After Chevy with the C7 Corvette, Volkswagen of all companies may take the prize for offering the most ’Murican vehicle at this year’s Detroit auto show. The CrossBlue is officially a concept and the plug-in diesel-electric powertrain is classic auto-show fare, but it’s otherwise very close to the three-row SUV we’ll see from VW in about two years.
“A Volkswagen Made for America”
Volkswagen’s characterization of the CrossBlue—and the production model, which will have a different name—as being “made for America” cuts two ways. It’s not just a vehicle designed for American tastes, but to serve as a main player in VW’s quest for American sales growth. With seating for six or seven, the three-row crossover will be targeted at the Honda Pilot, Ford Explorer, and Nissan Pathfinder.
In that spirit, exterior designer Marc Lichte—who designed the MkV Golf—styled the CrossBlue to incorporate key characteristics of American SUVs: giant wheel arches, a wide stance, and a generally masculine look. They succeeded—if only because the thing is practically a dead ringer for one of the leading American 4x4s, Jeep’s Grand Cherokee. Don’t expect much of the styling to change on the production model.
The three-row VW crossover we’ll actually see in the real world will use real-world engines, including a powerful diesel four and perhaps a turbocharged gasoline four. A direct-injected V-6 is a certainty, and it, too, could feature forced induction. For auto-show purposes, though, the CrossBlue is fitted with in a plug-in diesel-electric powertrain, which would allow for about a dozen electric-only miles of travel. Maybe Europeans will see something like this in future cars, but we’d advise not holding out hope for U.S. availability in any model.
Like the latest Golf, the CrossBlue is built using the VW Group’s modular MQB architecture, a flexible system that allows the company to build many different vehicles on the same assembly line. The eventual production version, however, won't directly use MQB bits, as they don''t size up to the vehicle's expected size and load capabilities; the company says the three-row crossover will need bespoke parts to meet those needs. (This semi-unique architecture will also be put into play for China, and VW also says it will continue to "look for derivates.") That said, VW tells us that the way in which the crossover is engineered—and, indeed, the Passat on which it will be based—would allow it to be built in an MQB facility. A Chinese production CrossBlue likely will skip the third row in favor of a larger, more luxurious rear seating area.
The corporate line is that the final North American assembly point is undecided and that the various VW plants must bid for the right to build the crossover, but we're almost certain it will join the Passat in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Eventually, we think, the Tiguan’s U.S.-friendly replacement will be built on this site as well, which can be expanded to build as many as 500,000 vehicles annually.
As for the long delay between concept and reality? It's a bit of a surprise for a German company to force a long wait for an overdue model—but maybe that’s just part of VW’s Americanization.
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