Mini Clubvan Concept Takes Clubman to Cargo Town [Geneva Auto Show]

Mini’s lineup is more expansive than you might think. The basic Cooper three-door hatch currently shares showroom space with the four-place convertible, the extended-length Clubman, the high-riding Countryman, and the two-seater Roadster and Coupe. Mini will debut yet another (potential) derivative next month at the Geneva auto show, the Clubman-based Clubvan commercial van concept. (The Paceman, a three-door Countryman, is on the way, too.)

The Clubvan’s transformation to micro cargo hauler is pretty simple, as it’s essentially a Clubman with no rear seats. It uses the same body as the Clubman—which is a longer-wheelbase Mini Cooper with split rear barn doors and a third door on the passenger’s side—and gets opaque rear side window coverings and heavily tinted rear-door glass.

Mini didn’t just rip the back seats out, tint the windows, and call it a day, though. The aft space is made more cargo-friendly through a completely flat and cloth-upholstered load floor, six tie-down hooks, and a fixed partition between the front seats and the rear stowage area. The partition is a particularly trick-looking piece; the top features stainless-steel grating, while the bottom is finished in solid aluminum. Our only gripe, we suppose, is that the partition appears to intrude into the opening created by the third side door, limiting its usefulness.

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