Mini designed the Clubman back in 2015 with the previous aim being to attract consumers who had gone off the trend of their Cooper hatchbacks and convertibles. They produced the five-door hatch to most importantly provide practicality, as by including the extra side-door, this meant the Clubman was the ‘mature and sophisticated’ family car.
It’s engine time!In the UK, buyers can choose from a range of three and four-cylinder turbo petrol and diesel engines, including a 1.5-litre triple that powers the petrol-fuelled cooper, with it producing 134bhp and 162lb ft. of peak twist, whilst the Cooper S and JCW variants are powered by 2.0-litre, four pot engines producing 189bhp and 228bhp. The diesel range is made up of two tunes of the same four-pot diesel engine, with the Cooper D's unit giving out 148bhp and the Cooper SD an increase to 188bhp.
Design and style…
The Clubman’s number of doors now included, does not set this car apart from the other models, but in fact that it is now a full-size car. It is now more than 4.2m long, filling a standard UK parking space and is 270mm longer than a Mini 5-door hatchback, 100mm longer in the wheelbase and an additional 73mm in width.
Whilst enhancing the dimensions of the model, they have also kept the car low to the ground and employed an iconic design, this was to ensure the car is still recognisable as a Mini.
Does the interior match it's larger exterior?
The answer to this question is yes, we agree completely that yes due to it still being a Mini, you wouldn’t expect as much room as a Citroen C3, however the longer doors allow access for more leg, knee and headroom in both rows, with enough in the back we judge for 2 larger adults!
What features have this model got to offer?
The seats I say wouldn’t be designed for someone who travels excessively e.g. like a productive individual who must travel for work purposes because the driving position is low and straight-legged and lacks cushioning you’d ideally want for those long journeys. On the other hand, the dashboard is smarter-looking compared to the Mini hatch, with more defined and decorative elements including neater and understated air vents. But the main features are familiar, from the column-mounted dials to the circular pod crowning the centre stack and housing the large infotainment display.
The Clubman’s number of doors now included, does not set this car apart from the other models, but in fact that it is now a full-size car. It is now more than 4.2m long, filling a standard UK parking space and is 270mm longer than a Mini 5-door hatchback, 100mm longer in the wheelbase and an additional 73mm in width.
Whilst enhancing the dimensions of the model, they have also kept the car low to the ground and employed an iconic design, this was to ensure the car is still recognisable as a Mini.
Does the interior match it's larger exterior?
The answer to this question is yes, we agree completely that yes due to it still being a Mini, you wouldn’t expect as much room as a Citroen C3, however the longer doors allow access for more leg, knee and headroom in both rows, with enough in the back we judge for 2 larger adults!
What features have this model got to offer?
The seats I say wouldn’t be designed for someone who travels excessively e.g. like a productive individual who must travel for work purposes because the driving position is low and straight-legged and lacks cushioning you’d ideally want for those long journeys. On the other hand, the dashboard is smarter-looking compared to the Mini hatch, with more defined and decorative elements including neater and understated air vents. But the main features are familiar, from the column-mounted dials to the circular pod crowning the centre stack and housing the large infotainment display.
How does it perform on the road?It is quite the smooth and quiet cruiser, but it has the engine to gain some speed quickly, which is the one feature which would retract it from being classed as a family car. As within just 12 seconds to get from 30-70mph in fourth gear; it sets an equally competitive standard on real-world flexibility, being faster than the Volkswagen, but slower than the Volvo.
Servicing
It includes its standard Mini TLC three-year servicing package for £299 – which could be half the cost of servicing a rival over the same period.
So overall, we see this as a great alternative to a mainstream premium-brand hatchback!
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