The entry-level Mini Clubman won’t be returning as part of the facelifted range.
Previously, the Clubman range opened with the Cooper Clubman. It used a turbocharged 1.5-litre three-cylinder engine with 100kW of power and 220Nm of torque, and was available with either a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission.
The Cooper also allowed Mini to open the range at $37,900 before on-road costs.
For 2020, the Clubman range now opens with the Cooper S, priced from $45,900 before on-road costs.
It features a larger turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine with 141kW of power and 280Nm of torque and offers a choice of a six-speed manual or seven-speed dual-clutch automatic. Atop it sits the flagship John Cooper Works.
The defunct base model’s 1.5-litre three-pot can be found elsewhere in the Mini range, including in the Countryman SUV that overlaps with the Clubman on price.
Said a spokesperson from Mini Australia, “When Mini launched the new Clubman in July 2019, the team found that many owners were adding options to the the base Cooper Clubman, ending up with a price close to a Cooper S Clubman.”
“With these findings the team decided to omit the base spec Cooper Clubman, and instead provide a value-added Cooper S Clubman – itself with a high level of standard content – as a new sweet spot for Mini fans.”
The Cooper Clubman offered well over $10,000 worth of options, many of which were bundled into option packages, which made it easy to reach the more powerful Cooper S’s price point if you ticked too many boxes.
Despite the higher cost of entry, Mini Clubman sales have ticked upwards since the facelifted model arrived late last year.
Year-to-date, the Clubman is up 42.2 per cent and through the end of August was just 19 units away from beating its entire 2019 tally, which was a modest 281 units.
The Clubman remains a niche model for a rather niche brand. So far this year, Mini has sold twice as many Countryman SUVs and almost four times as many of its regular hatchback range, though the Clubman outsells the Cabriolet by almost two-to-one.
Thanks to Soichiro Pete for the tip!
