Item: 2015 Mini F54 Clubman
Rating: 3.5

Willing turbocharged petrol engines
High standard of interior fit and finish
Competent ride/handling balance

Clubman Cooper S lacks performance of past Cooper S models
Frugal Clubman Cooper D not yet available in Australia
More spacious interior than five-door F55 Cooper , but narrow rear seat

Review: MINI F54 Clubman (2015-19)

Overview

Released in Australia in November 2015, the MINI F54 Clubman was a five-door, five-seat wagon. Manufactured in Cowley, England, the front-wheel drive MINI F54 Clubman range initially consisted of the Cooper and Cooper S variants, with the John Cooper Works Clubman ALL4 following in February 2017.

Engines

Of the engines,

For the Cooper Clubman, the 1.5-litre B38B15M0 three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine had an alloy block and cylinder head, direct fuel injection, double overhead camshafts, variable intake and exhaust camshaft control (double VANOS), four valves per cylinder, fully variable valve control (Valvetronic) and a compression ratio of 11.0:1;
For the Cooper S Clubman, the 2.0-litre B48A20M0 four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine had the same alloy construction and technologies, albeit with a twin scroll turbocharger; and,
For the John Cooper Works Clubman ALL4, the 2.0-litre B48A20B engine had higher boost pressure and a compression ratio of 10.2:1. As such, the John Cooper Works Clubman ALL4 could accelerate from rest to 100 km/h in 6.3 seconds.

All engines complied with Euro 6 emissions standards and, for models with automatic transmissions, an ‘auto start/stop’ function enabled the engine to shut down when the vehicle was stationary in traffic. To further minimise fuel consumption, the F54 Clubman had on-demand operation of the alternator, fuel pump, coolant pump and other ancillary units.

Specifications: MINI F54 Clubman
	Engine	Trans.	Peak power	Peak torque
Cooper	1.5-litre B38B15 turbo petrol I3	6sp auto	100 kW at 4500-6000 rpm	220 Nm at 1250-4000 rpm (230 Nm with o/boost)
Cooper S	2.0-litre B48A20M0 turbo petrol I4	8sp auto	141 kW at 4700-6000 rpm	280 Nm at 1250-4750 rpm (300 Nm with o/boost)
John Cooper Works ALL4	2.0-litre B48A20B turbo petrol I4	8sp auto	170 kW at 5000-6000 rpm	350 Nm at 1450-4500 rpm

ALL4 all-wheel drive system

For the F54 John Cooper Works Clubman, MINI’s ‘ALL4’ all-wheel drive system which consists of:

A power take-off unit integrated in the front axle differential;
A propeller shaft leading to the rear axle; and,
A hang-on clutch that ensured ‘precisely measured transmission’ of the drive torque to the rear wheels.

As such, the engine’s torque is directed to the front wheels in normal conditions for maximum fuel efficiency. If, however, a loss of traction was experienced, the take-off unit could direct torque to the rear axle for a 50:50 front:rear torque split.

Dimensions and body

The MINI F54 Clubman was underpinned by BMW’s UKL1 platform which was shared with the five-door MINI F55 Cooper and BMW F45 2-Series Active Tourer . Compared to the MINI R55 Clubman which preceded it, the F54 Clubman was 316 mm longer (at 4253 mm), 63 mm narrower (1800 mm), 15 mm taller (1441 mm) and had a 123 mm longer wheelbase (2670 mm). Furthermore, the Cooper Clubman and Cooper S Clubman had drag coefficients of 0.32 Cd and 0.34 Cd, respectively.

Cargo capacity for the F54 Clubman was 360 litres, though this increased to 1250 litres when the 40:20:40 split and folding rear seats were lowered.

Suspension and steering

The MINI F54 Clubman had a single-joint MacPherson spring strut front axle with aluminium swivel bearing, while the multi-link rear axle had trailing arms. As an option, the F54 Clubman was available with electronically-controlled dampers (‘Dynamic Damper Control’) which enabled the driver to select from standard and sports settings.

