Volkswagen Cross Blue SUV Concept Unveiled

Volkswagen has now unveiled the all new SUV Concept called the CrossBlue at the North American Auto Show in Detroit yesterday, however the vehicle has been developed specifically for the U.S. And Canada. And if the vehicles goes into production, it would be positioned between the Taigun compact crossover and Touareg in the Volkswagen line-up, and to compete against the likes of Ford Explorer, Toyota Highlander and others.

The CrossBlue features a plug-in hybrid powertrain that combines a TDI engine with two electric motors, a DSG transmission, and an electric all-wheel-drive system dubbed ‘propshaft by wire’, and offers economy of 2.1 litres per 100 kilometres, or 57.18kmpl (Volkswagen’s manufacturer estimated fuel economy rating in US gallons is 37.84kmpl combined in electric mode and 14.88kmpl as a hybrid).

The CrossBlue was designed in Germany under the leadership of Walter de Silva (Head of Design, Volkswagen Group) and Klaus Bischoff (Head of Design, Volkswagen Brand), in close co-operation with Volkswagen of America. Painted in ‘CrossBlue Glass Flake’, the concept is 4,987mm long, 2,015mm wide, and 1,733mm high. A wide track of 1,686mm (front) and 1,696mm (rear) give it a confident stance on the road, as do 21-inch alloy wheels shod with 235/45 tyres, and flared wheelarches. Contrasting with the body colour is a stainless-steel trim that runs all around the SUV’s lower section.

The CrossBlue has two ‘fuel doors’: one for the diesel tank on the passenger side, and one covering two electrical sockets on the driver’s side. The first socket is to charge the lithium-ion battery and the second can be used to connect electrical devices. While the CrossBlue concept car is equipped with six individual seats in three rows, in a production version, the second row would have the option of three seats to make it a full seven-seater. Headroom is excellent throughout the vehicle: 1,077mm up front, 1,020mm in the middle row, and 954mm in the rear. Legroom is ample, too, with 947mm in the middle row and 917mm in the back. Convenient access to the rear seats is assured by sliding second-row seats that can be managed with a single hand movement.

Behind the third seating row is a cargo area of 335 litres (length 600 mm). With the third row folded, cargo capacity grows to 815 litres and load length to 1,387mm, figures that increase to nearly 2,000 litres and 2,230mm with the middle row stowed. A forward-folding front passenger seat makes for a maximum 3,110mm load length. As soon as the driver starts the CrossBlue, controls for the lights, climate control and four-wheel-drive system emerge from their flush resting positions. The controls have aluminium surrounds: aluminium is one of the predominant interior materials, along with leather and dark-stained banana tree wood accents. In the centre console is a 10.2-inch touchscreen, while there is an Apple iPad Mini in the back of each front head-restraint.

As well as excellent fuel economy, the CrossBlue has impressive performance from a powertrain that produces up to 302bhp and 700Nm (516 lbs ft): 0 to 98kmph is estimated to take 7.0 seconds, while the top speed is 205kmph, or 120kmph in electric mode. The CrossBlue runs in zero emissions mode at the press of a button or automatically. With a fully charged battery, the CrossBlue can travel up to 14 miles in electric mode in the US test cycle, or 33 km (20 miles) using the European driving cycle. It has a potential range of 661 miles from a combination of the 70-litre fuel tank and battery power.

The CrossBlue is based on Volkswagen’s new Modular Transverse Matrix (MQB) components set. Its 190 PS TDI diesel engine is from the new EA288 family, matched to a six-speed DSG dual-clutch automatic transmission. The 9.8 kWh lithium-ion battery lies in the vehicle’s centre tunnel, and powers 40 kW front and 85 kW rear electric motors. The Cross Coupé concept first shown in 2011, and also on display in Detroit, uses a similar powertrain concept, showing the possibilities of the MQB platform. The TDI engine produces 400Nm from just 1,750rpm, while the electric motors produce their torque – 180Nm at the front and 270Nm at the rear – immediately. Combined, the system can produce up to 700Nm.

Powered by its battery, the CrossBlue can cover up to 33 km/20 miles (NEDC) or 14 miles (US test cycle) as an EV. In E-mode, only the rear electric motor propels the vehicle and the TDI engine is shut off and decoupled. At up to 120kmph, the engine is not engaged as long as the battery has sufficient charge. As soon as there is a need for TDI power, it is coupled to the drivetrain again, within fractions of a second. The battery can be charged by external power sources or by the engine while the vehicle is moving.

The driver can switch to a charging mode by pressing another button on the centre console. The TDI engine charges the battery while driving to store enough electrical energy for EV operation later in the journey, for instance in an urban area. There are also a number of other modes, as detailed below.

Coasting: When the driver releases the accelerator pedal, the engine and electric motors are decoupled from the drivetrain, provided there is sufficient battery charge.

Battery regeneration: When the accelerator is released or the brakes applied, the electric motors act as generators and feed energy recovered from the brakes into the battery. In this case, the TDI is also shut off and decoupled from the drivetrain.

Boosting: When more performance is required, the electric motors form an alliance with the TDI engine known as ‘boosting’. In this mode, all four wheels are driven.

Off-road(‘propshaft by wire’): All four wheels are driven. In this case the front electric motor (supplied with energy by the TDI engine) operates as a generator and a power source for the electric motor at the rear.

TDI only: In this mode, the CrossBlue is a pure front-wheel-drive vehicle.

‘The CrossBlue concept is exactly the right type of vehicle for the U.S. market,’ said Jonathan Browning, President and CEO, Volkswagen Group of America. ‘It combines a truly versatile interior layout with sophisticated Volkswagen design, to give a unique and supremely stylish offering in this segment.’