Preview: Volkswagen CrossBlue Concept

Story by John LeBlanc FRANKFURT — The level of secrecy was positively Bond-like. Under a shroud of heavy fog (both of the atmospheric and corporate communications variety), I was being chauffeured in a Secret Service-black Volkswagen Transporter. After passing through the secure gates of a small airport at an undisclosed location just outside of Frankfurt, there was no M nor Q in sight. Instead, some pleasant and proud Volkswagen folks handed me the keys to their not-so-secret CrossBlue Concept, a mid-size, three-row crossover which the German automaker rolled out to the world at this January’s Detroit auto show. The big, blue CrossBlue Concept you see here is the only one in existence. And although Volkswagen is still dithering about whether or not to sign-off on a production version, it fills a gaping hole in Volkswagen’s product portfolio between the compact Tiguan and larger Touareg at a time when the automaker is looking for rapid growth in North America. The CrossBlue’s size and proportions are dead conventional. Unlike any other Volkswagen in Canada, the CrossBlue can seat up to seven (the concept has a 2+2+2 arrangement). And to keep its price competitive with the likes of a Ford Explorer or Hyundai Santa Fe XL, if the CrossBlue gets the production nod, it will likely be built in one of Volkswagen’s North American facilities, just like the Golf, Jetta and Passat. Like every new Volkswagen these days, the CrossBlue has been designed to handle a variety of powertrains. For instance, in the Middle East, where gas is cheaper than water, Volkswagen could pop a gas V6 into the CrossBlue. Or how about a gas-electric hybrid setup in North America? Or like the lone CrossBlue in existence, why not a diesel-electric plug-in hybrid? With a 2.0-litre, turbocharged four-cylinder diesel engine mounted transversely up-front and powering the front wheels, the CrossBlue also has a pair of electric motors — one sandwiched between the diesel and the six-speed, dual clutch automatic transmission, and another e-motor (essentially the same electric motor that powers Volkswagen’s e-Up! city car) mounted at the back to give the crossover all-wheel-drive capability. With the 9.8 kilowatt battery pack (found longitudinally in what would normally be a transmission tunnel) fully charged, the diesel-electric CrossBlue hybrid can offer 305 horsepower. That would put the Volkswagen at the high-end of the segment. But the addition of electricity makes the concept a torque monster, with a whopping 516 pound-feet available. The large Volkswagen crossover can also be turned into a zero- emissions vehicle. When its lithium-ion battery is fully charged, Volkswagen says the CrossBlue can be driven up to 22 kilometres using electricity alone. However, in e-mode, speed is reduced from 204 to 120 km/h to maximize the range. But with the turbo-diesel engine ready to kick-in when the batteries conk out, the CrossBlue has a theoretical driving range of over 1,100 km. I wasn’t going to get the chance to push the CrossBlue to either of those range limits. My “driving” was limited to running the priceless vehicle up and down the foggy runway on e-power alone, maxing out at 30 km/h. But even with such limited exposure, it’s obvious the CrossBlue is ready to go on sale. Most one-off show cars are cobbled-together static displays. But not so with the CrossBlue. Not only can the CrossBlue go, turn and stop, its interior is fully functional. While I was driving the CrossBlue, it started to rain, and a Volkswagen engineer riding shotgun giggled when I turned the windshield wipers on. “Ha! I didn’t know the wipers worked!” Whatever is powering the CrossBlue, it still has to function as a practical family hauler. To that end, Volkswagen has done its homework as to what customers in this class want. Unlike Volkswagen’s oddball-sized Tiguan and Touareg, the CrossBlue’s dimensions make it easy to define for buyers. It’s within millimetres of rivals like the Nissan Pathfinder, Toyota Highlander and Mazda CX-9. Behind its third row of seats are 360 litres of cargo space. When those third row seats are folded, cargo capacity grows to 1,200 litres. And for really long objects, the front passenger seatback can be folded too. By the time we were asked to get back into the heavily-tinted Transporters, Volkswagen officials did their best impersonations of Cold War spies, refusing to say if the CrossBlue is heading to a showroom anytime soon. But that doesn’t prevent me from speculating. Don’t be surprised if you see a CrossBlue-like crossover go on-sale in the next two years. Adding further credence to that prognostication is the existing CrossBlue Coupe Concept, essentially a two-row version of the larger concept that could end up as our next Tiguan. Just remember, I said “could”… This article originally appeared in National Post Driving.

Comments