Volkswagen has unveiled a new five-seater midsize SUV concept car at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Called the Cross Coupé GTE, it is a plug-in hybrid with all-wheel drive, and previews Volkswagen’s new US design language.
The new car’s debut at the show comes ahead of the start of production at the end of 2016 of a new seven-seater midsize SUV at Volkswagen of America’s Chattanooga factory in Tennessee.
The Cross Coupé GTE is the third concept car presented by the German carmaker in the run-up to the introduction of the production version. Volkswagen says together, all three concept cars – the CrossBlue presented in Detroit in January 2013, the CrossBlue Coupé most recently shown in Los Angeles in November 2013 and the Cross Coupé GTE that is now being presented at the NAIAS – represent just a part of the wide spectrum of SUV variants that can be realised through its modular transverse matrix platform, and were developed with the aim of offering an SUV in North America in the near future that is specifically tailored to the US market.
Although the design of all three SUVs was based on the Volkswagen design DNA and they have common stylistic features, the latest model breaks in many ways with previous concepts, and thus increases the momentum towards series production. The Cross Coupé GTE measures 4,847 mm long, 1,736 mm high and 2,030 mm wide. Commenting on its appearance, Klaus Bischoff, chief designer at Volkswagen said: “The concept car has a commanding presence; it is powerful with a look that could almost be described as aggressive. Numerous details hint at how we envisage a future production SUV model for North America.”
Powering the concept car is a 3.6-litre V6 petrol engine in combination with two electric motors. The six-cylinder direct-injection engine delivers 276 bhp and maximum torque of 258 ft-lbs, while the two electric motors deliver 40 kW and 162 ft-lbs at the front and 85 kW and 199 ft-lbs at the rear. They are powered by a lithium-ion battery housed in the centre tunnel, with energy content of 14.1 kWh. The total output of the drive system is 355 bhp, and using this full power, the Cross Coupé GTE, which has a claimed top speed of 130 mph, will accelerate to 60 mph in 6.0 seconds. The SUV can be driven in five different power modes: E-Mode, Hybrid, GTE, Offroad and Battery Hold / Battery Charge.
In E-Mode it can travel in zero-emission mode for a claimed 20 miles or 32 km, and in this case the 85 kW rear axle electric motor alone drives the vehicle, with the V6 FSI decoupled from the drivetrain by disengaging the clutch and shutting down.
On the inside, the design of the cockpit is dominated by horizontal lines and digital controls. The new infotainment system is controlled via a 10.1-inch touchscreen, while a 12.3-inch ‘Active Info Display’ – similar to that recently previewed on the new Passat – allows interactive graphic presentation of all details in the digital dashboard.
The cabin also features sports seats at the front and a foldable three seat bench in the rear.
Source: Volkswagen
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