Mini Clubman Cooper S is big on appeal

By Justin Jacobs

Lockdown, a time when mass confusion hit the people of South Africa who struggled to understand the complex levels of lockdown and what we could and couldn’t do. Granted, the purpose of it was to protect us from Covid-19. One of the drawbacks, however, was the fact that everything stood still, including our cars. Thankfully, things slowly started to get back to normal and I found myself with the key to the latest Mini Clubman in Cooper S guise in my hand. Not a bad way to end the driving hiatus.

Editor, Sean Nurse drove the updated Clubman at its local media launch towards the beginning of the year. While the updates are subtle, they do add refinement to the overall package. For starters, the front headlights now feature a revised LED daytime running light design, the front bumper has been slightly reworked as to have the fog-light lamps. There is a redesigned radiator grille plus new alloys. My test unit was also finished in a new colour called Indian Summer Red. While not to my liking my wife definitely though it to be an attractive option.

The Clubman is an odd little car. While the two and four-door Mini hatchbacks follow the current standard as does the cabriolet option the Clubman represents more of a station wagon design. South Africans don’t like station wagons but this one tends to fly under the radar because it is just another funky Mini. Much like the Countryman, an SUV version of the Clubman these cars can be considered rather a niche yet remain relatively attractive to those wanting a solidly good product.

The latest Clubman in my position also featured a revised interior, while the basic architecture remains the same the car benefits from improved trim items. A standout feature for me is are the old school toggle switches which can be found on the lower centre console. Keeping with the funky tradition the interior LED lighting can be set to randomly cycle through the many colours on offer, which means that if we ever find ourselves in lockdown again and you miss the club, all you need to do is start your Mini, connect your Apple device via Apple Carplay and blast your tunes through the impressive sound system.

Being an S model, one gets a fair bit of cheeky performance. While not mind-blowing, the 2.0-litre four-pot turbo motor will send around 141 kW/ 280 N.m of torque to the front wheels via an 8-speed Steptronic gearbox. The little scamp will bolt to 100km/h in around 7.2 seconds which is decent. I also found the various driving modes a welcomed addition as they let you cycle through Green mode, an economy mode which backs off on the throttle response. There is a Mid mode which is a blend of economy and sport and then there is Sport mode, the best mode. It gives the car a fizz, it becomes playful and with the improved suspension upgrades, the car handles quite well, when you exploit the performance it rewards.

Another aspect that I like about the Mini Clubman is the rear barn doors. They provide ample space to load the rear which can manage around 60 litres, which can be expanded to 1 250 litres by dropping the rear seats. I do like the Mini Clubman S, I’d own one if I could. I think it’s a good looking, practical and fun to drive little machine. It does, however, cost R581 864 and then there are the options which need to be added, so as much as I’d like one now, I might need to wait a while.