- Doors and Seats
5 doors, 5 seats
- Engine
2.0T, 4 cyl.
- Engine Power
141kW, 280Nm
- Fuel
Petrol (95) 5.9L/100KM
- Manufacturer
FWD
- Transmission
Auto
- Warranty
3 Yr, Unltd KMs
- Ancap Safety
NA
Mini Cooper S Clubman new car review
Maybe you got the first-generation version of Mini's Clubman but the BMW-owned British brand didn't make it easy.
It was pinned as a more functional Mini but that was kind of stretching it. It was noticeably cramped in the back and its single suicide rear door was on the wrong side for right-hand-drive markets like ours (i.e. the driver's side).
This new-generation Clubman has the same objective as its predecessor but goes about it with two regular rear doors, making for a total of six (the distinctive rear barn-door tailgate remains). It has grown appreciably in stature and is longer and wider, and rides on a longer wheelbase, than the regular Mini hatch.
Not to be confused with the five-door version of that light-sized Mini, the Clubman is tasked with seizing market share from premium small-sized contenders such as Audi's A3, BMW's 1-Series, Mercedes-Benz's A-Class and Volkswagen's Golf.
What do you get?
The base Cooper Clubman, powered by a turbo three-cylinder petrol engine, kicks off at $34,990 plus on-road costs. Standard features include dual-zone climate control, auto headlights/wipers, an infotainment system with a colour 6.5-inch monitor, no-cost auto option and 16-inch alloy wheels, while a reversing camera and forward-collision warnings are highlights of its safety repertoire.
How you see that in value terms comes down to how much you value that premium vibe. In the mainstream you can get the same level of engine and kit for $10k less, or spend the same and get a lot more of both, but against its premium-badged competition it's more or less on the ball.
We tested the range-topping Cooper S Clubman. Its priced from a substantial $42,900 but is unquestionably more car than the base model with its four-cylinder turbo engine, eight-speed auto (versus six-speed), sat-nav, leather/cloth trim, sports steering wheel, switchable drive modes, dual exhausts, 17-inch alloys, hands-free power tailgate, Mini's 'Excitement' package (it projects a Mini logo from the driver's-side mirror amongst other things) and other extras.
But even that $40k-plus spend doesn't get you the autonomous emergency braking that's standard in some cars in the sub-$20k domain. For that you need to fork out on the 'Control' package, just one of a huge array of individual options, packages and colour/cabin/wheel personalisation choices that can be followed up.
Our test car had more than a few of them – the 'Chili' package (black 18-inch alloys, burgundy leather, LED headlights), 'Multimedia Pro' package (head-up display, higher grade sat-nav with bigger 8.8-inch monitor) and 'Convenience' package (power front seats, 40/20/40-split back seat, automated parking) to name just a few – taking its price to a breathtaking $56,740.
So a Clubman, at best, isn't a cheap way to get your small-sized kicks. At worst, it can be very expensive.
But you can gain the peace of mind of fixing ongoing service costs with the company's 'TLC' packages, though you do need to invest in an upfront payment rather than paying as you go. Basic cover for five years/80,000km costs $1080; 'TLC Plus' for the same duration, which adds select consumables to the list (most notably brakes), is a rather more considerable $3208 ask.
What's inside?
The Clubman kind of looks like a wagon but it's functionally more comparable to your average small hatch.
In this respect, it stacks up quite well. Its extra length (292mm), width (117mm) and longer wheelbase (123mm) relative to its predecessor have liberated a lot more back seat space. It's still no sprawling lounge suite but it is now doable for adult-sized bods with its good foot and leg space.
Headroom in our panoramic-roof equipped car, however, was a bit tight for this six-footer, so maybe don't tick the box for that feature if you have beanpoles to taxi around.
The Clubman has rather more to offer in the load-lugging role than the regular Mini hatch. The boot's 360-litre capacity is pretty competitive in small-hatch terms, and you get a respectably flat, box-shaped 1250 litres to play with when the back seats are dropped. The optional 40/20/40 split-fold arrangement adds to its versatility.
