The press blurb for the new Mini Clubman mentions innovation. The word that really describes the half door on the offside flank and the van-like twin doors at the back is ‘novelty’. The original Traveller/Countryman/Clubman Estate wore its body seams on the outside to maximise internal space; the new Clubman’s rear doors, with their contrasting surround evoking the wood frame of the Countryman, are so thick that the boot space they reveal is little bigger than that of the Mini hatch.

I suspect that this doesn’t really matter, though. The most noticeable gain for the Clubman’s extra 240mm in overall length and 80mm in the wheelbase is rear seat space, which is now comfortable for full-sized adults. Access to this ‘lounge’, as Mini likes to describe it, is assisted by the ‘Clubdoor’, which unfortunately is on the ‘wrong’ side for countries that drive on the left.

The Clubman feels different, riding better, with less vertical motion and more composure at a motorway cruise. This is a result of the longer wheelbase, which also changes the weight distribution and means that the front wheels are less heavily loaded. When the torquey engine of the Cooper S version is pulling hard on a road with a pronounced crown, the steering falls onto lock and writhes in direction changes. On flatter surfaces the Clubman feels more like the regular Mini – chuckable, grippy and poised – though there is less traction out of tight turns.

But I doubt this will dent the Clubman’s appeal for those who want a roomier Mini and like the novel features.