- New rumors suggest that the Clubman will end production in 2024, and our automotive Magic 8 Ball says that all signs point to yes.
- Clubman sales have plummeted from 12,204 units in 2016 to just 2469 last year, becoming the worst-selling model in Mini’s lineup.
- The electric Aceman concept is expected to go into production to fill the void left by the Clubman, with the Countryman growing for its next generation.
A new generation of the Mini Cooper is just around the corner, scheduled to make its debut this year with both electric and gas powertrains, but the iconic hatchback likely won’t spawn a fresh version of the Clubman wagon. A Mini enthusiast website called MotoringFile claims that the production of the Clubman will end in the first quarter of 2024, and while there is no official confirmation of this rumor, there is a lot of evidence pointing to its veracity.
Car and Driver contacted a Mini spokesperson, who would not comment on what they called “highly speculative” reports in other media but also stopped short of a denial, saying that “the company has not confirmed anything at this point.”
We know for certain the the Cooper hatchback will receive a major update for 2025—in late 2021, Mini teased a camouflaged two-door Cooper and a two-door prototype was spied completely undisguised in China. But there has been no indication of a revised Clubman model in the way of spy shots, and while Mini made a splash by bringing the manual transmission back to the Cooper lineup, the Clubman was left out of the fun.
Clubman sales have been on the decline since the model’s peak in 2016, when the second generation was introduced and 12,204 units found homes, making it the second most popular Mini that year behind only the Countryman. Mini sales have decreased across the board since, but the Clubman has suffered worse than the four-door hatch. Last year, 2469 Clubmans were sold versus 4115 four-door Cooper hatches. The Clubman was the brand’s worst-selling vehicle, behind even the Cooper Convertible. While no four-door prototypes of the next-generation Cooper have been spied yet, that model will probably live on and partially succeed the Clubman.
Mini is also expected to put its Aceman concept into production, which would serve as a more direct Clubman replacement. The electric crossover will slot in below the Countryman, which is rumored to grow in size for its next generation. While the Aceman is rumored to be shorter than the Clubman, the taller body and the benefits of an EV skateboard platform could provide similar amounts of interior room. The Clubman’s wagon shape will also be abandoned for more rugged and SUV-like styling, and, given current market trends, that appears to be a well-advised move by Mini.
Even if production of the Clubman extends beyond the first quarter of 2024, that will likely be the last model year for the Mini wagon. The first-generation Clubman was truly quirky, with suicide rear doors and barn doors instead of a traditional hatch. But the second generation became more conventional, and the rise of the crossover saw the Clubman superseded by the Countryman as the practical model in the lineup, spelling the end for one of the few wagons left in the United States.
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Associate News Editor
Caleb Miller began blogging about cars at 13 years old, and he realized his dream of writing for a car magazine after graduating from Carnegie Mellon University and joining the Car and Driver team. He loves quirky and obscure autos, aiming to one day own something bizarre like a Nissan S-Cargo, and is an avid motorsports fan.
Source: Motor - aranddriver.com
