swinging Sixties - and that's really where Mini is heading: a turning point for the brand as it moves into a more eco-friendly future.

Mini's goal for the Aceman is to go entirely electric by 2030. However, Mini also wants to reduce the overall impact of the vehicle by using recycled and sustainable materials instead of things like leather and chrome.

The spacious cabin and advantages of an electric powertrain are evident in the interior. The interior interface has been simplified to just the central dial and row of toggle switches.

Again, the toggle switches that control the parking brake, gear selection, Experience Mode, and volume are present in both the current Mini and the original Mini from the 1960s.

The new central OLED display, which Mini claims is based on the current system (which is in turn based on BMW's system), is powered by Android. The concept focuses instead on the Experience Modes, with no real indication of the possible practical day-to-day functionality. After all, this is just an idea.

Mini is also utilizing projection technology in this concept to beam graphics and information onto the dash in order to expand beyond the display's limitations. This can, for instance, display an extended map across the car's dashboard, which looks great but probably isn't very useful when driving.

These systems play a big role in digital customization because they work with the car's sound system, which we mean the exterior sound system rather than the interior sound system, and the graphics on the car's exterior reflect this.

Some of this is still in concept form and is entertaining, such as the digital graphics that run across the front of the car and through the headlights. However, Mini claims that it is theoretically possible to have patterns for the rear lights that can be customized. The Union Jack pattern is already available on the current Mini, and the suggestion here is that you can either turn it on if you want it or turn it off.

We wouldn't be surprised to see Union Jack rear lights as a subscription option on a future Mini, given that BMW recently opened up a variety of subscription options like heated seats.

On the Mini Concept Aceman, there is a lot to see, from the knitted interior to the sporty Union Jack roof rack. The wheels on the production model will be slightly smaller and narrower, but the majority of what you see is likely to be carried over into the vehicle that leaves the assembly line in 2024.

The Mini Aceman, which was made to be a high-end urban crossover, has no information about its price, performance, or range, but we can anticipate hearing a lot more about it until 2023.