The MINI F54 Clubman had rack-and-pinion steering with electric power assistance.

Safety equipment

Standard safety equipment for the MINI F54 Clubman included dual front airbags, front side airbags, full length curtain airbags, ABS, electronic brake force distribution, brake assist, electronic stability control, traction control, corner braking control and front seatbelts with pre-tensioners and load limiters.

As standard, the MINI F54 Clubman was equipped with MINI’s ‘Forward Collision Warning” (FCW) with visual and audio warning signals. If a collision was anticipated, the driver would initially be provided with a visual warning in the instrument cluster, followed by an acoustic warning. Furthermore, the braking system would be prepared for faster response.

Upon its release, the MINI F54 John Cooper Works Clubman was also equipped with –

Active Cruise Control (ACC) with Stop and Go function: active at speeds up to 140 km/h, ACC used a camera to maintain a safe distance from the vehicle ahead. Beyond this, the Stop and Go function enabled the Clubman to be brought to rest and accelerate when the road ahead cleared;
City Crash Mitigation (CCM) with pedestrian detection (also known as Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB)): if the driver failed to react to the collision warnings, the brakes would be automatically applied to reduce vehicle speed and the severity of the collision; and,
Speed Limit Info: a camera-based system which could detect road signs and display the current speed limit to the driver.

From July 2017 production, Australian-delivered MINI F54 Clubman vehicles were fitted with City Crash Mitigation (CCM), High Beam Assist (HBA) and Speed Limit Info as standard. At this time, the Cooper S Clubman also gained Active Cruise Control (ACC) with Stop and Go function.

As standard, the MINI F54 Clubman had an ‘active bonnet’ which, in the event of a pedestrian collision, triggered a pyrotechnic mechanism to raise the bonnet. By creating additional deformation space with hard points in the engine bay, the active bonnet reduced the risk of pedestrian injury.

Euro NCAP testing

In Euro NCAP testing , a right-hand drive 2015 MINI F54 Clubman Cooper that was powered by a 1.5-litre petrol engine received a four star safety rating which included a 90 per cent adult occupant protection rating and a 68 per cent child occupant protection rating. In the frontal offset test, protection of the driver’s head, thighs and feet were rated as good, but chest and lower leg protection were rated as adequate (i.e. a slight risk of serious injury). Maximum points were awarded in the side impact test; in the more severe pole test, however, chest protection was rated as adequate.

Features: F54 Cooper Clubman

For Australia, standard features for the MINI F54 Cooper Clubman included 7.0J x 16-inch alloy wheels with 205/55 R16 91W tyres, a six speaker sound system with auxiliary inputs (USB/iPod), Mini ‘Visual Boost’ multimedia interface with a 6.5-inch monitor, Bluetooth mobile phone connectivity and audio streaming, climate control air conditioning, cloth upholstery, cruise control, front and rear fog lights, rear parking sensors, a rear view camera with guidance lines, rain-sensing wipers, 40:20:40 split and folding rear seats, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, remote central locking, power adjustable and heated mirrors, power windows, tilt and telescopic steering wheel adjustment, height adjustable front seats, push-button start, velour floor mats, a 12 volt power socket, a trip computer and an immobiliser.

As standard, the F54 Clubman was fitted with a front electronic differential lock (MINI’s ‘Electronic Differential Lock Control’ or EDLC) which could apply the brakes to the inside front wheel when cornering to transfer torque to the opposing front wheel and reduce understeer.

Features: Cooper S Clubman

The MINI Cooper S Clubman was further equipped with 7.5J x 17-inch alloy wheels with 225/45 R17 94W XL tyres, navigation system, combination cloth/leather upholstery, a John Cooper Works leather steering wheel, proximity key for keyless entry (Mini’s ‘Comfort Access’) and non-contact opening of the rear doors. As standard, the Cooper S Clubman is also fitted with an ‘Excitement Package’ which projects the ‘MINI’ logo from the driver’s side mirror onto the ground.

