Magical MINI-wagon for Moms on the Move

Magical MINI-wagon for Moms on the Move

Think you have to sell your beloved MINI Cooper S and buy a boring  sedan just because you decided to procreate? No you don’t. If you’re still very much MINI-inclined but you need somewhere to put the new kid’s stroller, the new MINI Cooper Clubman could be the answer.

MINI Makeover

The previous generation Clubman was not a common sight on SA roads. It was an oddly-shaped, impractical little wagon with a suicide door that opened into the road. So, MINI decided to make it a little more easy to live with, so people would actually buy it. And there you have it, a practical little five (or rather six) - door family wagon for five, built to rival the big names such as the mighty Volkswagen Golf and Ford Focus.

The Clubman’s interior is rather different from the previous, and sadly it’s lost quite a bit of its retro charm. It’s now more blingy and modern, and beautifully put-together, but I do miss the old dash layout and design of those dials. Not that the new Clubman is boring in any way - just different. Still quite flashy, but more mature. Just like in the other MINIs, the Clubman features the LED-trimmed circular display in the middle of the dash, with jet-like toggles and switchgear below. Underneath the centre console is a storage binnacle and two USB ports as well as two large cupholders, of which the latter can also be found in all six doors, including the barn doors at the back.

The iDrive controller and its surrounding buttons sit atop the centre tunnel, and from here you can control the Clubman’s various functions on the display. I’m not a huge fan of the colour-changing ring around the central screen, but it does impart a sense of occasion when you choose different driving modes. Choose ‘Sport’ and it glows bright red, which makes you feel just a little bit excited. It’s only a three-cylinder 1.5-litre turbocharged engine, but it is a beauty. There’s a healthy output of 100 kW, which isn’t exactly hot like a Habanero, but more like a Jalapeņo, actually. If you want Bird’s-Eye Chilli kind of hot, the MINI Cooper Clubman S will be more to your liking.

The three different driving modes (if specified, at R 4200) play quite a large part in how your fuel consumption will turn out in the MINI. If you drive it in ‘Green’ mode, you will get away with 6 litres per 100 km or less. Drive it harder in ‘Sport’ Mode and you’ll be closer to 10.

The Clubman’s 6-speed Steptronic transmission is smooth and sophisticated, but if you crave more gears, an 8-speed Steptronic can be specified, but only on the Clubman S-variant.

Not as MINIscule as it looks

Sizewise, the Clubman is more spacious inside than you’d think. The MINI Clubman is based on the BMW 2 Series Active Tourer’s platform, so its ‘skeleton’ is already that of a family car. Up front there’s oodles of space, but the amount of legroom in the back is generous too. When I got in behind the driver’s seat, there was still a fair amount of space between my knees and the seatback in front, and I’m no midget.

The seats on this Clubman are full leather, optional at R 16 900, if you don’t choose a specific pack that includes leather seats. There are some delicious colours and designs to choose from, including fashionable ‘Burgundy’. If you go for the cloth and leatherette combo, you’ll get away with spending ‘only’ R5 900. If you have further money to burn, the optional Climo View pack that includes a split panoramic sunroof, brightens everything up, and gives the cabin a light and airy feeling. The kids also enjoyed watching the raindrops splatter down on the glass above.

MINI Wired

On-the-go connectivity is probably going to be important for the Clubman driver, so if you do have more money to throw around, the Wired Package (at R 27 000) will give you the Professional Navigation System, as well as 20GB of storage, an armrest, enhanced smartphone preparation, voice control and MINI Connected XL Journey Mate, a virtual trip planning smartphone app that works in conjunction with the Satnav system. Among other things, it allows you to plan your trip from home on your phone, inform you of the weather conditions at your destination, and will help you look for parking 1km before you arrive. It will check for traffic, and when it’s time to leave it will even remind you where you left your car. Want to see how it works? Check out MINI’s video on YouTube.

A MINI for a mom?

The Clubman’s other stand-out feature is surely the rear barn doors at the end of its baby-wagon body. Press the remote once, and the door on the right swings open. Press it again and the one on the left does the same, revealing a practical 360-litre boot that is both deep and quite high, and slightly bigger than the one in the VW Golf. You can also gain access to the rear by pressing the hidden buttons behind the chrome handles, or by swinging your foot underneath the Clubman’s bumper (as part of the R 4 100 Comfort Access option ) if your hands are clasping a child, bags of groceries, or both. Because the MINI is so close to the ground, lifting cumbersome objects (like that stroller) into the boot is easy work.

Safety, and such

The MINI has a four-star EuroNCAP rating, but there is a good amount of safety spec as standard, so you don’t have to go the whole hog of expensive extras. There’s the obvious ABS and EBD with brake assist as well as traction and stability control, rear fog lamps, and PDC (park distance control) at the rear. The view through the barn doors is not exemplary, so the PDC is super-helpful. But if you’re still nervous, you can always choose the optional Rear View Camera at R 4 700.

Six airbags will deploy in the worst case scenario. And if that happens, the car will make an SOS call on your behalf, via the MINI Intelligent Emergency Call feature (standard). The system immediately transmits your exact position and the accident severity to the Emergency Call Headquarters, so help can find you ASAP.

Other features, such as autonomous braking (at speeds up to 60 km/h) for other vehicles and pedestrians, form part of of the optional Driving Assistant (R 13 000).

So is the Clubman still unmistakably MINI?
Yes it is. MINI is all about the fun factor, and the Clubman’s personality is  as effervescent as ever, despite its long tail. The steering is direct and crisp, even if it is a little light, and the standard suspension is slightly more geared to transporting families in comfort than it is to clipping apexes on the racetrack. But it’s still fun to drive. Sport suspension (R 2350) can be specified if you don’t mind going slowly over speedbumps.

If you’re a MINI-lover with a young family, the quirky Clubman is a colourful alternative to the more commonly seen hatchbacks on the road.

Facts & Figures:

Base price	:  R 371 000
Engine	: 1.5-litre, three-cylinder, turbocharged petrol
Transmission	: 6-speed Steptronic (included in price above)
Power	: 100 kW
Torque	: 220 Nm
Top Speed	: 180 km/h
0-100 km/h	: 9.1 sec
Luggage volume	: 360 litres
Realistic fuel consumption	: 6 - 10 l / 100 km
Warranty	: 2-year / unlimited km
Motor Plan	: 5-year / 100 000 km

 

 

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