Let's all go clubbing

This is one talking point about the third model in the modern MINI line-up which goes on sale here on November 10 - the other is the controversial off-side rear Clubdoor' - which probably seemed like a good idea at the time.

BMW are blaming the UK press for making this an issue and perhaps they are right, it's just a pity that there is no way of avoiding the fact that this feature is going to be an inconvenience at the least, if not a danger, here in the UK.

It all stems from the fact that the handle-less half-size rear side door has been designed so that it can only be fitted to the right-hand side of the car.

That's fine in almost every other market where this means exiting onto the nearside pavement. In the UK, unless drivers park against the flow of traffic, rear passengers are going to be exiting on the offside and potentially into the path of overtaking vehicles.

You might imagine that MINI would switch sides for the door when making the right-hand drive versions, but no. Accord-ing to BMW technicians, the positioning of the fuel filler and the fuel tank to meet crash protection regulations prohibits switching sides or at least would make it prohibitively expensive to re-engineer. So, all right-hand drive markets are going to have to contend with this handicap.

The other feature about the Clubdoor that could cause problems is the fact that the driver's door has to be opened first before it can be released (similar to Mazda's RX-8), which effectively requires the driver to exit the car to allow rear seat occupants to exit.

Of course they would have to do this if it was a three-door only model as in the case of the hatchback.

On the new MINI Clubman this results in the next slight handicap. Because the Club door hinges from the rear in the opposite direction to the front door, when using it in a confined space, such as a supermarket car park, exiting passengers are trapped in a V shaped space and have to shuffle backwards and forwards to get away from the car.

The plus side is that the Club door undoubtedly provides a far larger and easier way to leave the rear seats (especially parents with small children) when there is plenty of space to the side and occupants aren't worrying about other vehicles passing.

However, for me, what makes the Club door unnecessary is the fact that on the nearside the lone front door is perfectly big enough, and the front seats fold forward enough to make it relatively simply to leave by this route.

The added observation is that while the driver's seat has a memory function which allows it to be returned to the previous upright position, the passenger seat doesn't and needs re-positioning every time. Surely BMW has left-hand front seats with this mechanism from their left-hand drive models that wouldn't cost too much to install.

There is much better news when it comes to the real retro feature on the MINI Clubman - the Travelleresque rear doors which are a great idea, well executed.

Split down the middle, they are hinged at each side in the C pillar, but in a clever piece of design disguise the pillars wrap around the rear light clusters so that there is the maximum amount of access to the useful luggage compartment.

Each of the two rear windows has its own wiper and although the waist line is higher than on the original, rear visions isn't seriously compromised by this.

For the Clubman, the MINI has been stretched by 24cmm and raised in roof height by 2cm. This means that the luggage space is now 260 litres (with space saver spare) which is 100 litres more than before but still not especially huge.

Adding versatility, the rear seats split 50/50 and fold down flat to give 930 litres of space (250 litres more) - but to do this individually the middle headrest has to be removed as it locks the two seats together, which can be a bit fiddly.

Another minor inconvenience is that the rear seats can only be released from the back, it's impossible to do this from inside.

Better news is the optional flat board, which covers part of the boot well and provides a fully flat load floor, useful for loading items such as bicycles and large equipment.

Accessories that will follow include roof rails, which will need a redesign of the prominent roof ridges on the current models, but will be useful for carrying surfboards.

While the rear end makes the Clubman very distinctive the front, with its short overhand and wide track,is identical to the hatchback, helping maintain the family image.

Inside the cabin is much as before with the speedometer getting bigger than ever and toggle switches all very much comfortably retro. A new optional hot chocolate colour scheme (inside and out) is more of a personal preference.

I am going to have to take issue with MINI on one aspect of the cabin - the contention that the rear seats are now suitable for three occupants (other versions are two seaters), even with slightly more leg room (the wheelbase having been stretched by 80mm).

With two adults in the back, the gap between them is about two inches and even with three children its going to be a tight squeeze.

When it comes to specification, most buyers add around £2,000 worth of extras to their purchase (and some significantly more) so very few examples go out in standard trim.

But everyone does have automatic rear wash wipe, electric door mirrors, remote central locking with alarm that automatically locks at 10mph, auxiliary connection for an MP3 player, electric windows and a radio and single CD audio.

From the options list I especially like the twin sunroof, which makes for a much lighter cabin sensation and I would opt for the rear parking sensors as well.

Powering the Clubman, MINI sticks with the same three engine options currently offered on the hatchback.

The most popular is expected to be the 120bhp 1.6 litre Cooper petrol, mainly based on price (£14,235) and efficiency. In company with a hotter petrol and efficient diesel this is actually the weakest of the trio with only average performance for a modern MINI.

This means 62mph comes up in just under 10 seconds and its tops out at 125mph while returning a claimed 51mpg and emissions of 132 g/km.

In contrast the 175bhp Cooper S (£17,210) with its twin-scroll turbocharger and direct injection is great fun to drive (62mph coming up in 7.6 seconds before reaching a best of 139mph).

It's far more responsive but owners are going to have to cope with fuel consumption figures that could drop to as low as 25mpg when there are really enjoying it, which is well off the 44mpg quoted by its makers.

Surprisingly, my commonsense choice would be the PSA sourced 110bhp Cooper Diesel (£15,400) which has the same amount of torque as the Cooper S and this shows in a less than shabby sprint time of 10.4 seconds and a 120mph maximum.

It pulls well and is very flexible in gear (all versions come with a slick six speed manual transmission as standard with a six-speed automatic option), so much so that you can push it quite hard and it actually feels faster than the figures indicate.

There is some initial diesel knock but this soon settles down and isn't intrusive while drivers should be able to get close to 70mpg with a gentle right foot.

Because of the extra length (the Clubman has 160mm more overhang) MINI has had to refine the suspension so that the front axle is based on a MacPherson spring strut with anti-roll bar with a central-arm rear axle which helps it to retain the kart-like handling characteristics of the hatchback. The Cooper S gets a firmer spring setting, which is an option on the other models.

Everything is kept in check by ABS braking with Electronic Braking Distribution, Corner Braking Control, Dynamic Stability Control (with Hill Assist) and Automatic Stability Control with Traction Control.

Unfortunately, possibly promoted by the larger cabin, there is some noise from the front end of the Clubman's chassis --not helped by the press test cars being fitted with the larger 17in tyres which suffer from road noise - but they do fill out the wheel arches very well.

The extra length also makes the back end move around slightly more than the hatchback and it doesn't feel quite as rigid, but its still great fun to drive.

The Clubman is going to attract its own cult following, I am sure, but it is a different beast to the hatchback being more practical, but losing some of the pert glamour of the hatch- back.

In summation, the MINI Clubman is a very useful addition to the MINI range and adds a new dimension to their classic reconstruction - it's just a pity that the Clubdoor is a gimmick too far.