Scoop: New 'Mini Clubman' All Set To Get Launch In India

INNLIVE Media Team

Mini has showcased the brand new Mini Clubman — the new Clubman is 158mm longer, 10mm wider and 119mm lower than the current largest model, the Mini Countryman. And the company is planning to launch this car in Indian market later this year. The current generation Mini lineup already includes the original Hardtop and the Hardtop four-door hatchbacks, but now Mini is bringing back the stretched Clubman model.

Measuring 4,253mm long, 1,800mm wide and 1,441mm tall, the new Clubman is significantly larger than the old model. This increase in dimensions has lead to the new Clubman’s kerb weight sitting at around 1300kg; about 155kg more than its predecessor.

The last Clubman’s hearse-like profile remains, but the suicide rear half-doors have been replaced by conventional, full-size doors. At the back, the Clubman still has two rear cargo doors, like what you’d normally find on a van.

To make room for those bigger rear doors, Mini lengthened the Clubman by 10.9 inches, and also widened it by 2.9 inches. As with other recent Mini models, the Clubman is small by modern car standards, but not exactly “mini.”

In addition to bulking up like the other recent Mini variants, the Clubman adopts their styling cues. The traditional Mini headlights and grille have been massged for the bigger shape, and on the inside the Clubman now features a conventional gauge cluster, with the giant central disc now used for infotainment displays.

Engine choices mirror those of the Mini hatchbacks. The base Cooper Clubman gets a 1.5-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine with 134 horsepower and 162 pound-feet of torque (169 lb-ft with the overboost function).

Stepping up to the sportier Cooper S Clubman nets a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, with 189 hp and 206 lb-ft of torque (221 lb ft with overboost). Both models come standard with a six-speed manual transmission. A six-speed automatic is available on the Cooper, while the Cooper S gets an eight-speed auto.

Mini says the Cooper Clubman will do 0 to 60 mph in 8.9 seconds with either transmission, and reach a top speed of 127 mph. The Cooper S will do 0 to 60 mph in 6.9 seconds with the automatic and 7.0 seconds with the manual. Its top speed is 142 mph.

Drivers can also adjust the car’s behavior with three modes — Sport, Green, and Mid — and the Clubman is available with several electronic aids, including Park Distance Control, adaptive cruise control, and a collision warning system with automatic braking.

There’s also an available head-up display with speed-limit information, and the standard Mini Connected infotainment system with smartphone connectivity for Apple and certain Android phones. A 6.5-inch display screen is standard, and an 8.8-inch screen is optional.

On the design front, the new Clubman borrows heavily from the latest-generation Mini. The front features a large single-frame grille flanked by oval-shaped headlamps with LED graphics and a heavily rounded clamshell-style bonnet. The new Clubman gets a chrome garnish around the turn signals, along with four front-hinged frameless doors and black body cladding. 

The rear doors are large in size and stretch over the rear wheel arches to help improve ingress and egress. At the back, the Clubman gets barn style doors in place of the conventional single hatch like on other models. The opening mechanism on the doors is chrome-plated while the vertical tail-lamps seen on other Mini models, are now replaced by large horizontal units. Inside, the dashboard layout is similar to the one on the new Minis, with a large centrally mounted, round binnacle housing the infotainment system with a BMW-style rotary control located between the front seats. The control surfaces are also new. The new Clubman is also roomier than the older model and now gets a more functional 360-litre boot along with 60:40 split-folding rear seats as standard.

Under the hood, the car is expected to be powered by a 135bhp, 1.5-litre three-cylinder petrol motor along with 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol and diesel motors in various states of tune. The new Clubman will also be offered in a S variant with the 2.0-litre petrol motor expected to deliver around 190bhp. The diesel motor is expected to develop around 148bhp in the D variant. 

The new Clubman will use a six-speed manual transmission along with either a six or eight-speed automatic transmission with paddleshifters. Also in the pipeline is a Clubman S John Cooper Works edition and a Clubman S D, with power expected to be around 228bhp and 168bhp respectively. 

More details: Please write to our Auto-Desk and get the latest updates.