Do you like hybrids? How about plug-ins? What are your thoughts on clean diesels, direct injection, and turbocharging technology? If you answered positively to all of those queries, VW may have the vehicle for you.
The latest CrossCoupe concept, unveiled at the Geneva auto show, starts with a 2-liter turbcharged and direct-injected (TDI) diesel engine, then augments it with electric motors on the front and rear axles. The concept's complex drivetrain gives it a variety of driving modes.
A zero-emissions EV mode uses the rear electric motor to drive only the rear wheels until the lithium ion battery pack is exhausted. Electric only range is about 28 miles and up to a speed of 75 mph. Plug-in technology allows drivers to maximize the EV-only range by charging between trips.
While in EV mode, the TDI engine and front electric motor are deactivated and disengaged from the front wheels to reduce drag. When needed, one or both can be instantaneously re-engaged to provide power to the front axle.
For example, an all-wheel-drive "Off Road" mode uses the TDI engine to drive the front wheels in concert with the electric motor on the rear axle. In this mode, the front electric motor works as a generator, converting some of the TDI's mechanical energy into electricity for the rear axle.
A boost mode brings all three motors and the battery pack into play to deliver a total of 516 pound-feet of torque, split unevenly between the CrossCoupe's four wheels, for enthusiastic driving for as long as the battery lasts. While boosting, 60 mph can be reached from a stop in about 6.5 seconds--about as fast as a VW GTI.
When the lithium ion battery is depleted, the TDI engine steps in and the CrossCoupe becomes a standard front-wheel-drive crossover until recharged. VW claims that the concept has a theoretical driving range of 800 miles between its 14.5-gallon fuel tank and the 9.8kWh battery pack--which works out to about 55 mpg.
