VW Styles Up CrossBlue CUV for Shanghai Show

Volkswagen adds some design panache to its CrossBlue cross/utility vehicle concept that debuted in Detroit in January, turning out a sleeker 4-door coupe version to anchor its stand at the Shanghai auto show that opens tomorrow.

The CrossBlue Coupe concept “shows the potential of our Volkswagen design DNA and will undoubtedly have an influence on future SUV models,” says Klaus Bischoff, head of VW-brand design.

Like its Detroit-show sibling, the CrossBlue Coupe is based on VW’s soon-to-be-ubiquitous MQB platform that will underpin the majority of the brand’s lineup. But the Coupe is a 5-seater, whereas the model unveiled at the North American International Auto Show was designed to seat up to seven.

Volkswagen hasn’t confirmed plans to build the CrossBlue, but it is widely believed the vehicle will be put in production, in part as a replacement for the outgoing Routan minivan. The auto maker’s Chattanooga, TN, plant is the odds-on favorite to land the production program if the model is green-lighted.

The CrossBlue Coupe is being shown as a plug-in gasoline-electric hybrid, boasting 415 hp and up to 79 mpg (3.0 L/100 km) fuel efficiency based on the European driving cycle. VW says it can travel up to 21 miles (34 km) on electric power alone, reach a top speed of 147 mph (237 km/h) and accelerate 0-62 mph (100 km/h) in 5.9 seconds.

It measures 192.5 ins. (489.0 cm) long, 79.3 ins. (201.4 cm) wide and 66.1 ins. (167.9 cm) high, with a relatively long 117.3-in. (297.9-cm) wheelbase. It rides on 22-in. aluminum-alloy wheels.

The powertrain features VW’s 295-hp EA390-series TSI V-6 engine, mated to a 6-speed dual-clutch automatic. Electric power is provided by a 9.8 kWh, center-mounted, 8-module lithium-ion battery and delivered through a pair of electric motors, a 40-kW (54-hp) unit at the front and 85-kW (114-hp) device at the rear.