Photo: MINI
MINI continues to reshape itself and with the introduction of the new Clubman they British company is entering a new segment, a new class, a new era. Yes, the Clubman grew in size, a lot, but that was no accident.
It turns out the car was specifically developed to enter the premium compact class and take on new challenges. Therefore, you shouldn’t be surprised by the fact that it’s now this big. Compared to the 5-door hatchback version, the Clubman has 27 extra centimeters (10.6 inches) in length, is wider by 9 centimeters (3.5 inches) and has a wheelbase that is 10 centimeters (4 inches) longer.
As you can imagine, this increase in size allows the Clubman to offer more comfort inside as well as more room to store luggage. With the seats up the boot, size goes up to 360 liters. The second row of seats can be folded though, in a 40:20:40 manner and therefore you can get up to 1,250 liters of storage room back there.
Access to that impressive amount of space is done via the barn-style doors at the back that were kept on and seem to be a brilliant choice, making this model stand out not only in the MINI line-up but the rest of the automotive world too.
As for the exterior design, things look as we expected them to. The front end is nothing special, borrowing elements from the Hardtop. The only exception being the Air Curtain feature at the front wheel arches. The silhouette is stretched and hosts four doors on the sides along with a shoulder contour that makes the car look wider than it actually is.
The roof line is clean and straight, the only thing ruining its perfection being the antenna that has a red alarm system status light. The big changes happened in the back, where the new horizontal lights were added, closely resembling the ones on the concept unveiled more than a year ago.
For the Clubman models alone, new paint finishes were added to the mix like Melting Silver Metallic and Pure Burgundy metallic that you can admire in the photo gallery below.
The instrument panel is broad with cockpit fascia frame in the upper section. The circular central instrument is integrated with the dash using the same LED lighting ring as on the hardtop, and the same can be said about the air conditioning control unit and toggle switches located under it.
The changes can be noticed on the door panels, where the speakers have a different design and so do the door bins. The dash features a new surround that can be made of various materials, from wood to metal while the air vents are no longer circular. The HVAC controls area is also surrounded by new trims.
The center console is new, higher and wider than on the hardtop. It has an armrest that doesn’t protrude into the MINI Controller are and we’re guessing you can now use them together, unlike on the hatches. The same center console houses the electric parking brake, new storage compartments, two cup holders and decorative trips.
Furthermore, the seats show a different design with contrasting stitching and a new styling. They certainly look better, but we’ll have to sit in them to tell you exactly what the difference is.
Going up in the range reveals yet another premiere for MINI: the first 8-speed automatic gearboxes ever used on the British branded cars. The MINI Cooper S Clubman and MINI Cooper D Clubman models can be had with the Aisin-sourced 8-speed gearbox found on UKL-built BMWs. The Cooper S version can also be had with an 8-speed Sport transmission that has launch control.
Speaking of which, the Cooper S has the same 2-liter 4-cylinder petrol turbocharged engine as its hatch brothers making 192 HP while the Cooper D version has another premiere under its bonnet. It uses the B47 2-liter 4-cylinder diesel engine making 150 HP from the BMW family. Thanks to the new 8-speed automatic gearbox, it should be pretty economical. According to early estimates, it should sip between 4.4 and 4.1 l/100 km (53-57 mpg).
The rotary switch at the base of the gearshift lever is still there, allowing you to go through the three driving modes the car offers, from MID to SPORT and GREEN.
Other notable tech features include the Head-Up Display, Parking Assistant, rear view camera and Driving Assistant including a camera-based active cruise control feature, collision and pedestrian warning with initial brake function, high-beam assistant and road sign detection.
The Clubman should go on sale later this year or early in 2016. Prices haven’t been unveiled just yet but with this upmarket move, don’t expect them to be small by any means. We’ll see it in the metal for the first time at the Frankfurt Auto Show this fall.
As you can imagine, this increase in size allows the Clubman to offer more comfort inside as well as more room to store luggage. With the seats up the boot, size goes up to 360 liters. The second row of seats can be folded though, in a 40:20:40 manner and therefore you can get up to 1,250 liters of storage room back there.
