Detroit

Volkswagen Cross Coupe GTE Concept: A New SUV For North America

by Frédérick Boucher-Gaulin
Volkswagen Cross Coupe GTE Concept
All photos
Photo: Jean-Charles Lajeunesse

Volkswagen used the Detroit Auto Show as an opportunity to unveil its latest concept, dubbed Cross Coupe GTE. Regardless of the name, it’s not a coupe: it's a full-size SUV that has four doors, three rows of seats and can seat seven. 

The first thing you see when looking at the concept is its bold styling, which gives a very wide stance to the vehicle. As the GTE name implies, this SUV is actually a hybrid: its 3.6-litre VR6 engine is paired with two electric motors. Overall, this setup can generate up to 355 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque. The big vehicle can drive up to 32 kilometres without using a drop of fuel.

The Cross Coupe GTE is obviously not intended as a production model, but Volkswagen announced that they would build a new seven-seat SUV at its Chattanooga plant before the end of 2016.

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