MINI Crossman

There was certainly nothing small about the entrance made by MINI’s latest arrival at the Paris Motor Show. As the covers were whipped off the Crossman in an elaborate stunt involving a man dangling from the rafters, the supermini maker left visitors in no doubt about the newcomer’s size.

Measuring more than four metres in length, and packed with passengers for its show-stopping unveiling, the 4x4 concept hopes to tempt ‘modern urban families’ into dealers when it goes into production.

And it’s certainly stylish enough to carry it off. All the usual MINI styling cues, including chrome detailing, large headlamps and short overhangs, should help keep existing fans interested. There’s also the added flexibility of four single, adjustable seats. Innovative features include a three-dimensional Centre Globe display in place of the speedometer, while the beefed up MINI sits on jacked-up suspension and is designed to cope with all-weather driving.

The Crossman is due to go on sale next year, and it's expected that the production-ready model will cost from £20,000.