MINI aims Clubman at 'cool families'

MINI's new F54 Clubman has gone mainstream. An extra door, a roomier interior and a practical load space make the 'six-door' Clubman a credible blend of fun-and-fast form and function.

Stepping up from the quirky, niche product that was its predecessor the new Clubman will accommodate a growing family without leaving behind the performance and dynamic ability of the earlier Clubman that is an integral part of the MINI brand.

Both the new-found practicality and the long-serving driving satisfaction in the Clubman are important to MINI, since the Clubman is one of the five core models the brand will continue to develop and promote as the VFACTS small car segment for cars above $40,000 goes through an unrelenting growth phase. Gone are the Coupe and the Roadster, says the national manager of MINI, Kai Bruesewitz, but the Clubman's importance to the brand's marketing strategy – both here and globally – is set to expand.

"From a product strategy perspective, we're consolidating our line-up," Bruesewitz told motoring journalists in Adelaide for the local launch of the new Clubman. "We will focus in the future on five clearly differentiated core models with MINI. Certainly the MINI Clubman forms one of those five models."

The new Clubman arrives just in time to help lift MINI's local sales above 3000 units this year, with the market segment posting 312 per cent sales growth since 2011. While MINI admits that the reception for the Audi A3 has been a key factor in that, the move by Mercedes-Benz from oddball to acceptable with its A-Class model has also played a significant part. That's a result MINI wishes to emulate with the Clubman.

Target buyers for the new Clubman are broken down into three categories: sub-40 year olds with medium income, kids and a liking for fast, stylish cars – 'cool families' – plus business customers and 'mature connoisseurs'. Bruesewitz acknowledged that the new Clubman had to change to reach out to those buyer types.

"The Clubman being one of those five core models... we want to focus on the heritage. We have a strong brand we're going to continue to build on that brand foundation. That's why we decided to continue with the Clubman, because it's a fantastic concept; it might need some tweaking here and there..."

The new Clubman is "a very different car", as Bruesewitz pointed out, but those differences broaden its appeal considerably in the market. And the timing is spot-on for the brand. The new Clubman arrives in the local market while the segment in which it competes has achieved a critical mass, Bruesewitz says. Furthermore, as many as 75 per cent of buyers in the segment are uncommitted to a specific brand – or at least they're open to buying from other brands with the right product... like MINI with the Clubman.

"The MINI Clubman is a stand-out; in the land of conformity or sameness we will have a very unique and emotional product there," Bruesewitz stated. "It is the only MINI that you can have in the premium compact segment."

The Clubman range starts at $34,900 for the 1.5-litre three-cylinder Clubman Cooper, rising to $42,900 for the Clubman Cooper S, with a 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine. Both powerplants are turbocharged and drive to the front wheels through conventional Aisin automatic transmissions – a six-speed for the base model or an eight-speed unit for the Cooper S.

The three-cylinder engine produces 100kW and 220Nm for a 9.1-second time for the 0-100km/h dash. According to the official combined-cycle fuel consumption test, the Clubman Cooper returns 5.4L/100km. The Clubman S is rated at 141kW and 280Nm for an acceleration time of 7.1 seconds to 100km/h. Fuel consumption is 5.9L/100km.

Compared with the 5-Door hatch, which is roughly similar in size to the previous Clubman, the new Clubman is 100mm longer in the wheelbase, 270mm longer overall and 90mm wider, for dimensions now measuring 2760mm, 4253mm, 1800mm respectively. Boot space is 360 litres with the rear seats in place, increasing to 1250 litres with the seats folded down.

The base Clubman remains priced at the same level as the previous generation counterpart with a naturally-aspirated 1.6-litre four-cylinder and manual transmission as standard. Additionally, the new Clubman gains an updated equipment list for the same money. While it is downsized to 16-inch alloys (versus 17-inch for the previous model), additional new features comprise a reversing camera, dual-zone climate control, Bluetooth/USB with audio streaming and Forward Collision Warning. A six-speed manual is optionally available for both Clubman variants, at no extra charge.

The Clubman Cooper S is priced well below the last of the previous-generation counterparts ($42,900 for the new car, $46,250 for the old). Powered by the larger-displacement engine, the new Cooper S variant also features the eight-speed automatic, versus the previous manual transmission. Features added as standard include gearshift paddles, a JCW leather-bound sports steering wheel and a contactless (self-opening) tailgate.

Standard equipment for both new variants comprise six-speaker audio, trip computer, 'Visual Boost' infotainment display, electric mirrors/windows, front fog lights, rain-sensing wipers and dusk-sensing headlights. Over the base Clubman Cooper, the Cooper S gains cloth/leather combination upholstery, JWC steering wheel and satellite navigation with larger infotainment screen.

Safety features standard for both cars are: six airbags, Brake Assist, Cornering Brake Control, Dynamic Traction Control, electronic differential lock, Forward Collision Warning, reverse parking sensors and reversing camera with guidelines. The Cooper S adds to that with Performance Control to reduce understeer and increase traction.

MINI offers the Clubman range with a series of option packs, ranging in price from $2080 up to $6500. There are also numerous options for wheels and tyres, and exterior and interior individualisation. The new Clubman is sold with a three-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty, as well as two service price plans – MINI TLC Basic ($980 in advance) and MINI TLC Plus for longer-term servicing and transferability.