Unveiled at the Detroit motor show, the Volkswagen CrossBlue will become a seven seat SUV that will provide VW with a rival for the likes of the Toyota Highlander, Ford Explorer and Honda Pilot.
It will replace the elderly and slow-selling Routan MPV, fitting into the range between the Tiguan and the Touareg, a car considered too expensive to successfully compete against more affordable competition.
At 4987mm long, 2015mm wide and 1733mm tall, the CrossBlue is bigger than a Touareg. It uses VW’s MQB architecture, and the production car is likely to be closely related to the next Tiguan, with transverse engines. It will be built in the US alongside the US-market Passat.
The show car has a plug-in diesel-electric hybrid powertrain, with a 2.0-litre engine and a pair of motors, one driving each axle – combined they produce 302bhp and a 0-100kph time of 7.2sec.
Dipan Sur
Viraaj Bhatnagar
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