What's this all about?
MINI has released details of its second generation Clubman estate, and it's getting rather serious about it all, doing away with the silly 'Clubdoor' and increasing dimensions to free up much more space than before.
Clubdoor? WTF?
It was what MINI's marketing people called the single side door that accessed the rear seats on the previous Clubman. Not only was it on the 'wrong' side of the car for right-hand drive markets, but it was all too easy to trip over the seatbelt when getting in or out. Thankfully the new Clubman has four conventional doors to access a much larger cabin. Not all of the quirkiness has been dialled out though, as the vertically split rear doors are retained. They look quite different this time around thanks to an all-new rear light design that is quite unlike anything we've seen from MINI so far.
And is there any room in the boot?
While it won't make Skoda Superb Estate buyers rethink their purchase, the Clubman has a useful 360 litres of luggage space - expandable to 1,250 litres if the rear seats are folded down. The passenger compartment should have considerably more room than before, and more than the current 5-door Hatch thanks to a 100mm longer wheelbase. It's 270mm longer overall and 73mm wider.
Any surprises under the bonnet?
Not as yet. Petrol models at launch are the 136hp Cooper and 192hp Cooper S, while the sole diesel is the Cooper D, which returns 68.9mpg and emits 109g/km. We expect the line-up to fill out over the next year or so. An eight-speed automatic is optional on selected models.
Does it cost much more than the hatch?
Considerably more, actually. The Cooper Clubman is £19,995, some £3,910 more expensive than the 5-door. The Cooper D Clubman is priced from £22,265 and the Cooper S is £22,755. Satnav is standard across the board and the order books are open right now.
Shane O' Donoghue - 24 Jun 2015