Sector: Car-derived van Price: €18,100-€22,600 Range: 3.9-6.6l/100km CO2: 103-152g/km

MINI says its new Clubvan is a commercial vehicle for growing companies. So while it’s not going to be a suitable replacement for a full-size van, it’s also not difficult to see why MINI has seized the opportunity to dip into the light commercial sector with a slightly different proposition to its closest rivals.

But for now, it’s a bit of an unknown. This is based on the standard Clubman, and with limited bespoke parts it’s easy for MINI to vary production based on demand. The carmaker anticipates it'll be a model with small fleets as its main target, but it's already finding favour with larger ones too.

Separating this from the Clubman is a flat, plastic-lined load floor, which stretches from the twin rear doors to a cage-type bulkhead with an aluminium reinforcing bar behind the front seats. MINI has also fitted two 12V power sockets at the back and an extra light for the load area, but as yet doesn’t offer approved racking conversions. The latter is unlikely to remain a gap in the market for long, though.

Where the original Morris Mini Van was a compact and affordable urban workhorse, the Clubvan is a much more style-led purchase. Like the rest of the range, it’s easy to push the price up to large car territory with a few option boxes ticked. MINI doesn’t have any illusions that this will become a high volume model for builders and the like, instead seeing it primarily finding favour with delivery companies, electricians and possibly florists.

So order books are proving to be top-heavy, with key markets such as the UK showing a 70% share in the top Cooper D spec, followed by the petrol-only One. The petrol Cooper is expected to be the most popular version in markets such as the US, and like the rest it’s available with an automatic gearbox. Gaps in the range compared with the Clubman are unlikely to be filled, as MINI doesn’t foresee enough demand for a high-performance version.

Stranger still, the Clubvan is the only MINI that isn’t available with steel wheels. The One D features bespoke alloy wheels instead, while Coopers get sporty 17-inch versions. These look great, but they’re a little prone to kerb damage in delivery vehicles.

MINI only had the Cooper D available to test at the launch. It uses broadly the same 1.6-litre diesel found in Ford and PSA’s small vans, and that’s a good thing. This is a tough, reliable unit with effortless efficiency and lively low-rev performance, which works well with the MINI’s excellent on-road dynamics. It’s a bit gruff under load, and the large wheels hurt the ride quality a little, but the Clubvan is good fun to drive.

Its Clubman roots present a few issues though. The Clubdoor, which never made sense for right-hand drive markets in the car, is completely redundant on the Clubvan. There’s just enough of a gap to fit a briefcase between this and the bulkhead, and it’s the cause of a frustrating high-speed whistle that blunts otherwise impressive refinement.

Rear visibility is also problematic. MINI hasn’t fitted larger mirrors to the Clubvan, which results in a sizeable blind spot on the passenger side and some slightly unnerving advances from acutely angled junctions. Our test van didn’t even have a convex mirror on the passenger side, which would have helped.

But it’s unlikely most potential buyers will care. There’s enough rational appeal in the Clubvan to make it a realistic addition to an LCV fleet, and those who love the styling will overlook its flaws for that classic charm.

Verdict:

The Clubvan offers an attractive blend of efficiency, load area and residual values, which mean it’s a viable proposition for fleets who like the way it looks.