BMW's Mini Division is expected to launch the Mini Crossover concept, a small SUV, at next month's Paris auto show. As CNNMoney.com reports, the Mini Crossover concept is the first Mini model to stretch more than 13 feet, in length. The car will be a true four-door crossover SUV, and not a three-door car like the Clubman, although the door configuration will still be a little odd compared to most.

The report said that the back door on the driver's side is a van-like sliding door, which allows for easier loading. "On the passenger side, it's a regular car door that swings open... At the back, there is a single side-opening tailgate door, unlike the barn-door style at the back of the Clubman."

All sorts of interesting stuff is going on inside, though, this being a concept car—starting with the Center Globe, a sort of 3-D version of the current Cooper display. "Displays are stratified in different levels and highlighted to varying degrees, depending on what's needed at the time," the report said. "The view can look entirely different from the drive and passenger's perspectives, allowing the passenger, for instance, to check e-mail while the driver sees navigation information."

Meanwhile, either driver or passenger can interact with the globe using its touch-sensitive surface, a separate trackball, or steering wheel controls, while the car's current speed will remain shown around the outer edges of the globe.