THE Mini Clubman is either a very clever hatchback or a really dumb wagon, depending on how your brain is wired.

As a hatchback, it has an unusually high storage capacity. Access to the boot area is via two swing doors, like the estates of old.

This is a boon to Singaporeans, who like to reverse park their cars. Often, they end up with insufficient space to lift their car's tailgate in a lot.

The Clubman's two smallish doors at the back are also easier on the arm than a tailgate.

If you flatten the rear seats, the Clubman will swallow more stuff than a Toyota Camry's enormous boot. For the number crunchers, it has 930 litres of space with rear seats folded, versus 680 for a Mini.

The car is 24.4cm longer than a Mini. While elongated, it handles no less brilliantly than the two-door. You can chuck it into corners with the same wild abandon as you would a Mini, maybe more.

Its agility and groundedness are not diminished by a full load. That's the clever part.

As a wagon, the Clubman is less than ideal in many aspects. It has a low roof, despite being 2.5cm taller than the Mini.

If you are of average height, you will have to bend forward sharply to retrieve stuff you put in the car. Not the best posture to lift heavy things.

If you are exceptionally tall, you might have to squat.

So, in reality, you would not use the Clubman as a hauler. For groceries, schoolbags and soccer gear, it's fine. For bulkier cargo, like a golf bag, you'd have to fold some seats.

Which begs the question: Why opt for a Clubman when driving pleasure - the Mini's main proposition - can be had without the elongation?

That is a tough one. Perhaps the car's longer wheelbase makes it a better people carrier - there is slightly more leg-room and the ride is slightly more settled.

The extra rear-hinged 'suicide' door on the driver's side could also be a plus, as it makes it easier for rear occupants to get in and out of the car. It would however have been better (and safer) if this door was on the other side - facing the kerb.

So, is the Clubman a clever hatch or a dumb wagon? Either way you vote, you will agree on one thing: The car is still extremely fast and fun.

Power from its twin-scroll turbocharged engine is phenomenal for a 1.6-litre. From idling to 6,000rpm, the urge is palpable, the sound poetic and the speed almost hair-raising.

The Cooper S Clubman is quicker than its specs sheet suggests. Its serious acceleration is marred only by big dollops of torque steer - a downside for some high-powered front-wheel-driven cars, where immense power delivery influences the steering like a ghostly hand.

The Clubman has the worst case of torque steer in memory. It is unlikely to nudge the car into another lane, but the sensation is somewhat unsettling, momentarily at least.

Once you have punched through third gear and the car is barrelling down the road with unflinching accuracy, torque steer is all but forgotten.

Minis are known for their idiosyncratic details. Such as the oversized speedo, flick-type switches and Playstation-style steering controls. Even the seatbelt warning chime is melodious. They all add to the driving experience.

There is another Mini feature that is more noticeable in the Clubman: strategically located ambient lighting which you can set in pink, orange or blue.

Now, that's cool - whether in a hatch or a wagon.

MINI COOPER S CLUBMAN
Price: $139,800 with COE
Engine: 1,598cc 16-valve inline-4 turbo
Transmission:Six-speed automatic with quick shift
Power: 175bhp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 240Nm at 1,700-4,500rpm
0-100kmh: 7.8 seconds
Top speed: 219kmh
Fuel consumption: 7 litres/100km (city, highway)
Agent: Trans Eurokars

This story was first published in The Straits Times on Mar 1, 2008.