FirstDrive: Mini Cooper S ClubmanCould the return of the Clubman win new fans for Mini? Shane O'Donoghuetravels to Madrid to find out
Earlier this year, I was involved in a discussion with a small group of motoring journalists regarding the next "It" car; a model that transcends normal boundaries of desirability and coolness, resulting in queues at the dealers and inflated resale values.
Potential candidates included the forthcoming Volkswagen Scirocco replacement, but nobody mentioned the Mini Clubman - that may have been an oversight.
Although much of Mini's target demographic - namely the mid-20s to mid-30s - may not remember the original 1969 Mini Clubman, the name works well in a modern context, and the new car is closer in concept to the original Mini Estate than Mini's typically hip advertising suggests. Yes, the Clubman is essentially an estate version of the Mini, but the brief was not to lose any of the Mini's inherent characteristics, while improving practicality.
Mini hopes to attract buyers who had previously laughed at the lack of boot space and rear legroom of the hatchback, and a key change to achieve that was the extension of the Mini's wheelbase by eight centimetres. That may not sound like a lot of extra room, but it allowed the designers to fit in an extra door. Here's the odd bit though: the extra door (Mini calls it the "Clubdoor") is only on one side, the driver's side on Irish cars, and it opens backwards, so it's useless unless the driver's door is open too. Oddities aside, it really does ease ingress into the Clubman and will no doubt be a hit with parents struggling to manoeuvre a baby seat into the regular Mini hatch.
Inside, the rear of the Clubman is neatly styled, and though legroom has increased, it's still not very impressive. The ambience is good, however, with new material and colour options available and buyers can choose between five- or four-seat versions.
Twice as much length again has been added to the rear overhang and the boot space has increased by 100 litres more than the hatch, to 260 litres with the rear seats in place. An underfloor storage space will be optional too.
An added practicality is the option of a tow-bar for the first time on a Mini, though it's not available on the Cooper S model we drove in Spain. That's partly due to protecting the turbocharged engine from overheating, and partly thanks to the obsessively symmetrical rear end, which features neat twin-exhausts on the Cooper S.
Up to the A-pillars, the Clubman looks like any other Mini, though the roof features new castellations are not too dissimilar to the Range Rover's. Presumably the designers thought it necessary to change the smooth profile of the regular roof in a bid to disguise the extra length of the Clubman. From some angles it looks awkward, and the side without the Club door looks distinctly better than the one with, as the latter is broken up by an extra side window and shutlines.
THE REAR IS WHERE MOST changes lie, and Mini has gone to a lot of trouble to retain the vertically-split tailgate of the Clubman's forebearers. It's obviously thoroughly engineered, with miniature gas dampers holding the rear doors open and allowing unimpeded access into the larger boot. The doors actually incorporate the metal and plastic that surrounds the fixed rear lights and, although it's undeniably different, it may not be to all tastes and its success is certainly dependent on colour choice.
For now, surround and rear-window pillars are available only in the same colour as the roof, but expect more customisation options in the future.
Out on the road, the Clubman is broadly similar to drive as its hatchback brother. Naturally, the longer wheelbase alters its characteristics, with the weight distribution shifted rearwards by about 3 per cent, but Mini's engineers have altered the damping, spring rates and anti-roll bar to compensate.
The roads around Madrid were huge fun, but very different in character to Irish lanes, so final judgment will be cast later in the year, but in essence the Clubman drives in a similar, agile manner to the regular Mini. Theoretically, the longer wheelbase should contribute a tad more comfort, but don't hold your breath on that one. As we've seen with the Mini hatch, ride comfort is significantly influenced by choice of wheel and tyre.
Although the Clubman will only receive its public debut this week at the Frankfurt Show, it goes on sale in Ireland on November 10th with three models in the line-up from the get go. Alongside the range-topping Cooper S, buyers will have the choice of either petrol or diesel Cooper models, at €27,150 and €29,150 respectively. Eventually, a Mini One version will join the range too.
Considering the success of the hatchback, the number of versions available at launch and the wide range of options buyers may specify, it's a little surprising that Mini has currently planned to produce just 50,000 units a year. That's sure to cause waiting lists. Perhaps that's the plan.Mini Cooper S Clubman
Factfile
Engine:1,598cc turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine with twin-scroll turbocharger and direct injection, putting out 172bhp @ 5,500rpm and 240Nm of torque @ 1,600-5,000rpm (maximum of 260Nm available on overboost)
Transmission:Six-speed manual. Optional limited slip differential
Performance:0-100km/h in 7.6 seconds, and a top speed of 224km/h.
Economy:6.3l/100km - combined cycle
CO2 emissions:150g/km
Price:€32,400.