Mini Clubman - retro combo
It used to be difficult to find an attractive station wagon. Of course there were exceptions, but most of these vehicles looked like caravans. Today, the problem has largely disappeared, and the wagon should no longer be associated with the white Astra II, which is driven by a sales representative.
Stylish yet packaged cars design everything – like the gorgeous Hyundai i40. For four years now, Mini has also been offering a family car.
The Mini Clubman is no ordinary station wagon. This is a retro station wagon, directly related to the Mini Clubman Estate, of which almost 1969 thousand were produced in 1980-200. parts. Will the new version repeat the success of the original? The new Clubman can only dream of such a scale of production and its duration, but the car has found its niche in the market.
A characteristic feature of the original Mini Clubman wagon version were two-piece doors that opened like a van. The body designers of the new incarnation wanted to maintain a stylistic connection with its predecessor by choosing the same solution. Of course, the changes did not end only with a redesign of the tailgate. On the left side, the body looks like a typical shooting break, but on the passenger side, the body takes on some coloration - similar to the Mazda RX-8, there is a small door in the back of the body that makes it easier to climb into the back seat. A practical solution, and at the same time adding a little exotic to the project.
The car is slightly longer than the hatchback, and the restyling of the rear of the body has led to the fact that the trunk holds 100 liters more. After all, the trunk is not huge - only 260 liters. The only way to carry more luggage is to fold down the rear seat and increase the space to 930 liters. Dry data will not impress anyone much, but the Clubman is not a trunk. Despite the increased dimensions, it still does not exceed 4 meters in length, so driving around the city will not be tiring, and we will pack more in the trunk than shopping from the supermarket.
The car is mostly four-seater - the Clubman can be adapted to carry a fifth person free of charge, but its weight cannot exceed 49 kilograms. So this is not a very family car, but it does not pretend to be called.
The engine palette is almost the same as in other models (only the weakest 75 hp engine is missing). 1.6 petrol units produce 98, 122, 184 or 211 hp. Diesels also have this little power and develop 112 or 143 hp. Diesel units come from the PSA concern, so we can find them in many Citroen and Peugeot. The engines are not very quiet, but they pay off in terms of economy: you can achieve an average fuel consumption of five liters. Gasoline engines have a greater appetite: from 7 to 10 liters, depending on the version.
Mini Clubman in the Polish offer is just a curiosity. This year (by the end of October) only 20 people decided to use an unusual wagon, while 310 Mini Coopers were sold. After adding an even less equipped version of the One, which found 74 owners, it is clear that the Poles who opted for the Mini prefer a less extravagant shape.
Of course, price can also influence the decision. Regular Mini One (1.6 75 km) costs less than 67 thousand. PLN, while for Cooper (1.6 122 km) we will pay less than 80 thousand. zloty. Clubman in the basic version of One has a 98 hp engine. and costs the same as Cooper. To enjoy a 122 horsepower unit, you need to spend PLN 86.
The Clubman Cooper S version will also have to pay extra: the base model costs 108.PLN, but thanks to the 184-horsepower 1.6 unit, it pays off with excellent performance. Fans of very fast wagons can take a closer look at the top and not very popular version of John Cooper Works in Poland, which costs 130 thousand zlotys. zlotys, but it will reach hundreds in 6,8 seconds. Thus, the station wagon is only 0,3 seconds slower than the hatchback. The base 112-horsepower diesel costs 95 , and the more powerful diesel option costs .
Unfortunately, when buying the basic version with the weakest gasoline, you have to take into account that the equipment will be very poor. Apart from such obvious things as power windows, power steering, ABS and airbags for the driver and passenger, we get almost nothing. You have to pay extra for a Bluetooth port, USB, iPod (PLN 4007), air conditioning (PLN 3886 for manual and PLN 5222 for automatic), on-board computer (PLN 607) or armrest, which is forty PLN more than a computer…
The list of add-ons is very long, but the most important extras are included in the following packages: Salt (e.g. manual air conditioning, trip computer), Pepper (automatic air conditioning, CD player), Chili (cloth and leather upholstery, chrome trim, multi-steering wheel) and other. The offer is made in such a way that at least a few thousand zlotys can be left for additions.
After exemplary configuration of the basic version of Mini One with the most necessary accessories (air conditioning, navigation, parking sensors, audio system), the price of the model increased by almost 20 thousand zlotys. zloty It is not surprising that models of the first year of production (2007) still cost at least 60 45. zlotys. Many of them are well equipped and cost as much as a Volkswagen Passat or Ford Mondeo ex-showroom. A regular Mini Cooper can be snatched up for thousands. PLN, and the choice of vehicles is several times larger.
Mini Clubman is an offer for those who are looking for a cool retro car that will stand out. The Mini Cooper made an impression a few years ago. Today there are quite a lot of them in Poland, so a Mini fan who wants to show his style should buy a Coupe, Cabrio, Countryman or Clubman version. The first two are less practical, and off-road the Mini looks more familiar than the Clubman. So there is only one choice.
