At next week's motor show in Geneva, MINI will present the new Clubman Concept, a new brand philosophy for a higher class of automobile. Equipped with four doors with seating arrangement for five occupants, the Clubman Concept offers plenty of utility space to suppport an active lifestyle.

The classic MINI design has been given a dose of contemporary treatment including the hexagonal grille, side scuttles, short overhangs and elliptical front and rear headlights, among others.

The powerful, warm Berry Red colour shows surfaces and shapes to optimum effect. The roof in the colour 'Blade' - a metallic grey - creates an elegant contrast with the warm red of the corpus.

Reduced to the essentials, the side view instantly conveys the qualities of the MINI Clubman Concept - a long wheelbase, flushed windows and short overhangs. At the same time, the long roof line and the typical two-box design clearly emphasise the car's high level of functionality and its generous utility space.

The MINI Clubman Concept is the first MINI to be fitted with 'AirBreathers' at the side. The AirBreather echoes the design theme of the AirCurtains in the front apron, cutting dynamically into the surrounding Black Band.

Along with the exterior, the interior of the MINI Clubman Concept has also grown larger. The underlying design theme in the interior is the characteristic ellipse.

Precise and contoured in its shaping, it comes across as more sophisticated while clearly displaying its origins. Around the ellipses, the interaction between several levels and surfaces adds lightness and a three-dimensional feel to the interior.

Small details such as the buttons with Union Jack embossment on the seats and central console, contrast stitching, piping or red accentuation surfaces in the sunblinds add a touch of surprise to the mature character of the MINI Clubman Concept.

The display area in the centre console (160mm x 150mm) adapts according to the selected content or driving fucntions via three 'intelligent' toggles. Above and beyond this, the three toggles can also be freely programmed and assigned particular functions according to preference.