MINI Malaysia has introduced another brand new model to the product lineup, the fully imported Cooper Clubman and Cooper S Clubman. It’s a much longer MINI boasting a unique six-door configuration, and it’s properly equipped as well.
Two variants are immediately available beginning today – the Cooper Clubman and Cooper S Clubman. Priced at RM204k and RM254k respectively, the base Clubman is powered by a 1.5-litre three-cylinder engine, and for RM50k more you get a hotter 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine.
QUICK FACTS
| Name | MINI Cooper Clubman | MINI Cooper S Clubman |
| Engine | 1.5-litre; 3-cylinder turbo | 2.0-litre; 4-cylinder turbo |
| Transmission | 6-speed auto | 8-speed auto |
| Max Power | 136 hp | 192 hp |
| Max Torque | 220 Nm | 280 Nm |
| 0 – 100km/h; Top Speed | 9.1 seconds; 205 km/h | 7.1 seconds; 228 km/h |
| Price | RM203,888 | RM253,888 |
The original Clubman was introduced back in 2007 and was significant longer and wider than the five-door Cooper. The same can be said for this second-generation F54 Clubman; it’s about 4,253mm long (longer than the VW Golf, in fact), 1,800mm wide, 1,441mm tall and has a wheelbase of 2,670mm.
EXTERIOR
On the outside, both Clubman variants benefit from full LED headlights with LED daytime running lights. The Cooper Clubman sits on 17-inch Net Spoke Silver alloys, while the Cooper S Clubman rolls on the sportier 18-inch Star Spoke Black wheels. They all come with run-flat tyres as standard.
Differentiating the two is fairly simple, though. The base variant gets a less imposing grille with horizontal slats, as opposed to the honeycomb grille featured on the Cooper S Clubman. What’s interesting are the Air Curtain and Air Breather features which are essentially air ducts built into the wheel arches. These ducts reduce drag and create a smoother, more efficient ride.
But what sets this MINI apart from the rest of the model range is the split tailgate. This can also be remotely opened through the foot-activated sensors. Rounding up the exterior are the new horizontal rear lights and LED MINI logos (projected onto the ground) built into the side mirrors.
INTERIOR
Inside the Clubman is typical MINI: you get a clean dashboard, a leather-wrapped multifunction steering wheel with cruise control, a rather minimalistic instrument cluster and a high-resolution infotainment display with audio controls. With MINI Connected, apps such as Spotify and GoPro can all be installed to the onboard system. Below that are the controls for the dual-zone air conditioning (standard for both variants) and rocker switch push-start ignition.
MINI made it a point to stress on the Clubman’s lower seating position which was achieved by removing the handbrake lever and substituting it with electric parking brake. Of course, there were several other tweaks made in order to do that, and both front seats are now electrically powered, but only for the more expensive variant.
The seats in the Cooper Clubman are wrapped in dual-tone fabric (MINI calls it Cloth Firework Carbon Black upholstery) with contrast stitching, whereas the Cooper S Clubman receives a much swankier Pure Burgundy leather upholstery. The latter also gets paddle shifters and John Cooper Works leather steering wheel.
There’s 360 litres of cargo space at the back, but the good news is the rear bench has a 40:20:40 split configuration. If they’re folded flat, up to 1,250 litres of space can be freed.
PERFORMANCE
As mentioned earlier, you can have your Clubman in two flavours; a 1.5-litre or 2.0-litre engine. The former is a turbocharged three-cylinder engine (same as that in the 3-Series facelift) packing 136 hp and 220 Nm of torque. It’s paired to a six-speed automatic transmission driving the front wheels, propelling it from nought to 100km/h in 9.1 seconds. Top speed is rated at 205km/h, and the combined fuel consumption is claimed to be 5.4 litres per 100km.
The Cooper S Clubman is powered by the larger 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine, also turbocharged to make 192 hp and 280 Nm of torque. Century sprint is managed a full two seconds quicker at 7.1 seconds before maxing out at 228km/h. However, this variant is the only Clubman to get an eight-speed automatic transmission (also front-wheel drive), which lends its hand in achieving an impressive fuel economy of 5.9 litres per 100km. This is also because the Aisin-sourced gearbox can ‘declutch’ at speeds between 50km/h to 160km/h, and remain that way so long as the driver’s foot is off the gas.
SAFETY
Standard safety systems here include ABS with EBD, Cornering Brake Control, Brake Assist, Dynamic Stability Control, Fading Brake Support and Dynamic Traction Control. Exclusive to the Cooper S Clubman is a feature called Performance Control which supports the car’s cornering ability threshold.
WHAT ELSE?
The Clubman comes in an array of colours, including two new shades called Melting Silver and Pure Burgundy. However, the Thunder Grey shade you see in the gallery below (complete with genuine MINI accessories) is reserved solely for the Cooper S Clubman. And if you fancy, both variants can be accessorised to your own taste.
Just like any other MINIs, each purchase of the Clubman comes with a 4-Year unlimited mileage warranty programme with free scheduled service. Again, pricing for the base Clubman is RM203,888 and RM253,888 for the Cooper S Clubman. Both prices are OTR but exclude insurance.
IMAGE GALLERY
2016 MINI Cooper S Clubman
2016 MINI Cooper Clubman
