Ahead of Its Frankfurt debut, Mini unveils The 2016 Clubman

MANILA: German luxury small car manufacturer Mini has revealed a brand new Clubman. This new version of the popular estate will be the biggest Mini on sale ever, and will offer a “unique combination of functionality, everyday practicality and long distance suitability” as claimed by the manufacturer.

The 2016 Clubman measures 4,253mm long (+270mm), 1,800mm wide (+90mm) and 1,441mm tall (+16mm). The increase in overall length of the vehicle has benifitted its wheelbase too as it has increased by 100mm to 2,670mm. This makes the dimensions similar to that of the BMW 2-Series Active Tourer, and thus, it is considerably longer and wider than any other 5-door Mini. The company also claims that this new version can comfortably accomodate Five adults, which was never a possibility in the previous avatar.

On the exterior aspect, 2016 Clubman features the famous Shooting Brake design that was introduced with the Clubman Concept, along with signature cargo doors at the back. Another important addition is the rear passenger door. The extended roofline is clearly noticeable and the rear is characterised by redesigned horizontal tail-lights.

The interior is in perfect allignment with the company's design philosphy and features the circular instrument panel with LED lighting ring, infotainment displays and functions, center-mounted toggle switches, and the steering rack-mounted speedometer. The entire ambiance is mildly detailed by decorative strips running on the center console and door trim.

Apart from the large rear legroom that is exceptional for a Mini, the 2016 Clubman has a boot capacity of 360 liters, that can be further expanded to a massive 1,250 litres by folding the rear seats. Moreover, like most Minis, it has a hidden compartment below that can store smaller items.

Under the hood, the new Clubman comes with an option of two gasoline engines and a diesel unit : a 1.5 Liter, twin turbo, 3-Cylinder petrol that puts out 136 PS and 220 Nm torque; a 2.0 Liter, twin turbo, 4-Cylinder petrol developing 192 PS and 280 Nm of torque; and a 2.0 Liter, twin turbo, 4-Cylinder diesel producing 150 PS and 330 Nm torque. The two petrol engines have a maximum speed of 205 km/h and 228 km/h respectively, while the diesel workhorse can attain a speed of 212Km/h.

Apart from standard equipments, available options include heads-up display, park assist, camera-based cruise control, interior ambient lighting, dual-zone climate control, panoramic glass roof, navigation and a Harman & Kardon hi-fi system.

The car will be making its official debut at the 2015 Frakfurt Motor Show.