BMW’s Mini brand will get a major volume lift with the addition of the new Mini Clubman, an estate-style variant – effectively a stretched Mini – that adds a little interior space. But if the Clubman is a big hit and/or further Mini variants are signed off (such as a small SUV ‘Moke’) BMW will almost certainly face capacity constraint issues at the Oxford plant.
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The Oxford plant is forecast to produce 220,000 units this year, rising to 240,000 units – the installed capacity ceiling – next year, boosted by the addition of the Clubman. The Clubman is expected to account for around a quarter – some 60,000 units – of the plant’s output in 2008.
The Clubman’s share of total Oxford production (three Mini variants being made: hatch, convertible and Clubman) is then forecast to settle at around 20% in the medium term, according to Mini officials.
Further substantial assembly capacity expansion on the Oxford site would likely be problematic on land availability grounds.
If Mini decides to add a further variant (plenty of speculation surrounds a small SUV, possibly harking back to the Mini Moke) it could be made by Magna Steyr in Austria, which has lost the contract to build the next BMW X3 which will be made at Spartanburg in South Carolina.
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By GlobalDataMini could also consider other specialist contract assemblers for such a niche model.
Speaking to just-auto at the Mini Clubman’s UK media launch, Oxford plant managing director Oliver Zipse stressed that nothing is decided on future Mini brand manufacturing capacity expansion.
“Things are going very well. Now, with the Clubman, we are adding a new product and have invested to take capacity at Oxford to a level that is over twice what it was at the plant when Mini started.
“The Clubman is just being launched – let’s see how it goes. First comes success in the market. A manufacturing strategy to meet customer demands follows from that and we will evaluate all the options when we need to,” Zipse said.
The Mini Clubman is described by Mini as a modern interpretation of old Mini variants such as the Morris Mini Traveller and Mini Clubman estate. The new Clubman is effectively a stretched Mini that offers a little more utility than the standard model.
Clubman’s wheelbase is 80mm longer than the standard Mini and a further 160mm is added to the rear overhang to increase boot capacity. Split rear doors and a ‘Clubdoor’ on the car’s right-hand side (sometimes known as a half-door or coach door) give the car a distinctive look.
Mini officials maintain that the single Clubdoor on the right could not be mirrored with another one on the left due to regulatory and cost considerations related to the design of the vehicle and the position of the fuel tank and filler cap.
Inverting the single Clubdoor to the other side for right-hand-drive (in the UK, the driver’s side coach-door has attracted some criticism as a ‘suicide door’ implying that rear passengers exit into moving traffic rather than the safety of the sidewalk, as in LHD markets) was prohibitively expensive, according to Mini.
The Clubman is available in Cooper (1.6L petrol), Cooper D (1.6L turbocharged diesel) and Cooper S (1.6L turbocharged petrol) versions and prices are around GBP1,200 higher than the equivalent Mini hatchback.
As with the hatchback models, the petrol engines will be assembled at Hams Hall in the Midlands, with body panels and sub-assemblies being supplied from Swindon. The diesel engine is supplied from Ford/PSA’s diesel JV and comes from France.
Will Mini Clubman be a success? It offers a little more utility over the hatchback but Mini says core Mini values (such as the sharp handling, Mini styling and the ability to customise) have been carried over and that the new model takes Mini to people who will value the additional utility.
Journalists on the UK launch liked the character of the new model and opinions on the driving experience were generally very favourable. It’s essentially a slightly elongated Mini with a few added funky design features. Crucially, it’s still a Mini – to look at and drive.
However, customers will be paying quite a premium for just a little bit more space. A big load swallower it is not (and, fair enough, Mini did not want to create such a thing, which would have compromised Mini values).
How many Clubman customers will be incremental gains to the brand and to what extent will future Mini hatchback volume be cannibalised as some potential hatch buyers opt for the extra utility of the Clubman instead?
Perhaps such considerations miss the point. Thus far, BMW’s Mini adventure has tapped into plenty of latent demand for a small fashionable premium priced car with Mini brand values. If Mini customers wanted to max out on utility or were more value-driven, there are other brands, other vehicles.
There ought to be room for a Mini hatch and a (slightly) bigger sibling that comes with a premium.
Dave Leggett
