Mini reveals new Clubman ALL4 20 | 01 | 2016
MINI HAS REVEALED the new Clubman All4, which gets four-wheel-drive and uses torque vectoring to improve agility: it's the first non-SUV for Mini to get four-wheel drive. On-sale now at Scottish dealerships, with prices starting at £24,305, first deliveries are scheduled for April (see more photographs of the new Mini Clubman ALL4).
Built at BMW Mini's plant in Oxford, the Clubman ALL4 is the brand’s first all-wheel drive model in the C-segment. With a wheelbase of 2670mm, the ALL4 is 4253mm long, 1800mm wide and 1441mm tall.
Under normal driving conditions, the Clubman ALL4 operates in front-wheel-drive mode, helping to save fuel and reduce torque losses by up to 30%. But when the going gets tough and the system detects slip, it can engage the variable clutch and immediately direct torque rearwards via a two-part prop-shaft.
Working with the car’s driving dynamics system, it can independently brake or send torque to each wheel for full torque vectoring. That contributes to even more dynamic driving and agility: for instance, the system can brake the car’s inside wheels and sending torque to the outside wheels during hard cornering, helping to tighten the car’s line.
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Two engines are available from launch. There's the 189bhp turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine from the Cooper S which, mated to the standard six-speed manual gearbox, hits 62mph from standstill in 7.0sec and continues on to a max of 140mph. Mini claims it'll also return 40.9mpg at the pumps and emit 159g/km of CO2.
Working with the optional eight-speed auto 'box, the sprint drops to 6.9s, top speed remains the same, but fuel economy improves to 44.8mpg, and CO2 drops to 146g/km.
The range also includes the Cooper SD, fitted with the 182bhp 2.0-litre four-cylinder diesel which hits 62mph in 7.2s, has a top speed of 138mph, but significantly returns 58.9mpg and emits just 126g/km of CO2. It's also available exclusively with the eight-speed automatic as standard.
Safety is paramount in the new Clubman ALL4, with six airbags and tyre pressure monitoring part of the standard list. Mini’s Driving Assistant — which swaps the standard cruise control for an active camera-based system, and adds collision and pedestrian warning with an initial brake function — plus a head-up display can also be fitted as options.
And while sat-nav comes as standard, Parking Assist, a rear-view camera, Mini’s connected infotainment system, road sign detection, and high beam assist are all on the option list.
prices? The range starts at £24,305 with the manual Mini Cooper S Clubman ALL4, with the optional eight-speed box an extra £1680. The range-topping automatic Cooper S costs £25,985.
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Jim McGill