Crossman ready to score on doors

We revealed the rugged version of the British car in Issue 1,029, ahead of its Paris Motor Show debut next month. And its innovations are already causing a stir.

Taking a leaf out of the Clubman’s book, the Crossover has asymmetrical doors: a conventional rear door on the passenger side, but a ‘lift and slide’ hatch opposite. Impressively, the latter does without an ungainly Peugeot 1007-style exterior track, concealing the mechanism inside the door instead. On top of the car sits what MINI designers have called the ‘helmet roof’ due to the curved rear section and the shape of the glass. It features a solar panel, suggesting a hybrid variant could be on the cards.

All four seats tilt and slide, and this will be the first MINI to offer comfortable legroom for rear passengers, as well as generous luggage space. Other highlights include the dashboard-mounted 3D Globe, which uses a laser to project images and information on to a transparent sphere. And all four occupants will be able to attach accessories such as TV monitors or cup-holders to the MINI Centre Rail.

After appearing on the Paris stands, the car will form the basis of the Crossman, which is due in dealerships in 2010.