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VW unveils 5-seat Cross Coupe GTE

DETROIT, Michigan - Volkswagen debuted a five-seat, mid-size SUV concept at the 2015 Detroit auto show. The Cross Coupe GTE is a plug-in hybrid, all-wheel drive, crossover that previews the automaker’s new US design language.

It is being launched ahead of the start of production at the end of 2016 of a new seven-seat midsize SUV at Volkswagen’s Chattanooga factory in Tennessee.

PART OF A TRIO

The Cross Coupe GTE is the third concept car presented by VW ahead of a potential production version.  Together, all three concept cars, CrossBlue (Detroit in Jan 2013), CrossBlue Coupe (Los Angeles in Nov 2013) and now the Cross Coupe GTE are created using the automaker’s modular transverse matrix (MQB) tailored to the US market.

The Cross Coupé GTE is 4.8m long, 1.7m tall and two metres wide.

IMAGE GALLERY: 2015 VW Cross Coupe GT

Klaus Bischoff, chief designer at Volkswagen, said: “The concept car has a commanding presence; powerful, with a look that could almost be described as aggressive. Numerous details hint at how we envisage a future production SUV model for North America."

HYBRID POWER

Powering the Cross Coupe GTE is a 3.6-litre V6 and two electric motors. The V6 direct-injection engine (FSI) delivers 205kW/350Nm, the two electric motors fed by a 14.1kWh lithium-ion battery, deliver 40kW/220Nm (front) and 85kW/270Nm (rear) for a total output of 264kW.

The SUV has a top speed of 210km/h and accelerates to 100km/h in six seconds. The Cross Coupe GTE has five power modes; E-Mode (electric drive), hybrid, GTE, off-road and battery hold/battery charge. In E-Mode it has a claimed battery range of 302km.

Drivers will have several driving profiles; road (with the sub-modes comfort and eco), off-road (with rocks, sludge and sand, gravel), sport and snow.

The cabin reflects the car’s hybrid nature with horizontal lines and clear digital control. It has a new infotainment system controlled by a 25.6cm touchscreen and as a 31cm "active info display", similar to that used in the new Passat. The SUV has sports seats at the front and a three-seat bench in the rear, which can be folded 1/3 or 2/3, creating a continuous flat cargo floor.

*According to VW: “Due to different type approval procedures the electric ranges for the USA and Europe cannot be compared on a 1:1 basis.”
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