Volkswagen CrossBlue SUV Concept: 2013 Detroit Auto Show

Volkswagen has revealed a new SUV concept – the VW Crossblue – at the Detroit Auto show, previewing a new 7-seat SUV for North America.

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If we were in any doubt that VW are planning to extend their SUV offerings as soon as possible, the production-ready looking VW CrossBlue SUV Concept, revealed today at the 2013 Detroit Auto Show, should leave no room for doubt.

But this particular VW SUV isn’t heading to a VW showroom near you, instead it’s designed to accommodate seven full-size Americans (well, six in the concept and seven in the production version) in an SUV that will be bigger than the Touareg, but less costly.

Sitting on the (obviously very flexible, considering the size of the CrossBlue) MQB platform that underpins the Golf, the CrossBlue looks like it’s probably a stretched version of the next generation Tiguan, complete with VWs new SUV design language featuring a less flowing style with more angular lines and a blunt, statement nose.

The CrossBlue Concept gets a hybrid powertrain with a 2.0 litre engine and a pair of electric motors – one on each axle – which delivers a decent enough 300bhp and offers 0-62mph of 7.2 seconds. The plug-in charge offers an ideal world range of 21 miles, and because official economy figures for hybrids are so skewed by assumptions on usage it comes with a claimed 134mpg.

If there were any doubts that the VW CrossBlue is heading for production in the US, they were knocked on the head by Jonathan Browning, VW America’s CEO, who said:

The CrossBlue concept is exactly the right type of vehicle for the U.S. market.

It combines a truly versatile interior layout with sophisticated Volkswagen design, to give a unique and supremely stylish offering in this segment.

That’s a done deal then.