MINI Clubman Cooper S 2015 Review

Enlarged enough to be classed as a ‘Premium Compact’ vehicle in its native Europe, the third-generation MINI Clubman is upsized over its three- and five-door hatchback counterparts.

Looking to the past, larger has not always meant better, but MINI is out to prove that increased size practicality doesn’t necessarily translate to less outright driving fun.

To be built in the Oxford MINI plant alongside the hatchback varieties, the Clubman will be offered with six different engines in Europe, however, Australia will only see two.

There's the Cooper with its 1.5-litre 100kW three-pot turbo-petrol and the Cooper S range-topper, as tested here in both six-speed manual and new-to-MINI eight-speed automatic form.

For your money – thus far undetermined for our market, though in the ballpark of its $46,250 predecessor (in auto Cooper S form) – the Cooper S Clubman provides a 141kW/280Nm hit from its 2.0-litre turbocharged four-pot, the torque figure swelling to an even 300Nm with full-throttle overboost deployed.

Australian vehicles are likely to be offered with the eight-speed torque converter automatic as a standard, with a six-speed manual available as a special order. The slushbox can be operated sequentially in Europe, with a paddle shift option available; expect the latter to be standard-fit in Aussie cars.

We’ve previously covered off known available specifications, so there’s nothing to do but snaffle the keys to one of the left-hook Cooper Ss on offer.

Strikingly sophisticated in a new Pure Burgundy metallic finish and with manual transmission, the MINI Cooper S Clubman looks all grown up and infinitely more coherent in design than its awkwardly-stretched predecessor, which was of course based on a three-door hatch.

Key design cues commence with the twin rear doors, while up front the Clubman gains ‘Air Curtain’ ducts to split the airflow around the road wheels; a first for MINI. There’s also a funky roof-mounted antenna complete with LED light, which ‘flashes’ the car’s alarm/locking status.

The rear section can be opened manually at a touch of the handle, operated remotely via the key fob, or – optionally – by a sweeping leg underneath the rear of the car. While essentially needing a simple touch to open, closing the swinging doors requires a firm push, with no soft-close function.

Opt for the sweep-open and you need to be quite deliberate, as the unfortunate MINI host discovers. For reference, the sensor is located by sweeping under the vehicle below right-hand door handle.

It opens into a flexible load space, complete with removable floor section to offer deeper access and second-row seating which folds into a 40:20:40 split and can also be set further upright into a ‘load mode’, which still allows back-seat occupants while adding a vital few extra litres to the cargo area.

All-up, the luggage compartment takes 360 litres under the secure, pull-out cover. Dump the second-row seats flat and the area swells to a decent 1250 litres.

That seat-down figure impresses, but after being told about how the rear compartment will swallow large suitcases, we find that in practice the aperture makes side-by-side suitcase fitting more of a challenge than expected.

Bags Tetris-stacked, it’s time to consider the rear-seat space proposition. Despite being 9cm wider than the MINI 5-door, the Clubman still feels narrow, the notion of ‘five full seats’ stretching things a little; a similarly-sized 185cm colleague and I almost rub shoulders back here.

Having said that, it’s comfortable enough for four, with ample head room front and rear (thanks to not having the curved hatch roofline), impressive foot room and decent leg room. Second-rowers also gain console-mounted ventilation to enjoy the dual-zone climate-control fitted to this vehicle (another likely standard for Australia in Cooper S guise).

Up front, the refined interior layout appeals, as do the leather-trimmed, electrically-adjustable, heated sports seats fitted to the test car. The head-up display is also a nice touch, as is the usual MINI focus on switchable ambient lighting.

Although providing a uniquely characterful ambience, the degree of ‘individualisation’ possible in current-generation MINIs continues here, and we count seven different trim surfaces within the front section; grey textured plastic, a textured metallic weave, piano black plastic, cream plastic, chrome highlights, brushed aluminium and leather.

Adjust the nicely-sized, multi-function steering wheel for reach and rake, check the mirrors and flick the red, console-mounted start switch.

There’s nothing especially romantic about the turbocharged engine note, but neither is it obnoxious. The take-up of the well-weighted clutch pedal is smooth as you feed the throttle, with the Cooper S Clubman in its default ‘MID’ driving mode.

Immediately noticeable is this engine’s torque. Though it’s a familiar engine from the Cooper S hatch range, it seems even more responsive to the manual gearbox, pushing forward with verve in the lower reaches but still enjoying being stretched towards the redline, though there’s no real need to.

Introduce that response to a less-than-perfect road surface, and the MINI will follow cambers and tramline slightly under throttle; there’s electronic differential locking as part of the MINI Clubman’s expansive electronic control repertoire, however, a mechanical system would be more capable of handling the torque delivery.

Engage sport mode and the rev-matching downshift system proves smooth and racy, accompanied by a crackle from the exhaust. Better yet, it’s not perturbed by heel-and-toeing, so you can pretend you’re doing it perfectly, time after time.

As for the ride/handling equation, the Cooper S Clubman is comfortably (no pun intended) the best resolved of all third-generation MINIs. The longer wheelbase and bespoke spring and damper tuning for this model translates to a confident cornering attitude, while not rattling your teeth in the process.

Bumps are well-absorbed, and the electric steering feels less frenetic to driver input; it’s no wonder MINI engineers prefer to drive the Clubman around the Nurburgring than any other model. After our previous on-track disappointment with a Cooper S three-door , the Clubman could surprise at track days. Then again, on-road the three-door flattered to deceive… so let’s hope that’s not the case here.

Though not overly extended on the road the brakes also provide confidence, ensuring that we wouldn’t be troubling the six airbags and DSC systems on offer.

Swapping the Burgundy manual for a Melting Silver eight-speed auto, the dynamic arrangement is very similar, but the rorty response from the manual is somewhat diluted. It’s also bordering on criminal that paddle shifters aren’t standard in the Euro Cooper S; the sequential shift feels a little tacky as you nudge the shifter, though at least it’s a pull-down-to-change-up proposition, working with the forces inside the cabin.

What the auto does offer is a wider ratio spread and the ability to coast in green mode, further enhancing efficiency, but it makes the Clubman feel more aloof overall.

Other gripes? The sat-nav, though presented beautifully in the central section of the console, can be a little slow to respond, leaving several journalists taking a wrong turn, though this can be mitigated somewhat by using the head-up display to, erm, display the information in a clearer format.

This initial acquaintance with the latest-generation Cooper S Clubman serves only to tantilise.

Simply, it feels like the most resolved MINI to date, with more practicality to boot. Let’s hope it translates to Aussie conditions so well.

2015 MINI Cooper S Clubman specifications:
Price: TBC
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 141kW/280Nm (300Nm with overboost)
Transmission: Six-speed manual; Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 6.2L/100km; 5.8L/100km (NEDC Combined)
CO2: 144g/km; 134g/km (NEDC Combined)
Safety rating: TBC