MINI Clubvan Concept arrives

It's the MINI load-lugger - the MINI Clubvan Concept

We thought it was going to be the MINI Cargo, but it looks like the reviaval of the Mini Van is the MINI Clubvan. We have the first photos.

At the very end of last year we reported that MINI were planning on reviving the much-loved Mini Van, and that we thought it would debut at Geneva 2012. Well, we were pretty much right, but it looks like it’s the MINI Clubvan and not the Cargo, and we’ve got the first photos.

Looking exactly what it is – a MINI Clubman without the back seats – the Clubvan gets polycarbonate panels where the windows are on the Clubman, and a completely flat floor for easy lugging. There’s also a honeycomb grill separating the load area from the cabin.

It looks like the sides of the load area are covered in cloth – which doesn’t seem the most practical solution – and there are elasticated straps coming up from recesses in the floor to keep whatever you’re lugging in your Clubvan in place. There’s also 12-volt sockets in the cargo area for ease of use.

It doesn’t look like MINI has spent an arm and a leg developing the Clubvan, with just a few tweaks from the Clubman to create a MINI load carrier. But will it go in to production.

What do you think?