The most practical Mini ever, the new Clubman reached the UK bringing the fight to traditional hatchbacks of the segment like the Audi A3, the Mercedes A Class and of course its cousins, the BMW 1 and 2 Series.

The new generation of the Clubman wants to offer the “highest level of ride refinement ever seen in a Mini” measuring 270mm longer and 73mm wider than the Mini 5-door Hatch. The wheelbase alone has gained 100mm in order to improve room for passengers while the boot now offers 360 litres of capacity, extended to 1250 litres with the seats folded flat.

Gone is the weird three-side doors setup, with Mini giving Clubman four full-size doors for better practicality but the popular signature split rear doors remain in place. With four TwinPower Turbo engines -two petrol and two diesels- available from launch, the new Clubman can return as low as 109g/km of CO2 emissions and fuel economy of up to 68.9mpg UK.

Just as in the regular Mini, a three-cylinder, turbocharged 136hp 1.5-litre petrol powers the entry-lever Cooper version, with the Cooper S using the 192hp 2.0-litre turbo. The Mini Cooper D Clubman is powered by a 150hp 2.0-litre turbodiesel unit while the Cooper SD uses a 190hp version of the same engine.

For the first time in a Mini, the Clubman offers as an option the eight-speed automatic transmission and satellite navigation as standard. Prices start at £19,995 for the Mini Cooper Clubman and all the way up to £24,255 for the Cooper SD version.

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