Economy-Sized Version
by David Finlay (21 Sep 07)

The car that first appeared as a concept at Frankfurt in 2005 - and was recreated for several other international motor shows thereafter - will go on sale in the UK in November this year.

The first estate version of the MINI is called Clubman, which as the motoring historians among you will know is a name that was used for old-world Minis, though not specifically for estates (Countryman and Traveller being the preferred terms in those days).

The new Clubman aims to provide the same levels of fun and style as other current MINIs but with an extra level of practicality, and I can safely say that the target has been reached.

The car tested here is the Cooper D, the only diesel in the range, and we'll come to its specific merits in due course. Most of the key points, however, apply to all Clubmans, which are considerably longer than their hatchback equivalents.

To be precise, they're 24cm longer, and all of the extra stuff is at the back - from the front bumper to the centre of the car the Clubman is exactly the same as the hatch. One result of the extension is that there is now 8cm more room for rear passengers, and it's remarkable what a difference this makes. Normal MINIs do not realistically provide adequate space for four adults, but the Clubman definitely does; the only restriction comes from the fact that it's not possible to put your feet under the front seats.

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