The Mini has long been a hit. Now, with the extra space of the Clubman and a diesel version that has the same carbon emissions as a Toyota Prius, this car would seem a no-brainer. But is it starting to sacrifice functionality for fashion asks Michael McAleer, Motoring editor
If Alec Issigonis's original creation was a motoring success, then its latterday replacement is just as much a marketing star. For those looking at our modern marketing-led society, the Mini is a pretty good case study.
Where the original offered compact, practical motoring, the current model is created not to suit the buyers needs, but rather their desires. Practicality is not top of the shopping list for the current generation of Mini owners: rather they are seeking street cred.
When the designers sat down to draw out the modern Mini, they were working off a fantastic template first penned by Issigonis back in the 1950s. What they had to do was carefully preserve the rose-tinted image of the original, building on imagery from the big screen appearances in The Italian Job.
Rather than reality, it was romantic imagery they were moulding.
To that end, the people at Mini most certainly did a good job. They have managed to create a populist model with premium pricing.
The dilemma facing the brand, however, is how to maintain the strong sales. Just how do you stretch what is in effect a one model brand? Can you build a people-carrying Mini, or an SUV for that matter. Well, in their own way, that's exactly what the marketing gurus at Mini are attempting at present.
First up is this supposedly five-seater "estate" version of the Mini. Next up - in 2009 - will be a similar diminutive take on the SUV. Both models can actually claim some Mini pedigree: the brand had a semi-off-road version before - the Moke, also designed by Issigonis - and most certainly there was a little estate version, known as the Traveller or Countryman.
The big question is whether the public will take to the Clubman as lovingly as they did to the current range. Initial impressions seem to suggest they will.
We found ourselves testing the Mini Clubman through the festive period. The good news for the marketing types is that, despite the sheer hell of Christmas traffic, even the most battered and bruised commuter would rustle up a smile for the Clubman. Stop at any car park and you were sure of attention. It was all positive.
On the road, our Cooper S version could clearly keep pace with most of the traffic, and where Mondeo man and his ilk expected us to be a cute and cuddly city car, they soon discovered that, in this guise at least, the Clubman packs a punch. The peppy 1.6-litre engine has a wonderful engine note and is chomping at the bit from the moment you push the start button.
So, is the car a hit? Well, not quite. For whatever the public fondness for all things Mini, the fact remains that smart marketing and a determination to take the retro road has won out over everyday practicality.
Let's start with the body format. Yes, it's an estate format, but even Mini isn't mad enough to claim it's a proper load lugger. What they do say is that there is an increase in bootspace of 100 litres and 80mm legroom in the back. Both are to be commended. Anyone who owns a regular Mini will know the rear seats in the new version are more useless than in the 1960s original, particularly if you opt for the racier Cooper versions with the sports seats that take up most of the cabin. Similarly, the boot on the regular hatchback version offers up just 160 litres with the rear seats up. To put that in context, that's less than in the Fiat Panda, the Kia Picanto or even the Smart Fortwo. Even sports cars like the Ferrari F430, where the bootspace is often regarded as somewhere to store your toothbrush, has the beating of the hatchback Mini.
The new Clubman offers 260 litres of long, easily loadable space. Does that mean it's spacious? Only if you consider the likes of the VW Golf, which has another 90 litres on offer, to be a rival for a Scania truck.
The simple truth is that the only time we found the Clubman to have a decent boot was when we flipped down the rear seats, thereby turning it into a van. For those who want a small funky van, that's good news. For those who fancy bringing a pram and a child in the car, it offers something of a dilemma.
Then there are the split rear doors. In many ways they epitomise all the positives and negatives about the car. Eyecatchingly retro they are just like the rest of the car: you get a feeling those factors were taken as more important than functionality. The marketing and design teams were listened to, while the engineers were simply told to follow orders.
For a start, if someone parks close behind you, you're stumped. While that's not always a problem in Dublin, on the Continent - where others like to attach their cars to your rear bumper - it could be a real problem.
Then there's the split rear screen. First impressions when looking back start with "ain't that cute". The two little wipers go off and the embers of the warmth toward the car are further poked. And then you go about your daily drive and try to see out the back. All you get is a mirror full of rear metal with little view.
Another feature that seems more marketing-driven than engineered is the single rear-opening - or "suicide" - door. For a start it doesn't really improve access to the rear seats all that much, as you still have to step over the driver's seatbelt. Then there's the fact that for right-hand-drive cars - ie cars sold here - the door is on the driver's side, which means that if you use it when pulled up on the street, the door opens out into oncoming traffic.
NEXT WE COME TO THE rear seat room. Here the engineers at least had their way. Two adults can easily fit into the car, and that's a massive improvement on the hatchback. Mini claims that this is a five-seater, but three in the back is another marketing dream rather than reality. Two average-sized adults are just fine.
Finally, there is the car's road-going ability. The extra length and low-set stature gives it a bigger footprint, which should make it even more stable on the road. And that is the case in most instances. However, with the Cooper S version and 174 horsepower trying desperately to attach to tarmac through the front tyres, the benefits are somewhat lost in the effort to keep the car pointing in the right direction. Torque steer is very much an issue with the high-end versions of this car. Undoubtedly the next step will be to create a Works version of the Clubman with even more power. It will be interesting to see how they translate that power into forward momentum, and not just wild wheelspin.
Of the rest of the car, we have the same opinion as we do of the new hatchback version: nice features, could do with better plastics and the enormous dinner plate speedometer in the centre of the console may look cool, but it doesn't actually help the driver keep an eye on the speed.
I can see how this car works as a business plan. It makes sense to expand the family. I just don't see how it works in reality when you only get a little extra bootspace and fancy doors. For our money it would be a regular hatchback every time. The good news is that resale values of Clubman will undoubtedly be as rock solid as the hatchbacks.
What's more, the diesel version of the Clubman has a CO2 rating of just 104g/km: the same as the Toyota Prius. That means it falls into the lowest bracket of Vehicle Registration Tax (VRT). Come July 1st, this car should be flying out of showrooms.
Yet from a motoring point of view, we can't help wondering if this is merely the acme of what modern-day Mini has become as a brand: driven by fashion and marketing, with functionality and engineering merely following their lead.
For our money the hatchback still makes most sense.
MINI COOPER S CLUBMAN: CC: 1598 BHP: 174 0-100km/h: 7.6 seconds Top speed: 224km/h Consumption (combined): 6.3 L/100km (44.8 mpg) Price: €32,400
ENGINE: A 1598cc four-cylinder petrol engine with direct injection and a twin-scroll turbocharger complete with intercooler putting out 174bhp @ 5,500rpm and 260Nm of torque @ 5,000rpm with overboost
SPECIFICATION:Six airbags are standard, with front, side and curtain head airbags for the driver and front passenger. Extra-large curtain airbags offer optimum protection from head injuries for the rear passengers; ABS anti-lock brakes; EBD; Dynamic Stability Control featuring Hill Assist; leather steering wheel.
Extensive options list can substantially add to price, making €4,025 "Chili pack" bundle of features more likely as option.
L/100KM (MPG):
Urban: 8.0 (35.3)
Extra-urban: 5.3 (53.3)
Combined: 6.3 (44.8)
CO2 EMISSIONS: 150 g/km
ANNUAL ROAD TAX: €100
PRICE: €32,400
(€27,150 to €32,400)