1 best of : We Hear: 2016 Mini Clubman to Get All-Wheel Drive Option

With its four full-size doors, the all-new 2016 Mini Clubman is larger and more practical than the previous generation. Now, rumors suggest the new model will offer even more practicality. Mini enthusiast site Motoringfile.com reports that the Clubman will be available with the automaker’s ALL4 all-wheel-drive system.

If the rumors are true, the new Mini Clubman will be the first Mini car to feature all-wheel drive. Currently, only the four-door Mini Countryman and two-door Mini Paceman crossovers have been available with all-wheel-drive. The rumors also suggest that the high-performance Clubman John Cooper Works (JCW) will come standard with all-wheel drive.

Although powertrain details for a Mini Clubman JCW haven’t been revealed, we know the standard Mini Cooper Hardtop JCW will be powered by a turbocharged 2.0-liter I-4 making 228 hp and 236 lb-ft of torque. That’s 20 hp more than the last-generation JCW. Transmission choices include a six-speed manual or six-speed auto.

The base 2016 Mini Clubman is powered by a turbocharged 1.5-liter I-3 rated 134 hp and 162 lb-ft, while motivation for the Clubman S comes from a turbocharged 2.0-liter I-4 making 189 hp and 207 lb-ft. The base model gets either a six-speed manual or six-speed auto, while the S gets a six-speed manual or new eight-speed auto. The report suggests that the all-wheel-drive system in the JCW will be slightly different than the one offered on lower-trim models. No details on the system have been revealed, but it could be similar to the one found in the BMW X1, which shares the Mini’s UKL platform.

Source: motoringfile.com