2009 MINI Cooper S Clubman: What's New

Vehicle Overview
Mini stretched the length of its Cooper by 9.4 inches to make the Cooper Clubman. The extra length benefits legroom for the Clubman’s two rear passengers, and cargo room behind the backseat is larger. There’s also a pair of split-opening rear doors that swing out to either side, rather than the regular Cooper’s conventional hatchback. There’s also a rear-hinged access door on the passenger side.

The hatchback comes in three trim levels: the Cooper Clubman, the turbocharged Cooper S Clubman and the new-for-2009 turbocharged John Cooper Works Clubman edition. It competes with sporty hatchbacks ranging from the Mazda3 to the Volvo C30.

(Skip to details on the: Mini John Cooper Works Clubman)

New for 2009
All Clubmans get a newly optional Dynamic Traction Control system that features an electronic differential lock and allows drivers to turn off the electronic stability system. There’s also a new, optional factory-installed roof rail or rear roof spoiler for bikes and surfboards, plus a smart phone prep option that allows full access to a USB-enabled smart phone, like the iPhone.

Exterior
Differences between the regular Cooper and the Cooper Clubman are most apparent in back, where the Clubman’s rear-quarter pillars are painted in contrasting black or silver. It matches the rear bumper and, if desired, the roof. The swing-out doors necessitate a split rear window, and each portion gets its own windshield wiper.

The wheelbase is 3.2 inches longer, which Mini says helps the Clubman keep its wheels near the bumpers to improve handling. The Clubman has more than 40 possible color combinations, as well as options like checkered side mirrors and a Union Jack roof.

• Available 15-, 16- or 17-inch wheels
• Available auto-leveling front/rear fog lights
• Standard folding power mirrors
• Hood-scoop intake (on S models)
• Optional heated mirrors, washer jets and automatic windshield wipers
• Optional automatic bi-xenon headlamps with integrated washers
• Optional dual-panel panoramic power sunroof
• Dual exhaust pipes (on S models)

Interior
The interior looks much like the regular Cooper’s, with a large circular speedometer mounted in the center of the dashboard and plenty of toggle switches among the center controls.

Backseat passengers have 32.3 inches of legroom, up from 29.9 inches in the regular Cooper. Cargo room behind the rear seats totals 9.2 cubic feet; with the rear seats folded, maximum cargo room totals 32.8 cubic feet, up from 24.0 cubic feet in the regular Cooper. That makes for a habitable space, but don’t take it to mean the Clubman has cavernous dimensions — it’s nowhere near as roomy as most cars in its class, but it is appreciably roomier than the regular Cooper.

• Available cloth, leatherette or leather upholstery
• Standard power windows and locks, plus keyless entry
• Standard air conditioning with a climate-controlled glove box
• Standard start-stop ignition button
• Optional automatic climate control
• Optional heated seats
• Optional 10-speaker stereo with HD radio
• Optional Bluetooth and USB/iPod adapter
• Optional navigation unit

Under the Hood
With the manual, Mini says the Cooper S Clubman can accelerate from zero to 60 mph in 7.0 seconds, which is just 0.3 seconds slower than the regular Cooper S.

The Clubman gets a maximum 32 mpg in mixed driving. Unfortunately, just like the regular Cooper, the Clubman takes premium fuel. Mechanical features include:

• 118-horsepower, 1.6-liter inline-four-cylinder engine with 114 pounds-feet of torque
• 172-hp, turbocharged 1.6-liter inline-four-cylinder with 177 pounds-feet of torque (S models)
• Standard six-speed manual transmission
• Optional six-speed automatic transmission
• Standard performance tires or optional all-season tires
• Standard sport button with accelerator and steering programs
• Optional sport suspension with stiffer front and rear stabilizer bars

Safety
Available safety features include:

• Standard side-impact airbags
• Standard side curtain airbags
• Standard antilock braking system with electronic brake-force distribution
• Standard electronic stability system

Mini John Cooper Works Clubman
The John Cooper Works Clubman is new for 2009. It’s powered by a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder that, according to Mini, can briefly raise boost pressure to achieve 207 pounds-feet of torque when accelerating.

Besides the extensive changes under the hood, this hot-rod Mini also features unique high-performance brakes and a different exhaust system. As with other Minis, the automaker offers a number of ways to personalize John Cooper Works cars.

• 208-hp, turbocharged 1.6-liter inline-four-cylinder engine with 192 pounds-feet of torque
• Six-speed high-capacity manual transmission
• Standard 17-inch alloy wheels
• Standard hood-intake scoop and rear spoiler
• Standard center-mounted tailpipes

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