For most people, including novice car enthusiasts, the name “Mini” will most likely bring forth the image of the British marque’s most famous Hatch into their minds. However, they probably wouldn’t have a clue what a “Clubman” might be or look like. And to be honest, one can’t really blame them, either, as the Clubman tag was initially meant only for a facelifted iteration of the original Mini from the 1970s. That has all changed now, and the new Clubman is actually a Mini station wagon, and arrived on the automotive scene back in 2007. The B-segment Mini Clubman also, interestingly enough, has a commercial variant called the Clubvan, though no one really cares much about that one. The Clubman is built on the smaller Mini Hatch’s platform, and in essence, is a stretched Mini Hatch with more interior space.
The first-generation Mini Clubman lasted till 2014, when it was replaced by the outgoing second-gen model, which uses BMW’s UKL platform. It’s not only larger than its predecessor but also ditches the fancy suicide doors, too. In the UAE, the Mini Clubman goes up against the likes of the BMW 1-Series, Lexus CT, and Volkswagen Golf.
Exterior
The Mini Clubman’s exterior design is not the most stunning or gorgeous one to have come from the premium British brand’s stable. It’s certainly quite a large piece of machinery, however, measuring in at 4.253 meters in length, 1.800 meters in width and 1.441 meters in height. The second-gen Clubman’s wheelbase has been increased over that of its precursor’s, now spanning 2.670 meters. Meanwhile, the minimum boot capacity is 360 liters, though that can be increased to 1,250 liters if required. On the design front, the face of the Clubman looks similar to that of the Mini Hatch, which means there’s a domed hood design, circular headlamps with signature LED surrounds, hexagonal grille with chrome detailing, along with stylish fog lamp housing and a low-mounted air inlet on the bumper.
The expansive side profile reveals the Clubman’s station wagon profile, with its extended wheelbase and an almost flat roofline. Some of the other styling cues here include the quirky door-mounted wing mirrors, stylish door handles, soft contours along the bodywork, two-tone paint scheme, plastic body cladding, all-black door pillars, subdued roof rails, and sporty 17-inch alloy wheels. The rear of the Clubman features smart LED tail lamps with custom Union Jack motif when lit, distinctive split tailgate with two chrome door handles and dual rear wipers, protruding roof spoiler, and a thick bumper with integrated fog lamps, faux vents and dual exhaust pipes.
Interior
The cabin of the Mini Clubman certainly feels more spacious than some of the other cars in its segment, with the rear seats allowing for good legroom, headroom and knee room. Everything feels well put-together and most of the materials feel top-notch. The styling of this interior, especially in the front is really attractive and youthful -- a sporty steering wheel, motorcycle-inspired gauge cluster, big circular housing for the 8.8-inch touch-infotainment display and its associated controls, trendy door handles & gear lever and high-quality toggle switches along the lower pedestal.
The Clubman’s standard equipment brings keyless-entry with toggle-switch engine start, adaptive LED headlights, rain-sensing wipers, dual-zone automatic climate control, head-up display, leather-upholstered sports seats, ambient LED lighting, adaptive cruise control, MINI driving modes, QI wireless charging, infotainment system with navigation, Bluetooth and Apple CarPlay, premium 8-speaker sound system, and an electronic parking brake.
Engine and performance
The Mini Clubman S houses a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that pushes out 189hp and 280Nm of maximum torque. It’s paired to 7-speed Steptronic transmission, and can send the 1.4-ton Clubman from naught to 100 km/h in 7.1 seconds and up to a top speed of almost 230 km/h.
Verdict
In the UAE, the Mini Clubman is priced from AED 160,545 to AED 190,995 for the base Cooper variant and the range-topping Cooper S variant, respectively.
