Cooper Clubman

Make
Mini
Segment
Wagon

The 2020 Mini Cooper Clubman is the company's mid-sized offering, positioned above the four-door Cooper but below the Countryman SUV. Mini has updated the Clubman significantly for the 2020 model year including a new dual-clutch transmission for the S model and a more powerful John Cooper Works model with all-wheel-drive. Both of these changes have improved the Clubman lineup but as it turns out, Mini made another change without a major announcement.

For the 2020 model year, the Clubman will no longer be available in its base configuration with the 1.5-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine. This engine, which produces 134 horsepower in the Cooper Hardtop, has been "dropped due to low take rates," according to a Mini spokesperson.

This leaves customers with the option of either the Clubman S or the Clubman John Cooper Works. The S model is powered by a 2.0-liter four-cylinder producing 189 hp going out through a seven-speed DCT to either front-wheel-drive or optional all-wheel-drive. If you want a bit more spunk from your Clubman, the JCW offers 301 hp from a 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder going out exclusively to AWD through an eight-speed automatic.

We are happy to see that Mini has kept the more potent variants of the Clubman for 2020 but there is an unintended side effect of the three-cylinder model being dropped. Both the S and JCW are only available with automatic transmission, meaning you can no longer get a manual transmission on any 2020 Clubman.

Mini was once the only automaker in the US to offer a manual transmission on every model. While no longer the case, Mini still offers manuals on the Cooper in the base, S, and JCW configurations. The Countryman is still available with the three-cylinder engine but the configurator shows you can only build one with a seven-speed DCT. In 2019, Mini faced delays on its manual transmission in the US, and it could still be affecting the brand's lineup. Mini is working on a replacement for the current Clubman but it will be interesting to see if it arrives sporting a manual.