Mini five-door spotted alongside next Clubman

Wed, 14 May 2014

Is Mini constricting its staggering array of model variants or expanding it? That depends largely on which way you look at it. Because while some models may not make the cut as the second-generation family is gradually replaced with the third, others appear to be joining the fold. They just might not bear different model names.

Take, for example, the vehicle pictured here. It's a five-door version of the latest Mini hatchback, but won't necessarily replace the Clubman wagon – particularly since that's precisely what appears to be pictured alongside it. While the five-door hatch appears to simply add an extra set of portals – full-size ones, from the look of it, not backwards-opening half-doors – to the existing three-door version, the new Clubman appears not only longer but also wider, giving it that much more interior space.

Of course that could all be an optical illusion generated by swirly camouflage designed to do just that, but from the apparent readiness of both models, we'll find out one way or another soon enough – whatever they're called.

By Noah Joseph