Production Version of VW’s Cross Coupe GTE Hybrid Likely

DETROIT – Volkswagen may be late to the party, but it plans to go full throttle with a complete lineup of CUVs in the U.S. within the next two years, evidenced by its latest concept based on its upcoming 7-passenger CrossBlue model.

Set for public unveiling today at the auto show here, the 5-seat Cross Coupe GTE joins the CrossBlue Coupe concept that bowed in China last year and the production-ready CrossBlue as the German automaker looks to catch up with the growing demand for CUVs in the U.S.

“We may be late, but we come on strong,” Volkswagen of America President and CEO Michael Horn says of the automaker’s new focus on the CUV sector.

The concept’s GTE designation signifies both its sporty design and plug-in hybrid powertrain, the latter another fast-emerging product trend in the U.S. among the German automakers, which have plans to proliferate PHEV offerings at a brisk pace.

The VW concept’s 3.6L gasoline V-6 is rated at 276 hp and is mated to two electric motors, one mounted at the front wheels developing 54 hp and as second in the rear rated at 144 hp. They are powered by a 14.1 kWh lithium-ion battery.

Combined the powertrain delivers 355 hp and can move the Cross Coupe GTE 0-60 mph (97 km/h) in 6.0 seconds and to a top speed of 130 mph (209 km/h). Fuel economy is estimated at 70 MPGe (3.4 L/100 km)

The CUV can travel up to 20 miles (32 km) in all-electric mode, using the rear motor to drive the wheels, while decoupling the V-6 from the drivetrain. There are five drive modes in all, including E-Mode, Hybrid, GTE (sportier acceleration and handling), Off Road and Battery Hold/Battery Charge.

VW CEO Martin Winterkorn says to expect a model like the GTE in the lineup, including its plug-in powertrain.

With the launch of the CrossBlue and its expected derivatives, plus plans to build a new longer-wheelbase Tiguan in North America, VW will be making its “biggest SUV offensive in the brand’s history,” Winterkorn says. “There’s more in the pipeline.”

The latest concept in the MQB-based CUV line measures 190.8 ins. (4,846 mm) overall, is 79.9 ins. (2,029 mm) wide and 68.3 ins. (1,735 mm) tall.

“The car makes a visual statement from every angle. Regardless of whether you imagine the Cross Coupe GTE in Manhattan, driving along the Pacific Coast Highway in California or in the middle of the Rocky Mountains, this SUV looks upscale everywhere,” VW Chief Designer Klaus Bischoff says in a statement.

Exterior design cues include two polished aluminum bars that accent the grille, LED headlamps and a low-profile roof with integrated spoiler.

The interior signals a future direction for VW, the automaker says, with its linear and minimalist instrument panel and console, inspired by the German Bauhaus movement.

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