THERE are now even more reasons to love the Mini. A new version, the Clubman, has lots more room than the three-door hatchback and its 1.6-litre engine is the cleanest and leanest in nonhybrid cars on sale today. In tests it has returned almost 70mpg.

The Clubman comes to showrooms on 12 November with a new practical design for the Mini. The name harks back to the '60s and, as then, a new estate body has been created to appeal to a sophisticated motoring public.

The Clubman is stylish and versatile but also comes with extra space. It is a five-door and is 24cm longer than the hatchback, allowing an extra 8cm of legroom for rear passengers. And even better news for those who use their Mini for business . . . an extended wheelbase means the loadcarrying capacity is now 930 litres with rear seats down.

The new design has twin doors at the rear and a "Clubdoor" which opens from rear hinges on the right-hand side. BMW says this is not a safety issue as the door will not open unless the driver's door is already open. There are no plans to locate the door on the left-hand side.

All the best materials are used and high technology in the package includes startstop and brake energy regeneration and gearshift point indicator to make sure the driver is always in the correct fuel-saving gear.

The Clubman is strong on safety with six airbags as standard, strong crash crumple zones and a full range of braking and antiskid devices on board.

There are three engine options. The Clubman Cooper S has a 1.6-litre direct-injection turbopower petrol engine which puts out 175bhp at 5,000rpm, gives a 0-100km sprint in 7.6 seconds and has a top speed of 224km/h.

CO2 emissions are 150g/km.

The Cooper Clubman also has a 1.6-litre petrol unit and this develops 120bhp at 6,000rpm. It has a 0-100km sprint time of 9.8 seconds and a top speed of 201km/h. C02 emissions are 132g/km.

By far the bestselling model will be the Cooper D Clubman. This is a refined engine which comes with high economy. The 1.6-litre turbo diesel engine develops 110bhp at 4,000rpm, reaches 100km in 10.4 seconds and has a top speed of 193km/h. C02 emissions are 109g/km.

BMW claims this engine can return 4.1L/100 km which makes it one of the more economical available.

This compares with 6.3L/100km for the Cooper S and 5.5L/100km for the Cooper Clubman.

Prices are 32,150 for Cooper S, 27,150 for Cooper and 29,150 for Cooper D.

BMW say there will be no commercial version of the Mini Countryman offered as it might take from the brand luxury image but for the style conscious there is a wide range of customisation options for the interior and exterior.