The Mini Clubman is 4.25 metres long and 1.8 metres wide making it 27 cm longer and 7.3 cm wider than the Mini 5 door, with 10 cm added to the wheelbase. The new car is based on the new front-wheel-drive architecture that’s shared with the three and five-door Mini and the BMW X1, and once inside, the car’s increase in size is immediately noticeable, with far more knee and headroom, the Clubman is now fair, if somewhat quirky, competition to the Ford Focus, Volkswagen Golf and Vauxhall Astra. Mini gave the Clubman a mild facelift in 2019 that included a new-look front end with a revised grille and headlights, plus distinctive Union Jack LED tail-lights
On the road the Clubman still drives like a Mini should, but the softer suspension takes away some of the fun and engagement of the three-door model. The upside is it’s very comfortable over long distances. The dashboard is dominated by a large screen that sits where the speedometer used to be in older Minis and can be 6.5 or 8.8 inches should you wish to upgrade. The controller on the central console operates most of the car’s systems so there’re less buttons to clutter up the dashboard. The 360-litre boot can be raised to 1,250 litres if you fold the rear seats down making it similar in size to the Golf.
The Trim lines are Classic, Sport and Exclusive. Classic have comes with the 6.5-inch colour screen with MINI’s navigation system and Apple CarPlay, MINI’s Connected Services and a DAB radio with bluetooth. Exclusive cars get the same basic 6.5-inch colour screen, 18-inch alloy wheels, leather seats and a leather steering wheel, piano black interior styling and chrome detailing on the air gets, gear lever base and door handles. Sport cars add John Cooper Works alloy wheels, rear spoiler, aero kit, sports seats and leather steering wheel and the option to add Sport Suspension free of charge. Conspicuous by their absence are climate and cruise control, which are optional and can be added by opting for the comfort pack: heated seats, automatic air conditioning, rear parking sensors, passenger seat height adjustment and a front centre armrest. The Nav pack adds the 8.8 inch infotainment screen. The Cost of these packs is an additional £900 to the Advance Payment price.
The Cooper S is the most powerful and produces 189bhp from it’s 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine. 0-62mph in 7.2 seconds (7.1 with the auto) and it maxes out at 142 mph. With the new seven speed dual clutch automatic gearbox it can return 40.4 mpg. The three-cylinder 1.5 litre Cooper produces 134 bhp and accelerates from 0-62mph in 9.1 seconds and on to a top speed of 127mph. Fuel economy is 44.1 moles per gallon. There is no diesel option and all the cars are front wheel drive.