Features: John Cooper Works Clubman ALL4

Relative to the Cooper S Clubman, the John Cooper Works Clubman ALL4 was distinguished by its 8.0J x 19 ‘John Cooper Works Course Spoke’ alloy wheels with 225/35 R19 run-flat tyres, 410 watt Harman Kardon sound system with twelve speakers and an eight-channel digital amplifier, digital radio tuner (DAB+), the ‘Professional’ navigation system with an 8.8-inch display, black ‘Leather Cross Punch’ upholstery, LED headlights with high beam assistant, front parking sensors, head-up display, a perforated leather steering wheel with contrast red stitching, and Anthracite roof liner.

July 2017 update: MINI Connected and additional features

From July 2017 production, Australian-delivered MINI Clubman vehicles were equipped with ‘MINI Connected’ as standard. MINI Connected used BMW’s ‘Open Mobility Cloud’ platform tor smartphone integration and provided an interface to access information calendar appointments, recommended trip start times and to send locations directly to your vehicle. Information such as driving range and fuel level could also be accessed from a personal device.

For the post-July 2017 MINI Clubman,

Standard features for the Cooper Clubman were extended to include 17-inch alloy wheels (previously 16-inch), the ‘Business’ navigation system and a digital radio tuner (previously omitted from the Cooper Clubman and Cooper S Clubman);
Standard features for the Cooper S Clubman were extended to include 18-inch alloy wheels (previously 17-inch), LED headlights, front parking sensors and ‘Park Assist’ for semi-autonomous parallel parking; and,
Standard features for the John Cooper Works Clubman ALL4 were extended to include wireless mobile phone charging, wireless Apple CarPlay smartphone integration and MINI Find Mate (a GPS tracker which could communicate with a mobile device through an app).

MINI Cooper S Clubman Masterpiece Edition

The MINI Cooper S Clubman Masterpiece Edition was released in Australia in December 2017. Visually, the Cooper S Clubman Masterpiece Edition could be identified by its White Silver metallic paint finish, unique 18-inch alloy wheels finished in ‘dark spectre grey’ and ‘Masterpiece Edition’ badges for the C-pillars. Contrasting exterior sections included black bonnet stripes, door mirror caps, the roof and roof rails, while the side scuttles had a ‘Black Jack’ finish.

Inside, the Cooper S Clubman Masterpiece Edition featured the MINI Navigation system with an 8.8-inch display, Apple CarPlay smartphone integration, wireless mobile phone charging and a head-up display. As standard, the Cooper S Clubman Masterpiece Edition was also fitted with the following ‘MINI Yours’ personalisation items: ‘carbon black’ coloured ‘Leather Lounge’ seats, power adjustable and heated front seats, a ‘MINI Yours’ sports leather steering wheel, Anthracite headliner, ‘Essentials’ diamond-pattern floor mats and ‘Chrome line’ interior trims.

Australian deliveries of the Cooper S Clubman Masterpiece Edition were limited to thirty (30) vehicles. Upon its release, the MINI Cooper S Clubman Masterpiece Edition had a recommended retail price of $55,210 (excluded on-road costs).

Paint finishes

The MINI F54 Clubman was available in the following paint finishes:

Pure Burgundy Metallic;
Blazing Red Metallic;
Pepper White;
Melting Silver Metallic;
Thunder Grey Metallic:
Midnight Black Metallic;
British Racign Green Metallic; and,
MINI Yours Lapisluxury Blue.

The roof could be specified in the same paint colour as the body, or in Melting Silver Metallic, Aspen White or Jet Black finishes.

Brochure

Brochure: MINI F54 Clubman (November 2015)

Specifications

Review: MINI F54 LCI Clubman (2019-on)