Another British motoring name is rescued from obscurity. BMW {link} have now launched the Mini Clubman to complement the standard Mini {link}. The original Mini Clubman was basically an normal Mini with an estate back attached, nothing has changed – at least not at first glance. The new Mini Clubman is an estate of that there can be no doubt; it is also very clearly a Mini. The new, large centre instrument is striking but annoyingly hard to read easily and this is the story in other areas too. The single suicide door allowing access to the rear passenger compartment is novel. On right hand drive models it has the immense draw back of forcing passengers to alight into to road and traffic because it is on the right hand side of the car only, fine for Europe but not so good for here! Space and luggage capacity isn’t fantastic either, the Clubman isn’t a serious load carrier, and there are far bigger estate cars available for the same or less money.
Once on the move though the gripes are nearly all forgotten, the new Mini Clubman is still a tremendously enjoyable drive. It feels a tad slower than its smaller sibling but still offers plenty of smiles per mile! The new Efficient Dynamic feature takes a little getting used to but does offer a noticeable fuel saving. When the Clubman comes to a stop and neutral is engaged the engine stops; it’s not as dramatic as it seems honestly. As soon as the clutch pedal is slightly depressed the engines springs back into life and away you motor. The system isn’t completely faultless as take off from stationary is sometimes a bit juddery. The system isn’t exactly new either; Volkswagen tried a similar system on the Golf 2.
The Clubman offers all the joys of a Mini with extra luggage capacity; it is a fun yet small estate car that will undoubtedly prove to be a success. As already mentioned there are more practical estates available but very few that prove to be as much fun to drive or as nicely styled.
Once on the move though the gripes are nearly all forgotten, the new Mini Clubman is still a tremendously enjoyable drive. It feels a tad slower than its smaller sibling but still offers plenty of smiles per mile! The new Efficient Dynamic feature takes a little getting used to but does offer a noticeable fuel saving. When the Clubman comes to a stop and neutral is engaged the engine stops; it’s not as dramatic as it seems honestly. As soon as the clutch pedal is slightly depressed the engines springs back into life and away you motor. The system isn’t completely faultless as take off from stationary is sometimes a bit juddery. The system isn’t exactly new either; Volkswagen tried a similar system on the Golf 2.
The Clubman offers all the joys of a Mini with extra luggage capacity; it is a fun yet small estate car that will undoubtedly prove to be a success. As already mentioned there are more practical estates available but very few that prove to be as much fun to drive or as nicely styled.
