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Just over 32 cm longer and around 12 cm wider than its predecessor, the new MINI Clubman provides plenty of space to meet the demands of youthful, urban mobility. Pared down to the essentials, the side view exhibits its qualities at first glance.
As with all the MINI line-up. the new Clubman incorporates many trademark design elements, starting from the distinctive proportions with the wheels at the far corners of the car and the minimal overhangs.
The stretched roofline and four fully-fledged side doors indicate a larger interior and enhanced functionality. Liberal surface areas convey supreme elegance, while taut lines elongate the side view and fine contouring adds classy highlights and extra dynamics.
The round headlamps with LED daytime running light rings and a large hexagonal grille create the typical MINI face.
These iconic design cues are mounted like jewels in high-quality chrome surrounds, lending an exclusive touch to the front end.
Other style-defining details such as the side scuttles with indicators have likewise been redesigned. Horizontally aligned as before, the indicator unit no longer emerges from the side scuttle join but now stands alone.
Viewed from behind, the body of the MINI Clubman widens as it cascades towards the bottom edge, lending the vehicle an emphatically stable stance at the rear along with a muscular wheel alignment, an impression further accentuated by the tail lights which are, for the first time, arranged horizontally.
The typical split rear doors make the MINI Clubman a six-door model. Above all in tight parking spaces they offer the option of a smaller or bigger loading aperture, as required, without the need to open an expansive tailgate.
The typical wrap-around door frame is now represented by an edge in the bodywork that encloses the entire rear like a discreet clasp.
“In a segment that places its focus primarily on function and usability, the new MINI Clubman offers unprecedented aesthetics brimming with serene elegance,” explains Anders Warming, Head of MINI Design.
“Clever ideas, emotionally charged design and a high-end colour and material mix produce an overall experience previously unmatched in this vehicle class.”
Interior Design
The interior of the new MINI Clubman has also expanded along with the exterior. The cabin’s new dimensions are underlined by the generous sweep, clear surfaces and a more “grown-up” sense of space.
The defining element of the MINI Clubman interior is its broad instrument panel, which adopts the generous surfaces areas of the exterior and brings them inside the car. Enclosed by a new take on the hallmark MINI ellipse – a surrounding bracket as a highlight feature – the upper section of the instrument panel appears to be floating.
This all-encompassing loop is the pivotal design theme in the interior of the new MINI Clubman and is also taken up in the design of the door and the center console.
As in the new MINI 3-door and 5-door, the instrument cluster in the new MINI Clubman is positioned on the steering column. The round centre console now comprises above all entertainment and navigation functions, as well as further infotainment options.
Color and trim design
The new MINI Clubman will launch with a choice of 12 exterior color variants, with the powerful Melting Silver Metallic and Pure Burgundy Metallic making their world premiere. In the cabin, colors and materials turn the spotlight primarily on the new form language through different color-contrast variants of the brackets.
A special highlight is the backlit decorative trim of the “MINI Yours Interior Styles” in the front doors: featuring a partially translucent pattern that tapers off towards the rear, the surfaces benefit from highly effective multicolored backlighting courtesy of hidden light sources.
The interplay of the various decorative surfaces, the optional multicolor backlighting and the ambient lighting with a range of daytime and night-time designs makes for a unique ambience in the cabin.
For the ultimate in personalization there is also a choice of nine seat covers, including the new variant Leather Chester in an exclusive Indigo Blue shade. With their diagonal quilting, these new-generation seats evoke the classic Chesterfield sofa.
The design of the sports seats thus cites the British heritage of MINI while delivering a contemporary interpretation of its characteristic diamond pattern for the automotive context.
Accessories
MINI designed the “MINI Gentleman’s Collection” to coincide with the introduction of the new MINI Clubman. Collaboration with talented young Italians resulted in six premium accessories for gents that combine Italian craftsmanship with creative and innovative details inspired by the new MINI Clubman.
The Capsule Collection consists of a hat, a pair of sunglasses, a pair of shoes, a bag, a fragrance and a shaving kit. Characteristic design elements, materials, colors and details from the MINI Clubman were the godfathers for subtle connections between the design of the accessories and this new member of the MINI family.
(Source: MINI)
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