MINI Clubman gets JCW treatment

New John Cooper Works MINI estate gets 231hp and four-wheel drive.

What's the news?

MINI has revealed in full its new John Cooper Works (JCW) Clubman model, the range-topper for the quirky estate line-up. We expect it to make its world debut at the Paris Motor Show, which opens its doors to the public on October 1st.

Exterior

The core Clubman shape is retained for the JCW model, including the idiosyncratic side-hinged boot doors, and MINI has given it a modest visual makeover in line with the MINI John Cooper Works Hatch. That means a deeper front bumper with larger air inlets, unique side sills, a roof spoiler and a new rear bumper too. Elsewhere, there are plenty of JCW badges and a honeycomb pattern front grille, plus LED headlights as standard. Included in the price is a set of 18-inch alloy wheels, though buyers can upgrade to sportier looking two-tone 19-inch items. Finally, the JCW Clubman can be painted in Rebel Green with contrasting red for the roof and door mirrors.

Interior

Inside, there are John Cooper Works sports seats with integrated headrests, upholstered in a 'Carbon Black' mix of fabric and Dinamica (man-made suede-like material). These can be upgraded to Dinamica and leather with red highlights. Standard are the chunky JCW steering wheel and gear lever, door sill strips, stainless steel pedals and darker instruments. Topping it all off is a dark roof lining and extra bits of JCW-specific trim here and there.

For the record, the boot still holds 360- to 1,250 litres of luggage and though the rear seat back folds down, the 40:20:40 split back is optional.

Mechanicals

Under the bonnet up front is the familiar MINI John Cooper Works 2.0-litre petrol powerplant. It's a turbocharged four-cylinder unit featuring direct injection and fully variable valve and camshaft control. Peak power is quoted as 231hp, while there's 350Nm of torque available from 1,450rpm all the way to 4,500rpm. This breathes through a new sports exhaust with a controllable flap to alter the sound. A six-speed manual gearbox is standard and an eight-speed automatic is optional.

The biggest difference between the JCW Clubman and the equivalent MINI Hatch is the inclusion of ALL4 four-wheel drive as standard here. That helps the estate put in an impressive 6.3-second time for the benchmark 0-100km/h sprint. Helping bring the car back down from that speed is a new Brembo braking system, while the suspension has also been upgraded to suit the sportier character of the car. MINI will offer two-mode Dynamic Damper Control as an option.

Anything else?

It is expected that this very powertrain will make its way into the 2017 MINI Countryman crossover. That was rumoured to appear at the Paris Motor Show, but we have it on good authority that it will not make an appearance in France.

Published on: September 20, 2016