VW Cross Coupe Concept goes diesel

The VW Cross Coupe Concept goes diesel - and red

Volkswagen are bringing the Cross Coupe Concept to Geneva, but even though it looks the same it now gets a diesel-powered hybrid powertrain.

At the end of last year we saw the VW Cross Coupe Concept at the Tokyo Motor Show, an ‘Urban’ Crossover come SUV Concept from Volkswagen that looked as if it had stolen every current design trend and morphed it in to one concept. Oddly, it worked.

A bit bigger than a Golf, but not as big as a Tiguan – but with a longer wheelbase than either for more passenger space – the Cross Coupe offered a petrol-driven powertrain for the front wheels and a pair of electric motors at the back adding 4WD and an extra 112bhp to the mix.

But that was all for Tokyo, and now we’re at Geneva in the heart of Euro Diesel Land VW has dumped the TSI from the Cross Coupe and replaced it with a TDI. That delivers the usual disingenuous emissions and economy starts, with VW claiming 157mpg with emissions of 46g/km.

Those figures, remember, are from a 4WD Crossover that’s not much smaller than a Tiguan, can muster 300bhp from its hybrid powertrain, weighs 1858kg and can hit 140mph.

We’ve no doubt the VW Cross Coupe would be economical to run (even if you would have to pay all the potential fuel savings – and a lot more – up front for the cost of the tech), but the fact the official way of measuring economy and emissions is so misleading is no excuse for car makers to spout them at us.

To get 157mpg from a vehicle like the Cross Coupe – in the real world – is about as likely as perpetual motion.