MINI Clubvan road test – smart businesses need smart vans

What’s not

• It’s a bit of a lightweight – maximum load is 500kg; not that it will worry most users
  

  A lip at the back, but otherwise the load area is flat. It’s quite a long way to the front, but the ‘suicide’ door helps access

• Those large 17 inch wheels pick up some road roar
• The cabin is cramped for burlier drivers
• Your foot can snag the clutch rest when de-clutching
• Stop/start isn’t smoothest when it restarts – gets tiring in heavy traffic
• Long load bay means it’s a stretch to the far end – but there’s always the suicide door
• Like all car-derived vans, there’s a lip on the edge of the load area – otherwise it’s a flat load bay
• Budget to add at least the Pepper pack to the spec (£975)
• Park Distance Control is useful, but not standard: that’s another £245 option

If image matters to your business, look no further

Business Vans verdict

The MINI Clubvan provides a breath of fresh air in the small car-derived van market. It’s as charming and vivacious as its sixties forebear, if rather more sophisticated.

Its appeal isn’t to the big van fleets. The MINI Clubvan is far more niche. Where the MINI Clubvan Cooper D can really score is with the likes of upmarket wine merchants, bakers, florists, interior furnishing companies as well as trades like electricians.

And the Clubvan has advantage of being a great mobile advertising hoarding if you get the van signwriting correct, too.

Add in the great performance, handling and good looks, and the MINI Clubvan is an absolute winner. It’s niche marketing at its best.

What you need to know