MINI Clubman Dropped From Canadian Lineup
MINI’s 2023 models have arrived, but there’s one omission: the MINI Clubman. You know, the one with barn doors instead of a conventional rear liftgate. The company has indeed decided to axe the quirky compact as the lineup continues to evolve.
“Fully aware of customer demand and market trends, MINI is focusing on small urban cars like the MINI 3 Door, which is available with an internal combustion engine or as a fully electric model, as well as the MINI 5 Door, MINI Convertible and MINI Countryman,” Jean-François Taylor, Product and Technology Manager, Corporate Communications at BMW Group Canada, confirmed to The Car Guide in a written statement.
- Also: 2019 MINI Clubman ALL4: A Different Kind of Car
- Also: 2020 MINI John Cooper Works Clubman: The UK’s 301-Hp Pocket Rocket
The decision is for the Canadian market only. In the U.S., the Clubman is back for 2023.
Over here, the MINI Clubman lost its base, three-cylinder Cooper ALL4 model in 2022, keeping only the four-cylinder Cooper S ALL4 (189 hp) and John Cooper Works ALL4 (301 hp) models.
As the names imply, all Clubmans were gifted with ALL4 all-wheel drive as standard along with an eight-speed automatic transmission.
This particular MINI obviously offered more cargo room than the MINI 5 Doors, but a large majority of Canadian customers preferred to spend a bit more money to get the bigger and more practical Countryman. Therefore, it no longer made much sense to keep it around.
In related news, MINI is scheduled to unveil a new electric concept later in 2022. It will be smaller than the Countryman and, according to rumours, bring back the Paceman name. A production model won’t hit the market until 2024, however.
Keep following The Car Guide for more breaking news about MINI.
