MINI has announced the official end of production for its Clubman wagon. The final example has already rolled off the assembly line in Oxford, UK. The model will not have a direct successor anytime soon.
The modern Clubman generation was introduced 17 years ago. MINI built the Clubvan LCV on its basis in 2013. In 2016, the six-door family car received an all-wheel-drive system called ALL4, which was borrowed from BMW along with the platform. Throughout its lifecycle, the Clubman has changed two generations and sold 1.1 million units worldwide.
MINI CEO Stefanie Wurst said in an interview last fall that the company felt it needed to get rid of the Clubman. She admitted that she herself enjoyed driving her Clubman, but couldn’t help its sales being only half as good as those of the Countryman SUV. Moving forward, MINI will make the Countryman its new staple product for customers seeking spacious, utilitarian cars. The Countryman has recently been updated for the third generation and is available with a variety of powertrains ranging from ICE to all-electric.
Aside from the above, the automaker is working on a completely new, smaller electric CUV known as the Aceman. It is set to occupy the market niche between the Cooper and the Countryman, partly filling the market gap left by the Clubman.
