M ini design guru Marcus Syring reckoned that some potential customers for the Oxford-built Mini were put off by the lack of rear legroom and boot space.

To solve the problem BMW came up with the new Mini Clubman, which goes on sale in the UK on November 10.

The new Clubman takes its concept and some styling cues, including the twin side-hinged rear doors, from the Morris Mini Traveller, Austin Mini Countryman and the Mini Clubman Estate of the 1960s.

The Clubman is 24 centimetres longer than the Hatch. Inside it offers eight centimetres more legroom for rear passengers.

Boot capacity has increased to 260 litres with the seats in place and up to 930 litres with the rear seats down. Access to this extra space has been made easier via the split rear doors and additional Clubdoor' on the right-hand side.

But having this passenger access to the rear seats via the Clubdoor on the right hand side of the vehicle has become a significant issue for the UK's motoring media prior to the vehicle's public launch.

The question is why does the Clubman have its rear side door on the right hand side of the vehicle - the wrong side for right-hand-drive models? Passengers will be stepping out of the vehicle into the road instead of onto the pavement. It also means the driver has to get out of the vehicle to let rear seat passengers out - or in.

There is no doubt that the Clubdoor is a clever way of getting passengers in and out of the car, but I'm not sure couples with young children will find it acceptable to be stepping into, or out of, the car from the road.

The Clubman is a further move away from the original Mini concept. The twin side-hinged rear doors do, however, hark back to the original Mini Traveller and Countryman.

They have been very cleverly designed with cut out sections that open around the rear light clusters, which are practical for safety at night and unique.

The twin rear doors allow easy access to the larger boot and owners will benefit from the increased luggage area and versatility of the folding rear seats and flat load floor.

However, to call the Clubman a five-seater is far-fetched. The rear seat is only wide enough for two adults and perhaps three small children. The increased rear legroom will be appreciated. It will not just be families that might adopt the new and larger Clubman, couples too will enjoy the classic Mini front end styling, the new upright rear end treatment and the added space.

Viewed from the side, the Clubman is not elegant. The more-or-less parallel waist and roof lines and extended wheelbase give it a van-like appearance.

In the front of the Clubman everything is the same as the new second generation Mini hatchbacks with its distinctive treatment of dials and switches - but visibility through the twin rear door windows is marginally less than in the hatch models.

The three engine options all allow the Clubman to perform as well as the Hatch versions despite the addition of 90kg of weight.

Little of the car's agility appears to have been lost by being slightly longer and heavier. It perhaps does not corner quite as sharply due to the longer wheelbase, but the difference is minimal.

The 1.6-litre Cooper Clubman with the non-turbocharged 120bhp petrol engine with the six-speed transmission is pretty lively and responsive and is fine for the vast majority of owners. Official fuel economy figures suggest an overall 51.4mpg, but during the test drive this week, using some of Scotland's best traffic-free roads around Aberdeen, the car actually returned 37.8mpg.

Priced at £14,235 this is a pretty good buy but that, of course, will not be the real price paid. Virtually all Mini customers load their cars with options so my test car weighed in at a hefty £18,840. But with the highest residual values in the industry, even better than Porsche, look on buying the Mini as an investment.

The 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine is fantastic because of the torque it provides for a petrol engine. Put your foot down and the engine leaps into life for overtaking, yet it remains docile when required operating quite happily in high gears even at low speeds around town.

Price of the Clubman Cooper S is £17,210, but again options and extras boost that total and my test car carried a £23,925 price tag.

The minority selling Clubman model, for now, will be the Cooper D with its PSA sourced 1.6-litre turbodiesel engine. At £15,400 the Cooper D might cost £1,165 more than the 1.6-litre non-turbocharged petrol engine but it is £80 a year cheaper to tax and you will save on fuel as well. With its six-speed transmission, refined driving and being very quiet for a diesel, I reckon this is the star engine of the future for many higher mileage Mini owners, Clubman or hatch.

The Clubman is a high-quality, premium brand car that offers more versatility and space, yet retains classic Mini driving involvement. I do have reservations regarding some of its styling and the Clubdoor application, but time will tell whether the UK buying public feel the same way.

Price: £14,235 (£18,840 as tested) Engine: 1.6-litre, four-cylinder, non-turbocharged petrol, 120bhp, 160Nm of torque, six-speed manual, (auto is a £1,060 option) Performance: 125mph, 0-62mph 9.8 seconds, 51.4mpg (37.8mpg actual), CO2 132g/km, VED Band C £115 For: Mini premium brand appeal, build quality, driving involvement, handling, more interior space, economical to run, best residual values.

Against: Watch the price of those options, Clubdoor rear passenger access from the road, van with windows side styling.