Buying an iconic but rather impractical car like a MINI Cooper can only be an emotional call. With so many other options within the same price range, ones which are bigger and some even plusher, buying a MINI needs to be driven by an inherent passion for the brand and what it represents. But after the tussle between the heart and the brain, for some, it could also be a bit disconcerting that the MINI Cooper is too compact for their comfort. We Indians are as yet getting used to a three-door and many of us still carry our family along with us everywhere, even if we are single.

The folks at MINI thought of a solution to this problem and came up with the MINI Cooper S Clubman — a stretched out, longer wheelbase car that is also wider and sports a very usable 360-litre boot. Yet, in essence it is still very much a MINI in its design, character and appeal. Seems like the Clubman is a much more practical car without too much of a compromise in terms of the iconic MINI design. But how is it to drive?

Design

There are a lot of the classic MINI signature design cues in the Clubman too, which then make it unmistakably a member of this historic brand. The previous (first) generation Clubman was almost identical from the front and upto the B-pillar to the Cooper. However, the current generation (introduced first in the UK for the 2015 model year) has a number of differentiators. The bug-eyed headlamps with their characteristic circular LED daytime running lights are of course standard, as is the signature hexagonal bonnet grille and the power dome on the bonnet slab. But, the Clubman also gets the addition of air curtain inlets in the front fender and side air breathers behind the front wheel arches.

Viewed from the side, again the classic MINI cues are there — the blacked-out A-pillar and the floating roof in contrast colour, the chunky cladding on the wheel arches, the signature door mirrors and the chrome shoulder line. But the obvious difference, of course, is the bigger dimensions of the Clubman compared to the compact Cooper S. Compared to the five-door MINI, the Clubman is 27 cm longer, 9 cm wider and its wheelbase is 10 cm more. The current generation Clubman has four full-sized doors and a split tailgate. The previous generation was a sort of three-door hatch with the right-hand side of the car having what was called a barn door or a ‘clubdoor’ that opened backwards like a suicide door allowing access to the rear seats.

Cabin

The split tail-gate is now a Clubman trademark, giving it a unique look at the rear. The changes at the rear of the current Clubman are the new horizontal orientation tail-lamps with the concentric LEDs. A cool feature is the split hatch doors opening out one after the other when you use the remote key twice. The luggage space is now a very practical 360 litres when all the seats are being used and can be increased to 1,250 litres when the rear seats are folded.

The Clubman’s cabin is similarly very MINI-like, though the first feature that hits me when I get behind the wheel is the load of extra space there is compared to the regular Cooper. All the original, classic Mini elements that were reinterpreted by the designers and engineers of BMW are all there across the current model line up. The Clubman also gets most of these including the circular central instrument display with its LED lighting ring around it to reflect the mood of the car. Then there is the instrument cluster mounted on the steering column and the flick-up style switches for ESP and start-stop controls. The only change seems to be the air-conditioning vents, which are still chrome ringed. There are subtle touches referring to the MINI heritage with a patch of kilt checks here or a version of the Union Jack stitched onto the head rest, etc. Of course, there are also a number of mood enhancing LED ambient lighting options for the cabin.

Performance

The only engine option in the Clubman is the same two-litre turbocharged petrol engine that is also available in the Cooper S and in the same state of tune. So, the 1,998 cc, four-cylinder engine produces the same 141 kW or 192 hp of power at 5,000 rpm; and the peak torque is 280 Nm available from 1,250 rpm. The Clubman’s engine is mated to an eight-speed steptronic auto transmission, instead of the six-speed auto available in the Cooper S. Compared to the more compact, three-door sibling, I can feel the heft of the Clubman during hard acceleration and cornering. But, the wider track and the longer wheelbase help give it a more planted feel. There is still no denying that the famous go-kart drive feel of the MINI is intact in the Clubman. There are three driving modes to choose from — Green, Mid and Sport — with the Sport mode being the most fun to drive in. Gear shifts are delayed and the kick downs are quicker, though it felt a bit slower than in the Cooper S. Stay on Sport mode and you will have to turn a blind eye to the fast diminishing fuel indicator.

Manual selection of gears via paddles on the wheel is, of course, the best choice from my perspective, though in Green and Mid modes, the return to full auto mode is quite quick. The steering wheel is the perfect fit for this MINI as in any of the others in the line up. In addition to the go-kart feel, there is also the overwhelming feel of sturdiness in the Clubman too. The ride quality is very similar to the Cooper S on regular, well-laid black top tarmac, but unlike the Cooper, the Clubman is a bit more accommodating of broken patches of road. Yet, it does thud through really bad patches of road. But, though it is jarring and at times made me worry if the tyre pressure sensor indicator is going to start blinking, the ride does settle back into a fairly pliant routine.

Bottomline

For a car that fills a small niche, the MINI Cooper S Clubman is offered with a number of personalisation options, including, for example, nine different upholstery choices and the John Cooper Works Aero kit. Some of the features that my test mule came fitted with are also only optional additions. However, there is a lot of standard safety equipment.

The Cooper S Clubman has been priced at about ₹40 lakh ex-showroom; and it continues to be part of the niche created by MINI, though it now also appeals to the brain.

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