If you’re a fan of Mini’s quirky ‘six-door’ Clubman, now might be a good time to snap one up.
Mini boss Stefanie Wurst has confirmed that there won’t be a new-generation model as the firm’s upcoming SUVs will apparently plug the gap just fine.
“I wouldn’t say the space is filled but we will not have a Clubman,” Stefanie told Top Gear UK.
“The Aceman is a smaller concept but I think the five-door space (if not the six-door) is filled well by the Countryman and the Aceman. If you look at the sales numbers worldwide the Countryman doubles the Clubman.”
And that’s the crux of it. SUVs have just become so popular that normal hatchbacks and wagons (we like to think the Clubman, with its rear barn doors, straddles the two segments) are just not raking in the profits anymore.
The writing was already on the wall for the demise of the current generation Mini Clubman, with the international reveal of the Final Edition model earlier this year. However, until now Mini has not confirmed that there won’t be a new-generation Clubman.
For the record, ten examples of the Mini Clubman Final Edition have been allocated to South Africa, with the first units expected to arrive in the fourth quarter of this year. It’s set apart by unique design features inside and out, including a “1 of 1969” badge on the C-pillar. Yes, to commemorate the 1969 introduction of the original Clubman, Mini is building 1,969 examples internationally.
The current-gen Clubman was introduced in 2015, and is currently available in Cooper, Cooper S and JCW guises in South Africa, priced from R595,831 to R862,144, according to Duoporta.
As mentioned, Mini will focus its efforts on its hatchback and SUV models going forward.
The BMW-owned British brand recently pulled the covers off its new-gen electric hatch and Countryman models, the latter having grown much bigger and sharing a wheelbase with the BMW X1.
The smaller Aceman, which is likely to arrive in 2024, will plug the gap below the new Countryman.
The concept version that was revealed in 2022 measures four metres in length, versus its larger sibling’s 4.43m length.
The battery-powered Aceman concept also points the way forward for sustainability, with the cabin being free of leather and chrome, which are replaced by eco-friendly textile materials.
But will there be any petrol-powered Minis in future?
For now, yes. The brand aims to go all-electric by 2030, but the new Countryman will be offered with a combination of EV and ICE powertrains.
The new-generation hatchback is electric-only, however it is believed that an updated version of the current ICE powered hatchback will debut soon, to keep the option of a petrol-powered Mini going for at least another few years.