The Mini Clubvan: Review

A Mini Clubvan is the van version of the Clubman Estate. A trendy car that has been turned into a small commercial vehicle which is suitable for small businesses, it is fast becoming one of the coolest vehicles on the road.

The owners of small hip businesses were the customers that BMW was aiming for when it produced the new Mini Clubvan. What nicer image to have for your company than the look of the Mini Cooper D. It is fast to drive around cities and towns and will carry cargo whilst also grabbing the attention of passers by and other motorists. No other commercial vehicle on the road will look so eye catching and this trendy image is helping to sell this popular commercial vehicle.

All that was needed was to remove the rear seating in the Clubman Estate and line the inside with carpet. And the Mini Clubvan was born. Access to the rear is through the split doors and the space will hold 860 litres of luggage, parcels or any other cargo. This is the only access to the load space as if you open the door you can only reach in with your arm and nothing can be loaded that way. The Mini Clubvan will take a payload of 500 kilograms and there are attachment loops to hold the items firmly in place.

In the front, there is no difference between this model and the Clubman Estate. The two front seats are comfortable and, although with the 1.6 turbo diesel engine there is some noise, this small and compact van has lots of pulling power. It is ideal for zipping around town and is simple to park due to the small size.

With 110 brake horse power this beats its closest rival, the Ford Fiesta 1.4 TDCi van, hands down. When cruising it is sometimes necessary to change down a gear when fast acceleration is needed but the impressive gears allow this vehicle to achieve 72.4 mpg with only 103g/km emissions.

The fuel economy alone makes it hard to beat. And, what’s more its great fun to drive. A great pull for businesses which need a commercial vehicle but also want something a bit edgy. Another great advantage is that as a commercial vehicle, buyers are entitled to claim the VAT back from HMRC.

The starting price for the Cooper D Clubvan is just £11,000 and it is available in four colours with 15 inch alloy wheels fitted as standard. The flat plain sides can be used as advertising space so no two vehicles will look the same but all will attract attention.

As a commercial vehicle the Mini Clubvan will no doubt get heavy use so why not buy a set of mats for the front cab which will help to protect it from excessive wear. Dirt and road debris are a real problem on UK roads and this is even more so in the winter months when corrosive salt is added to the mix. Car mats will help to prevent the dirt from becoming embedded in the floor of your Clubvan and you can choose from a wide range of carpet grades or heavy duty rubber.