Up front, the Clubman could only be a modern Mini with its big, round instrument aperture in the middle (nowadays the home of the sat-nav/infotainment system) and intricate detailing (e.g. shiny toggle switches in place of boring buttons, tricky LED cabin lighting). Our car's optional stunning burgundy leather trim really added to the grand sense of occasion.
There aren't any significant front-seat bugbears to endure. There's ample real estate in all directions, the S's sports seats hug the body and the infotainment system is familiar and easy to master BMW/Mini stuff. You get a decent array of storage spots, including big, wide door pockets.
The Clubman's biggest functional niggles centre around its pugnacious barn-door rump, which looks distinctive but does impose twice the effort to gain the same result as a regular hatch. Even the hands-free function, which requires you to wave your foot around to open one door and then do it all again for the second.
The other downside is the view through the centre rear-view mirror, which is basically two small letterbox slots and even worse in the rain (the twin wipers have a tiny sweep).
Still, the Clubman's rear quarter windows and unapologetically horizontal hipline (as opposed to today's fashionable upsweep) mean over the shoulder vision is pretty reasonable.
Under the bonnet
The Cooper S Clubman substitutes the base model's 1.5-litre turbo three-cylinder petrol engine for a 2.0-litre turbo petrol four. It's more powerful (141kW versus 100kW), cranks out more torque (280Nm versus 200Nm) and gets eight speeds in auto form (versus six). All that adds up to a more urgent performer (7.1 seconds 0-100km/h versus 9.1 seconds).
That impression follows through to the road, where its gutsy low-rev response (peak torque arrives at just 1250rpm), elastic flexibility and free-wheeling top-end ensure it's never lacking for response. The eight-speed auto on our test car was a big contributor to the lack of flat spots with its unobtrusive and generally impeccable ratio selection. Both it and the throttle response can be sharpened up usefully by engaging the switchable drive-mode system's 'sports' mode.
What the S doesn't quite manage is the conspicuous aural character of its three-pot brother in relaxed day-to-day driving, where it's almost too quiet. Whip it along, though, and you get the huffs, puffs and snarls to match its sporty character.
The Clubman S auto has an impressively restrained fuel-economy rating of 5.9L/100km, within spitting distance of the base triple (5.4L/100km). Our test economy result of 6.6L/100km in combined urban/highway driving suggests it's not entirely unrealistic, though a preference for premium unleaded adds to the cost.
On the road
Our test Clubman S diverged from standard spec in two pretty big ways – one, its 18-inch rolling stock (versus the standard 17-inch) and, two, its optional dynamic dampers.
The latter perceptibly tighten the suspension's responses when the switchable drive-mode system is flicked to sport, and the former deliver some pretty serious road-holding.
When added to the Clubman's natural assets – strong brakes and quick, nicely weighted steering, plus a balance that combines light-on-the-toes athleticism, surprising front-end grip and confidence-inspiring predictability – you get an undeniably sporting drive that goes exactly where you ask it to, hangs on beyond the pale and is capable of bringing on the odd chortle from the driver.
Our Mini's ride was firm even with the dampers set to 'normal' but – thumping over really sharp bumps aside – not unreasonably so given its sporting intent. 'Sports' delivers handling benefits but does cross the line in comfort terms – it's busy. Plenty is heard from the tyres, too, on coarse-chip roads.
Verdict
The Clubman might have retreated a little from the uncompromising individualism of its predecessor but Mini has got the balance right. It's still something a bit different, and still overtly Mini, but now lives up to the basic promise of being a reasonably practical and easy car to live with.
In Cooper S form, this inherent functionality is seamlessly combined with a generous dose of performance and driving flair.
More than any Mini before it, the Clubman a car capable of being many different things to many different buyers, albeit only those who can service its premium price.
Mini Cooper S Clubman price and specifications
How much? From $42,900 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Power: 141kW
Torque: 280Nm
Fuel use: 5.9L/100km
Transmission: Eight-speed auto, front-wheel drive