Just like the iPhone 5S, Volkswagen CrossBlue Coupe concept looks better in gold

By Stephen Edelstein April 19, 2013

Volkswagen will debut a sportier version of its CrossBlue seven-seat crossover concept at the 2013 Shanghai Motor Show. The CrossBlue Coupe follows the trend of SUV “coupes” that sacrifice utility for style.

Keen-eyed observers might point out that the CrossBlue Coupe has four doors, but a traditional coupe only has two. However, with everything from the Mercedes-Benz CLS and CLA to the BMW X6 being called a coupe these days, that’s alright.

What distinguishes the CrossBlue Coupe from the original CrossBlue, which debuted at the Detroit Auto Show back in January, is a sloping roofline. And gold paint.

Also, there’s a new powertrain underneath the revised styling. The original CrossBlue was a diesel-electric hybrid, but the Coupe swaps compression ignition for spark plugs.

With a total system output of 415 horsepower, the twin-turbocharged gasoline V6 and twin electric motors should give the Coupe the performance to match its sporty pedigree.

Volkswagen says the CrossBlue Coupe will do 0-62 mph (0 to 100 kph) in 5.9 seconds, and reach a top speed of 147 mph.

VW also reckons that the plug-in Coupe will return 79 mpg on the European cycle. Just operating on its gasoline engine, it will return 34.1 mpg.

The size of the CrossBlue Coupe’s battery pack hasn’t been released, but the concept can reportedly drive 21 miles on a full charge at speeds up to 75 mph.

Like the non-Coupe CrossBlue, this latest VW crossover concept is based on the company’s new MQB architecture, a modular platform that forms the basis for the new Mk7 Golf.

Volkswagen intended MQB to underpin a variety of vehicles, so a production version of the CrossBlue isn’t out of the question. With so many crossovers out there, but relatively few green options, it would be great to see something like the CrossBlue Coupe’s plug-in hybrid powertrain in a production vehicle.

Do you agree? Tell us in the comments.

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Stephen Edelstein

Contributing Editor

Stephen is a freelance automotive journalist covering all things cars. He likes anything with four wheels, from classic cars…

Cars

Volvo enters Swedish automotive design Renascence with its Concept XC Coupe

detroit auto show volvo to unveiled concept xc coupe teaser

It's hard to believe, but Volvo is becoming quite stylish.
The Swedish carmaker known for boxy station wagons unveiled the rakish Concept Coupe at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show, and plans to follow it up with the Concept XC Coupe, a crossover set to unveil at the 2014 Detroit Auto Show.
Expect the Concept XC Coupe to adapt many of the Coupe Concept's styling features to a more rugged crossover design. It should look longer an lower than anything seen on production Volvo XC models to date, with a stylish wraparound interpretation of the company's signature taillights.
Underneath the new styling, the Concept XC Coupe will most likely be based on the same Scalable Product Architecture (SPA) platform as the Coupe Concept. SPA will underpin all of Volvo's upcoming medium and large production vehicles - including the next XC90, which this concept will likely preview.
If this crossover concept is SPA-based, it will most likely be engineered for autonomous driving; Volvo hopes to have autonomous cars on the road by 2020.
We wouldn't mind seeing a version of the Coupe Concept's plug-in hybrid powertrain - consisting of a 2.0-liter supercharged and turbocharged four-cylinder engine and an electric motor - under the hood.
Volvo's signature style has traditionally been the avoidance of style, but that just won't cut it in today's competitive luxury-car market. Buyers want their cars to be fashion items, even when they come from the company that built the 240 DL.
The Volvo Concept XC Coupe will be unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show on January 13. However, it plans to release full details a week ahead of that, so stay tuned. In the meantime, check out the trailer below.

Cars

The awkward-looking Jaguar C-X17 concept returns … but this time as a golden 5-seater

jaguar c x17 concept returns guangzhou motor show

Apparently, Jaguar's plan to build an SUV isn't going to change anytime soon.
The Jaguar C-X17 concept was unveiled just two months ago at the Frankfurt Motor Show, and exhibited again at the Dubai Motor Show, but now it's making a third appearance in China and the Guangzhou Motor Show.
At each of its appearances, the C-X17 has worn a different color. It was blue in Frankfurt, silver in Dubai, and now it's rose gold. While it's an appropriate hue considering the affluent customers Jaguar is aiming for with this concept, the gold C-X17 is probably the least attractive of the lot.
A metallic finish is the only thing keeping it from looking like a beige Toyota Highlander. Not a good look for an already awkward-looking car.
The paint isn't the most important change, though. Previous versions of the C-X17 had four-seat cabins, but this one seats five. That's a more practical arrangement, and it's what will most likely be seen on a production model.
Rear-seat passengers may have to deal with an extra body, but at least they get a new infotainment system to help pass the time.
The C-X17 is based on a new aluminum platform architecture that Jaguar hopes to use on several future production models. Jaguar previously stated that a production version of this big cat would feature a wide variety of engines - ranging from thrifty diesels to the F-Type's 3.0-liter V6 - to appeal to buyers in several markets.
Jaguar obviously isn't the first luxury carmaker to build a crossover and it's also not the first to repackage a concept for multiple auto shows.
The Lexus LF-LC concept was unveiled in red at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show, then painted blue for appearances in Sydney and Los Angeles, while the Volkswagen CrossBlue Coupe was unveiled for a second time at last week's LA Show with updated specs.

Cars

Pretty in pink? Infiniti’s Q30 concept makes swoopy North American debut

infiniti q30 concept makes north american debut at los angeles auto show

Nissan's luxury brand, Infiniti, is bringing an identity crisis to the U.S.
The Infiniti Q30 concept made its North American debut at the 2013 LA Auto Show.
First unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show back in September, the Q30 previews a future compact luxury car from Nissan's upscale brand.
The concept makes the biggest impression with its styling. Infiniti says the Q30 blends the lines of a coupe, the profile of a hatchback, and the stance of a crossover. The overall shape is as chimeric as that description sounds, and it's definitely more hatchback than coupe.
The Q30 is saved by plenty of interesting lines borrowed from the Etherea, Essence, and Emerg-E concepts, and a front end that seems to have been taken directly from the handsome Q50 sedan.
Those lines continue through the highly-sculpted interior, which Infiniti says is less "clinical" than a typical luxury car's. There isn't a horizontal or vertical line to be found, and the purple lighting certainly livens things up.
A front-wheel drive (or possibly all-wheel drive) hatchback wearing a premium badge probably doesn't sound too appealing to traditional luxury-car buyers, but it's not meant to.
Infiniti says the Q30 is meant to appeal to younger buyers. Officials say they prefer smaller cars that are not easily categorized.
A similar impulse to broaden appeal is what led Mercedes-Benz to launch the compact CLA-Class "four-door coupe" and GLA-Class crossover, both of which are based on the front-wheel drive platform that underpins the A-Class.
In fact, a production Q30 might share a few bits with the micro Mercs: Infiniti parent Renault-Nissan and Mercedes parent Daimler have forged an alliance, and the compact Infiniti will reportedly be the most visible product of it.
It's all part of an identity crisis that mirrors the Q30's coupe/hatchback/crossover design.
Infiniti lacks a definite identity, which is why officials hopes to expand the lineup with smaller, more fuel-efficient models that will appeal to buyers outside the U.S., and more expensive ones that will cement the brand's reputation as a purveyor of luxury.
It's always interesting to watch a car brand reinvent itself. We'll see how that turns out in early 2015, when the production version of the Q30 is slated to go on sale.