Mini joins the Clubman

After years of dropping hints, Mini finally confirmed production plans for a five-door wagon bodytyle at the Geneva motor show.

A concept version of the more spacious Mini was first presented at the 2005 Frankfurt motor show before being rolled out at Tokyo later that year as well as Detroit and Geneva in 2006.

The production car will be called the Mini Clubman.

It will go on sale in Europe late this year, but Australian customers will have to wait until next year.

The Clubman is an elongated version of the Mini with rear doors that are hinged at the outer sides so they open like barn doors – following in the footsteps of the 1960s Mini Traveller.

As part of its Geneva presence, Mini drove a disguised Clubman development mule around the city just before the show with ‘just teasing’ and ‘stop staring’ spray-painted on each side.

The Clubman is part of a BMW Group plan to increase annual Mini sales to 240,000 in the next few years.