► We drive the all new Mini Cooper S Clubman
► The once small time Mini has just got serious
► An extra door and wider track, its still sporty though
Progress, quantified: one more door, an additional 260mm between the wheels and an additional 100 litres of boot space. Like the five-door hatch, this Mini has gone maxi, but when Kacher can sit behind Kacher, any wheelbase surgery deserves full marks.
More than all other models, the Clubman stands for the new face of Mini. Which is another way of saying that the loud, sticker-laden years are over. The next era prioritises understatement, zeitgeist, advanced engineering. Like a new eight-speed auto with a coasting mode, a new packaging concept that makes Clubman fit for a life beyond the city, and a new level of perceived quality.
Until next year’s 250bhp JCW, the widest grin is triggered by the Cooper S’s 189bhp petrol. Both units are available with the bony six-speed manual or the slick auto. The driving experience does not differ much from what we have on record for the five-door hatch. The Clubman feels agile in Sport, balanced in Normal and toothless in Eco. Although chuckable, it quickly runs out of traction in the wet, and with DSC switched off it behaves like a better dressed reincarnation of the rowdy lift-off-prone Peugeot 205 GTi.
Solemn, solid and serious enough to justify the price, the Clubman nevertheless feels sporty enough to satisfy the child inside.
The specs: Mini Cooper S Clubman
Price: £22,755
Engine: 1998cc 16v 4-cylinder turbo, 189bhp @ 5000rpm, 207lb ft @ 1250rpm
Transmission: eight-speed auto, front-wheel drive
Performance: 7.2sec 0-60mph, 142mph, 45.6mpg, 144g/km CO2
Weight: 1360kg
On sale: Now
Rating: ****
Verdict: Not cheap or cheerful, but good