Though the motor industry is focusing heavily on advanced electrified powertrains and on cramming more and more technology into relatively affordable models, Mini has launched a new entry-level Clubman City model aimed squarely at the affordable end of its class. A close look at the new model shows it's very much aimed at fleet buyers. Instead of just robbing the car of a few luxuries to get the price down as low as possible, the new entry-level to the Clubman lineup also introduces new low-emission engines.
As well as being better for the environment and costing less in road tax, lower emissions also mean a lower tax burden for company car drivers. The engines on offer here are two 1.5-liter units: one a diesel and the other petrol. The petrol variant is good for 101bhp and 190Nm of torque and can be specified with a manual or an automatic gearbox. With the manual, it takes a modest 11.3 seconds to get from 0 to 62mph, and choosing the automatic gearbox adds an additional three-tenths of a second to that time.
If a diesel is more to your liking, that version will be called the Mini One D Clubman City and it will only be available as an automatic. It's got a decent amount of extra power though, as it produces 114bhp and as much as 270Nm of torque, which reduces that 0-62mph time down to 10.8 seconds. As for the all-important emissions and fuel economy, petrol versions with the manual box achieve 48.7mpg and 131g/km, petrol automatics get 49.6mpg and 130g/km, and diesel engines manage an impressive 68.9mpg and 109g/km.
Despite its humble place at the bottom of the Clubman range, the Clubman City is still pretty generously-equipped. All versions come standard with 16-inch alloys, a 6.5-inch touchscreen with satellite navigation, Apple CarPlay, rear parking sensors and cruise control. Unfortunately, if you're not an iPhone devotee you're out of luck because for some reason there's no Android Auto compatibility available at the moment.
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