It?s never too early to get a grip, literally and figuratively, so we?re happy to report that just as the slick, new Mini Clubman wagonette is landing in the U.S., Mini has announced that its all-wheel-drive system will be offered on the Clubman starting in April. Keen readers may remember that we had heard rumors of this sort before, but official confirmation and product information did not arrive until now.
As with the front-drive Clubman, the ALL4 will come in base Clubman and Clubman S forms, the former powered by a turbocharged 1.5-liter three-cylinder with 134 horsepower and 162 lb-ft of torque, the latter getting the feistier turbocharged 2.0-liter four with 189 horsepower and 207 lb-ft of torque. Both ALL4 models will offer six-speed manual and eight-speed automatic transmissions.
The all-wheel-drive system is on-demand and fully electronic, directing engine power to the front wheels only during normal driving, but able to apportion power to the rear axle almost instantly, according to Mini. The system works not only when the stability control system detects wheel slip at the front wheels, but also proactively, factoring in steering angle, longitudinal and lateral forces, road speed, accelerator position, and other factors, much of which are monitored by the standard Drive Mode Select system. Brake-based torque vectoring at the front axle is also standard. In most other respects, the Clubman ALL4 is no different from the front-drive Clubman, which ...