You have JavaScript DISABLED. This web site has been designed for browsers with javascript enabled and will not function correctly without it. For information on how to enable JavaScript CLICK HERE.
‘Cross-over’ is a fairly new term in the auto industry and it is now in fashion to cover a new genre of vehicles that don’t quite fit into the SUV mould nor the sedan mould; in other words, they’re an entirely new breed and the automakers believe they will appeal to the new generation of car-buyers.
Latest to join the cross-over crowd is Mini with its Crossover Concept which, for now, is a design study for a fourth variant. With four doors, four drive wheels, four single seats and at 4 metres in the length, the Crossover Concept is said to combine versatility and style to tempt new target groups into the world of Mini. It also seeks to retain Mini ownership as a unique prospect as competitors continue to try and replicate the successful recipe that Issigonis conceived so many decades ago.
Mini Hatchback (first generation) and the longer Mini Clubman; Mini Crossover Concept is even longer!
The concept car has many of the typical Mini characteristics, such as the wheels located at four corners to highlight the ‘go kart’ feeling, the circular design features and the entertaining use of space and functions. More than just an all-wheel drive, however, this Crossover offers lots of flexibility and meets more specific customer requirements.
The rear door has a frameless, retractable window and when open, swivels to one side to facilitate the loading of long items, such as skis, snowboards and surfboards. But it doesn’t stop there: the capacity can be increased even further due to the folding roof cover which extends across the whole length of the roof and there’s even a transport case which can be fitted on to the outside of the rear door.
The front and rear seats are linked visually by the new Mini Centre Rail – a matt-polished aluminium fastening rail which extends from the dashboard through the middle of the car, to the rear. A unique fastening system can be used with the Centre Rail to attach cupholders, storage units and entertainment consoles which can be passed between the front and the rear passengers. A special collection of dishes and cups have been created by Porzellan Manufaktur, Nymphenburg, specifically for the Crossover Concept’s Centre Rail.
The Crossover Concept features a new display and control console which hosts all major entertainment, telecommunication and navigation functions: the Mini Centre Globe. This 3-dimensional globe can be personalised independently by both the driver and passenger as the display is shown in two hemispheres – for example, allowing the passenger to surf the net whilst the driver follows the navigation.
Operated by a touch-sensitive surface, the Mini Centre Globe can also be programmed by a trackball situated on the steering wheel, buttons or slide controls in the lower section of the globe, or even by a keyboard which extends out from the dashboard on the passenger’s side. It also hosts the stop/start function, whereby the driver inserts a Keyball into the upper edge to start and switch off the engine.
The Mini Crossover Concept will get its world debut at the Paris Motorshow next month and form the basis on which a production model will be developed in the future.