With gas prices skyrocketing, Mini sales in the US are doing the same. In April of this year, Mini sales in the US climbed 28.6%, more than any other company. In May, they climbed 47.2%, more than any other company. In June, they climbed 40.5%, more than any other company. Get the picture? I assume something similar is happening in Canada right now.
And this is with good reason. The Mini Cooper/Clubman non-S is rated (in US gallons, with the pessimistic EPA ratings) at 28 mpg city, 37 mpg highway with the manual. The S version gets 26/34 with the manual, and Edmunds recently beat that in a real-world highwy test (37.5 mpg with purely highway driving). For comparison, even the relatively thrifty GTI gets 22 mpg city, 29 mpg highway with the DSG (20/29 with 6MT).
Thing is, the Mini's body style still restricts its growth. Americans are warming up to subcompact cars, but the Cooper is really only good for two people, and the Clubman is really only good for four people if the rear passengers are teenagers or adults (who can climb through the club door). In other words, Mini still doesn't offer a vehicle where the back seat is toddler or small-child friendly. Trying to lift two toddlers into the back of a Clubman is a hernia waiting to happen.
But it wouldn't be hard for Mini to fix this. They could use the Clubman platform and make a proper four-door with a trunk, about the size of a Yaris sedan. This would allow parents who demand four doors, but don't demand a ton of room, to pick up a Mini as a small, thrifty, fun family-hauler. I'd be first in line.
The question is, what should it look like? Obviously retro lines are an essential part of Mini's marketing. I was thinking that the Morris Minor would be the template, though if anyone else can think of 1960s British four-doors that would look better, that might work too:
Am I the only one who thinks this would be a really good move for Mini?
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