Volkswagen has announced that its CrossBlue Coupe Concept will debut at next week’s Los Angeles auto show. The CrossBlue Coupe made its world debut earlier this year at the Shanghai Motor Show.
A concept only in name, CrossBlue Coupe is expected to eventually join VW’s production lineup. The CrossBlue Coupe could slot beneath VW’s three-row CrossBlue SUV, mirroring Hyundai’s Santa Fe and Santa Fe Sport marketing strategy.
Riding on VW’s MQB architecture, the CrossBlue Coupe stretches 192.5 inches in length, making it roughly the size of a Jeep Grand Cherokee. Power for the concept is provided by a V6 plug-in hybrid system developing a combined 415 horsepower and 516 lb-ft of torque. VW says the CrossBlue Coupe can accelerate from 0-100 kmph in 5.8 seconds and hit a top speed of 236 kmph.
Despite that level of power, the CrossBlue Coupe returns 117 KMPGe, helped by an all-electric mode that can power the SUV for 21 kilometers at speeds up to 120 kmph.
Although the CrossBlue Coupe is designed mostly for on-road motoring, the crossover features a unique “propshaft by wire” off-road system. When the vehicle is switch to “Offroad” mode, the on-board gas engine powers the front wheels and also supplies energy to the front axle-mounted electric motor. That front-mounted motor then sends all of its juice to the rear-wheel motor, ensuring that all-wheel drive is available even if the vehicle’s battery is flat.
On the styling front the CrossBlue Coupe retains VW’s classic horizontal cues, but the automaker has also incorporated a few 3D touches, including a new LED lighting pattern that flows into the grille area. The CrossBlue Coupe rides on 22-inch wheels and features a sharply-sloping C-pillar similar to the design of the Porsche Cayenne.
Hinting at the CrossBlue Coupe’s production intent, VW says that the SUV could be fitted with conventional four- and six-cylinder drivetrains. The concept’s production-ready interior also suggests that the project has been given the green light.
The VW CrossBlue Coupe Concept will make its world debut on November 20, and we wouldn’t be surprised to see a production version of the crossover sometime next year
November 15, 2013November 15, 2013
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