Volkswagen’s Cross Coupe Concept, An AWD Turbocharged Hybrid SUV

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Volkswagen has made no bones about it; they want to rule the automotive world. By the end of the decade, VW wants to be the world’s leading car manufacturer. And if they can keep rolling out awesome concept vehicles with a basis in the real world like the Bulli Microbus, the 261 mpg XL-1, and now the Cross Coupe SUV…they very well might do it.

Coupe? Crossover? Or SUV?

Officially unveiled at this week’s Tokyo Auto Show, the Cross Coupe Concept looks like a small SUV ate a sports coupe, and the result is not entirely unpleasing to the eye. Dimension wise though, the Cross Coupe isn’t all that big falls between VW’s Golf hatchback and Tiguan SUV. It still tips the scales at 3,854 lbs. though, so it is no lightweight. The reason? It is packed with all-wheel drive hybrid technology.

Volkswagen is aiming to create a sporty SUV with the Cross Coupe, and the specs certainly seem to align. A turbocharged engine pumps out 148 horsepower and 155 ft-lbs of torque to power the front wheels. It can also be joined by an eletric motor that adds an additional 53 horsepower and and 133 ft-lbs of torque to the front wheels.

But that’s not all, folks. Volkswagen has also placed a more-powerful electric motor at the rear of the Cross Coupe, adding another 114 horsepower and 199 ft-lbs of torque when the all-wheel drive system kicks in. When the gas engine and electric motors work in unison, they can deliver maximum output of 262 horsepower. Utilizing electric motors for an all-wheel drive system makes more sense than running driveshafts to every wheel if you ask me.

Furthermore, the Cross Coupe has an all-electric driving range of about 25 miles, thanks to a 9.8 kWh lithiuim-ion battery pack, while still managing to make the sprint from 0-60 mph in about seven seconds. Now word on expected fuel economy, but with all those electric motors and a 25-mile EV range, I’d imagine something very respectable for a vehicle of this size.

I like this concept vehicle, and given how much detail and effort went into it, I would not be surprised if Volkswagen planned an actual production model on the Cross Coupe. I’d rock it. Would you?

Source: Volkswagen