New Mini Clubman previewed ahead of launch

The Mini Clubman is set to make its public debut at the Frankfurt motor show this September, and go on sale in international markets later this year. While the Mini Cooper S and the
Mini Cooper D and the Countryman are available here, the Clubman is sold only overseas.

The Clubman concept showcased at the Geneva motor show last year, displayed a car significantly different from its outgoing model. The Clubman will be larger because it shares the same front-drive platform that underpins the BMW 2-series.

Speculations are that the new Clubman will be a little over 4.2m — around 26cm longer than the previous Clubman. It could also be a significant 161mm wider and 24mm taller. The Clubman now gets four conventional doors, but instead of a conventional hatchback, it has the signature twin, side-hinged arrangement like on the current Clubman.

BMW has also decided to distinguish the car by tweaking the exterior and interior design. The interior styling is different; it gets a new dashtop moulding and a new centre console. On the outside, the Clubman has borrowed its front end from the Mini Rocketman concept.

The suspension set on the Clubman is as on its smaller sister, and company insiders expect it to be most impressive driver’s car in the class.

Like on the three-door Mini, the three- and four-cylinder petrol and diesel engines will be offered on the Clubman. A plug-in hybrid with a three-cylinder engine is also being considered. At a later stage, BMW might equip the car with an all-wheel drive.