Access to that impressive amount of space is done via the barn-style doors at the back that were kept on and seem to be a brilliant choice, making this model stand out not only in the MINI line-up but the rest of the automotive world too.
As for the exterior design, things look as we expected them to. The front end is nothing special, borrowing elements from the Hardtop. The only exception being the Air Curtain feature at the front wheel arches. The silhouette is stretched and hosts four doors on the sides along with a shoulder contour that makes the car look wider than it actually is.
The roof line is clean and straight, the only thing ruining its perfection being the antenna that has a red alarm system status light. The big changes happened in the back, where the new horizontal lights were added, closely resembling the ones on the concept unveiled more than a year ago.
For the Clubman models alone, new paint finishes were added to the mix like Melting Silver Metallic and Pure Burgundy metallic that you can admire in the photo gallery below.
The interior
We really hoped that we would see more of the concept’s interior design on the production model but knew that was highly unlikely. And indeed, nothing special stands out but there are plenty of differences compared to the rest of the line-up.The instrument panel is broad with cockpit fascia frame in the upper section. The circular central instrument is integrated with the dash using the same LED lighting ring as on the hardtop, and the same can be said about the air conditioning control unit and toggle switches located under it.
The changes can be noticed on the door panels, where the speakers have a different design and so do the door bins. The dash features a new surround that can be made of various materials, from wood to metal while the air vents are no longer circular. The HVAC controls area is also surrounded by new trims.
The center console is new, higher and wider than on the hardtop. It has an armrest that doesn’t protrude into the MINI Controller are and we’re guessing you can now use them together, unlike on the hatches. The same center console houses the electric parking brake, new storage compartments, two cup holders and decorative trips.
Furthermore, the seats show a different design with contrasting stitching and a new styling. They certainly look better, but we’ll have to sit in them to tell you exactly what the difference is.
The first MINI with an 8-speed transmission
With the Clubman being so generous in size, some appropriately sized engines were needed as well. Therefore, at launch, the new car will be available with three engine choices. The entry level Cooper Clubman will be using a 1.5-liter 3-cylinder engine making 136 HP. This will be available with a choice of two 6-speed gearboxes: one manual and one automatic.Going up in the range reveals yet another premiere for MINI: the first 8-speed automatic gearboxes ever used on the British branded cars. The MINI Cooper S Clubman and MINI Cooper D Clubman models can be had with the Aisin-sourced 8-speed gearbox found on UKL-built BMWs. The Cooper S version can also be had with an 8-speed Sport transmission that has launch control.
Speaking of which, the Cooper S has the same 2-liter 4-cylinder petrol turbocharged engine as its hatch brothers making 192 HP while the Cooper D version has another premiere under its bonnet. It uses the B47 2-liter 4-cylinder diesel engine making 150 HP from the BMW family. Thanks to the new 8-speed automatic gearbox, it should be pretty economical. According to early estimates, it should sip between 4.4 and 4.1 l/100 km (53-57 mpg).
New technologies included too
As part of the tech package for the Clubman, MINI included things like DSC, DTC and an Electronic Differential Lock Control (EDLC, only on the Cooper S) as standard. The EDLC uses the brakes to simulate a limited-slip differential. Basically, it appropriately brakes a spinning drive wheel on tight corners, redirecting the drive torque to the other wheel. The dampers and springs have also been specifically developed to offer the same go-kart feel as the rest of the line-up.The rotary switch at the base of the gearshift lever is still there, allowing you to go through the three driving modes the car offers, from MID to SPORT and GREEN.
Other notable tech features include the Head-Up Display, Parking Assistant, rear view camera and Driving Assistant including a camera-based active cruise control feature, collision and pedestrian warning with initial brake function, high-beam assistant and road sign detection.
The Clubman should go on sale later this year or early in 2016. Prices haven’t been unveiled just yet but with this upmarket move, don’t expect them to be small by any means. We’ll see it in the metal for the first time at the Frankfurt Auto Show this fall.
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