Review: Mini Cooper Clubman Black Pack

Customisation is a big thing for Mini buyers. Only two out of every ten of those ordering Mini Clubmans don’t tick the option box for the Chili Pack with its 17in alloys and interior ambient lighting.

Noticing this, Mini has printed another box on the options sheet: the Black Pack. To start with at least, it will only be offered on the entry-level Cooper and Cooper D models of the Clubman estate.

So, what does the Black Pack include? Unsurprisingly, black 17in wheels, black bonnet stripes and piano black interior trim. None of these options are new, but if you go for them in this Black Pack it will cost you £700 rather than the £900 they would normally be. The resulting price for this Clubman, which also has sat-nav, cruise control, air conditioning and a turbocharged 1.5-litre engine with a six-speed manual gearbox, is £21,430. Mini expects 1 in 10 Clubmans to be specified with the Black Pack, and there’ll be no limits placed on numbers.

As noted, there are no other differences to the underlying Clubman, so apart from the vague sensation of driving something a tiny bit bespoke, it’s business as usual as far as the drive goes. And that’s a good thing, because this car ranks in the higher echelons of family car motoring courtesy of well-weighted, communicative and predictable steering that adds a degree of agility you might not expect from something that looks like an estate. Smaller Minis do feel more lively on the road, but nobody would criticise you for claiming that you’re having fun behind the wheel of a Clubman. Especially when you point out that this is indeed a family car.

The usual price of good handling is a firm ride, and the Clubman doesn’t escape that generalisation. The overall ride quality of today’s Clubman is a whole lot better than that of the previous-generation model, thanks to extra length in the wheelbase and extra suppleness in the suspension, but rougher surfaces will still trip it up. It may not develop into an issue for short-trips-only drivers, but higher-mileage owners might tire of it.

Aided by a positive six-speed manual gearbox that’s preferable to the automatic, the 1.5 turbo petrol engine squirts you around town nicely and performs with good grace on longer journeys. Power comes in predictably, and smoothly unless you explore the engine’s upper rev band where it begins to sound quite coarse. If you’re in a higher gear as well, and thus travelling at a higher speed, you’ll also notice a goodly amount of road roar.

Shame really because the the glossy piano finish adds a chunk of appeal to the interior, even if an Audi A3 Sportback or BMW 1 Series will still top it on build quality and finish. Still, there’s no feeling of cramping inside and the boot capacity is up with the family car norm. Opening the split boot doors is an enduring novelty, but the downside is that the central frames do reduce rear visibility.