Mini Clubman concept previews six-door van, five-door hatch

The quirky Clubman concept also gives us our best look yet at Mini’s all-new five-door hatchback, which will sell in significantly higher numbers than the niche six-door variant as it directly targets at the top-selling Volkswagen Golf class.

Mini Australia plans to launch the five-door Mini Cooper before the end of 2014 and says it is “definitely” keen to bring the new Clubman here too, though the latter is unlikely to reach our shores until 2015.

The Mini Clubman concept is a size larger than the original production model that was based on the outgoing, second-generation Cooper hatch.

At 4223mm long, 1844mm wide and 1450mm tall, the new-gen Clubman is 262mm longer, 161mm wider and 18mm taller than its predecessor. Its proportions, which are likely to be largely mirrored by the forthcoming five-door hatch, are also much closer to the Golf, which measures 126mm longer but 45mm narrower than the new Mini variant.

While the Clubman concept retains its twin barn doors at the rear, the signature right-side rear-hinged second-row ‘club door’ of the original makes way for conventional front-hinged rear doors on both sides, giving it a more common side-on appearance.

The LED-ringed headlights, bonnet bulge, and hexagonal grille with thin slats and black chrome bumper insert express a family resemblance with the smaller third-generation three-door Mini Cooper that was unveiled in Los Angeles last year and is destined for local showrooms next month.

Black chrome 19-inch alloy wheels dominate the stretched profile and match the prominent mirror caps, while freshly styled horizontal tail-lights with distinctive LED lamps creates a unique look at the rear. ‘Clubman’ badging across the barn doors, twin spoilers and dual centre exhausts further define the concept’s back-end.

Sky blue leather seats contrast with the Clubman concept’s Berry Red exterior paint. The cabin’s focal point is a large circular display, which Mini says adapts according to the content selected or the road conditions.

Pouches in the barn doors offer clever stowage spaces, while the split-level floor promotes loading ease and creates additional storage capacity.

The Mini Clubman concept will debut in Geneva on March 4.

Click the Photos tab for more Mini Clubman concept images.