Next-gen Mini Clubman to morph into a crossover

MANILA: Selling station wagons in a market dominated by SUVs is like selling burgers when the market clearly wants pizza. And with sales falling, Mini is considering bulking up its station wagon and reinvent it into an SUV.

According to a report by Autocar, Mini’s chief designer Oliver Heilmer hinted that the next-generation Clubman could be using an SUV format in the future. At the moment, the current generation of the Clubman is only a wee bit smaller in dimension than its Countryman sibling while both share the same retail price range.

Mini, which is known for its small cars is in a conundrum. Hatchbacks and sedans are not in high demand anymore as more and more consumers prefer crossovers and SUVs. This is evident in Mini’s slump in sales and overall poor performance.

Plus, the fact that the company only has one crossover in its entire portfolio—the Countryman, which is not even a competitive player on the SUV segment but is the best performing vehicle amongst others in its lineup.

This had the company thinking to reposition the barn-doored Clubman into a crossover. With both vehicles almost at the same dimension and occupying the same price point, converting the Clubman into a crossover could be a good strategy. If this is the case, one of the two would have to grow to a mid-size or a full SUV to differentiate the two Mini vehicles. With the Countryman being the bigger sibling, it only makes sense that it grows bigger too.

While Heilmer did not elaborate further on the future of the Clubman, nothing is set in stone. Besides, Mini isn’t expected to start refreshing its portfolio until next year. So, it’s a wait, let's see how Mini would align its new-generation vehicles that will cater to the demands of the market while staying true to its Mini design philosophy. Also, expect a minor mid-cycle facelift to the Countryman in a few months.

Source: Autocar.co.uk 

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