ON FRONT PAG E N O R T H E AST V I C TO R I A , A L P S A N D H I G H CO U N T RY
MARCH 24 - 31, 2016
> available online - www.nemedia.com.au
NEW MINI CLUBMAN: It adds a dose of commonsense without spoiling a great little driving car.
Mini Clubman a sporty, versatile mini wagon
WHILE the latest Mini Cooper Clubman station wagon, released here in November 2015, is larger and more conventional in styling than before it remains unmistakably a Mini with its squat shape and distinctive grille. The most significant change is in its length, up by 292 mm to 4253 mm while it is now 117 mm wider (1800 mm) with the wheelbase extended by 123 mm. Height remains at 1441 mm. Gone, thankfully, is the small rearmounted passenger door which was a talking point with the old Clubman and, because it opened onto the traffic side of the road in Australia (and the UK) gave real meaning to its ‘suicide
By ALISTAR KENNEDY door’ nickname. New Clubman now has conventional rear passenger doors while retaining the previous side-hinged ‘barn doors’ at the rear making it the first ever six-door Mini. We ageing baby boomers grew up with the Mini. Sadly most of us have subsequently grown out as well as up so the extra doors and increased interior space are welcome. Rear legroom has improved noticeably courtesy of the extended wheelbase with the flat roofline ensuring reasonable rear headroom despite the car’s height being unchanged.
There’s also extra storage space with the boot now up to a reasonable 360 litres, out to 1250 litres with the rear seatbacks lowered. The car’s party piece is the optional kick-motion automatic opening of the barn doors, one kick opens the right-hand door, two kicks open both. The left-hand door must be closed first and there’s a large piece of rubber on the lock to avoid damage if they’re closed in the wrong order. Once inside the new Mini Clubman there’s no doubting that you’re in a Mini with its iconic large central circular dial, big instruments, and toggle switches. Though we don’t remember mood
lighting being a feature of the original Mini. The big dial houses a wide but narrow screen to display the various features including satellite navigation (standard on the Cooper S but optional on the base model). The engine start/stop is by a red-lit toggle switch on the lower part of the dashboard while the old conventional handbrake is replaced by a small electronic lever. No more handbrake turns… There’s also an optional head-up display that projects onto a pop-up screen rather than the windscreen.
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