The slew of pre-Shanghai Motor Show reveals shows no sign of abating with the online reveal of Volkswagen’s CrossBlue Coupé concept, the German carmaker’s tilt at the popular Range Rover Evoque.
No sooner had Mercedes-Benz lifted the wraps off its GLA concept, Volkswagen has countered with the boldly styled CrossBlue. Among the five-door crossover’s aesthetic highlights are a steeply raked roofline and rising beltline, chromed surrounds for the dual port rear apron and front intake nacelles, a narrow louvred grille with margins that merge into the LED-ringed headlamps, black plastic wheel arch cladding and a brace of strong character lines running along its flanks.
The interior is not as much of a concept car flight-of-fancy affair, with dark trim and vaguely production friendly instrumentation, although that jet-throttle gearlever would likely to be red-penned if it gets the green light for mass consumption.
Volkswagen hasn’t divulged what sort of powertrain the concept will feature, but there is speculation that it could be a hybrid set-up comprising a V6 sending drive to the front wheels and a pair of hub-mounted electric motors producing a combined output of around 300 kW.
Given the concept’s almost production-viable design (powertrain aside) it’s likely the Volkswagen could announce a production version during the CrossBlue’s official Shanghai Motor Show unveiling.
