2017 Mini Clubman review, test drive

Is a longer Mini worth the stretch? We drive the Clubman to find out.

Published on Apr 12, 2017 04:14:00 PM

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What’s it like on the inside?

Like the exterior, the interior is familiar too thanks to the large, circular 8.8-inch central display, the steering wheel with its round central boss and switches, the oval gear knob, the cool toggle switches on the dash and roof panel for the light and sunroof controls. The central screen forms the display for the music, phone, navigation and the car's various settings like the drive modes. The touchscreen is very responsive, though some of the on-screen buttons are too tiny to operate accurately while on the move. There are, however, hard buttons for select functions and a very handy but optional central controller knob which I found easier to operate than the tiny buttons.

A large LED panel arcs the central display and lights up based on the mood lighting or the varying values of the music volume, AC temperature, air flow, etc. Unlike the body which has a few portions devoid of anything except simple curves, every area of the interior bears some design detail with shapes and textures. The dashboard has a neat-looking decorative strip stretching across its width and the cabin has monochrome British tartan prints and Union Jack motifs. The AC vents have neatly styled direction knobs that also twist to completely close air flow. The speedometer is a large circular unit with a display housed within; the tachometer is built into a circle annexed to the speedo unit. On the safety front, the Clubman has front, side airbags and curtain airbags, and all seats get 3-point belts. Active safety features include ABS with cornering brake control and dynamic stability control.

This Mini may be one of the largest ones built but this does not necessarily mean outstanding interior room, however it isn’t cramped either. I would describe the cabin as cosy. The front seats are comfortable and well supported with a handy, extendable lower thigh support. The sides too are well bolstered. While Mini claims the rear can comfortably seat five, the middle passenger has a narrow and slightly raised seat base to contend with. This is due to the well-sculpted outer rear seats that keep those seated here in comfort. Legroom isn’t amazing but the scooped-out front seatbacks create enough knee room for average-sized adults.

Given the size of the interiors, storage space is more than adequate with the Clubman having a decent-sized glovebox, various cubby holes around the front, door pockets that can hold 1-litre bottles, rear door storage pockets and a 360-litre boot that can be extended via the flip-down rear back seats. With the run flats, the Clubman gets no spare and so the boot has a significantly large underfloor storage area that holds the warning triangle and toolkit but can easily (and secretly) hold a lot more.