Volkswagen Seven-Seat SUV Previewed In Detroit

Volkswagen has debuted its CrossBlue Concept at the Detroit Auto Show, giving us our first glimpse of the German automaker's upcoming 7-seat SUV.

In concept form, the CrossBlue Concept is a Touareg-sized six seater, but differs from VW's existing large SUV markedly.

Built on the MQB platform, the CrossBlue is powered by a 2.0 litre hybrid turbodiesel powerplant which delivers drive exclusively to the front wheels.

To power the rear wheels, the CrossBlue utlises an 85kW electric motor mounted inside the rear suspension cradle.

Power from its turbodiesel engine peaks at 140kW, with its electric assistance motor producing 40kW. Between the combustion engine and the two electric motors, the CrossBlue's combined output is a claimed 225kW.

Mounted within the CrossBlue's 'spine' is a 9.8kWh lithium-ion battery pack, which can propel the SUV for up to 22.5km in pure EV mode.

In production form, the individual centre seats will likely be replaced by a sliding three-person bench.