Mini unveils Clubman concept at Geneva Motor Show with more doors

This week Mini has brought the Clubman concept to the Geneva Motor Show, and even though it's officially a concept car for the purposes of its appearance at the 2014 edition of the Salon International de l'Auto, the car itself is basically production ready behind the scenes.

The Clubman has grown unexpectedly for the 2015 model year redesign, to the point where it might be confused with the five-door Hardtop, but that's a different model which we'll see later in the year. Even though the Clubman now boasts six doors, it will be positioned somewhat differently from its five-door Hardtop sibling, even though in practice the two will be offering essentially the same package. The production Clubman will be positioned between the Countryman and the five-door Hardtop models, and as the concept demonstrates it will be different on the outside from both models.

The Clubman concept is a full 10 inches longer than the current model and 6.6 inches wider, which will make it a roomier alternative to the five-door Hardtop, which itself was created as a response to customers' wishes for more room. The concept actually shares its platform with the BMW 2-series Active Tourer, which also made an appearance at Geneva this week.

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The blue suede interior really made the concept stand out. We want them.

"The MINI Clubman Concept shows how the MINI Clubman could be taken a step further: more interior space, a greater sense of high-end quality and yet still clever, bold and distinctive. In short: more car, more MINI," said Adrian van Hooydonk, Head of BMW Group Design.

Mini has made no mention of the engines which will be offered in the Clubman, though we wouldn't be surprised to see the new 2.0-liter four-cylinder and 1.5-liter three-cylinder engines from the new three-door Hardtop make an appearance in the production Clubman. The 2015 production version is expected to go on sale in the U.S. and other markets in the fall of 2014.

By Jay Ramey