Mini Clubman to Drive Continued Growth

The Clubman will help the Mini brand continue growing as the second-generation Cooper did in 2007.

Mini announced record sales in 2007, with sales up 18.5 percent over 2006 to more than 222,000 units worldwide.

“That s the most Minis we have ever sold,” said BMW AG’s Stefan Krause, the board of management member responsible for sales and marketing, at the Detroit auto show. “Our decision to expand production capacity at our Mini plant in Oxford, England, was the right one.”

U.S.: Mini’s Largest Market

In 2007, about one in five Minis were sold in the U.S., the brand’s second-largest market behind the United Kingdom. The Mini is sold in 70 markets.

The U.S. figure of 42,000 units sold in 2007 is a 7 percent increase over 2006 sales. “These figures again prove that the second generation of Minis, which were only launched in the U.S. market in February 2007, is being well received,” Krause said.

He added that one in five Mini Convertibles sold in America has the upscale Sidewalk package that was launched in April 2007. He noted that the Cooper S performance model accounts for 50 percent of U.S. sales.

In addition, month after month, Edmunds.com’s analysis of Total Cost of Incentives (TCI) shows Mini, along with Toyota’s Scion, spend virtually nothing on incentives, less than $200 a vehicle.

Continued 2008 Growth

Krause said the Mini brand would continue to grow in 2008. Mini has 82 Mini dealers in the U.S. and intends to add about a dozen dealers by 2010. He said the Mini Cooper Clubman and the Mini Cooper S Clubman, which debuted at the Los Angeles auto show in November, would begin U.S. sales Feb. 16.

The Mini Clubman “is the essence of the historic shooting brake,” said Krause at the Detroit auto show. It combines coupe elements with distinctive rear split doors. The vehicle’s club door on the passenger side makes it easier for passengers to climb into the rear seats. With the rear seats down, the diminutive car has more than 32 cubic feet of cargo space.

Crossover on the Horizon

Krause reiterated hints made before that Mini will launch a crossover vehicle in the near future but said little more about it.However, he said a Mini crossover would convey the same driving fun and go-cart feeling as current Mini offerings but would be paired with other functional features.

Source: Mini Clubman to Drive Continued Growth

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