An unnamed VW spokesman told AutoNews Europe on the sidelines of the LA Auto Show that a production CrossBlue Coupe crossover concept could be sold in Europe, although the carmaker initially said it is aimed at the U.S. market. However, he added that no final decision has been made yet.
VW presented two versions of the CrossBlue this year, a 5-meter long, 7-seat study in Detroit and a shorter, sportier 5-seat concept called CrossBlue Coupe at the Shanghai Auto Show.
With a length of 4.890mm (192.5 inches), the CrossBlue Coupe is similar in size to the Touareg SUV. However, it could still compliment VW’s lineup in Europe in the same way the sportier X6 does with the X5 for BMW.
In North America, VW said a decision on whether to build the CrossBlue and on the production location will be taken by the end of this year. The automaker is expected to introduce first the 7-seat CrossBlue, most likely in 2016. This model is more crucial for the United States, where VW sales have been declining lately.
Although VW targets 800,000 annual sales in the U.S. by 2018, its volume fell 4 percent to 343,000 units in the first 10 months of this year. The overall market was up 8 percent to 13 million units. The production version of the CrossBlue could be built either in Chattanooga, Tennessee, or in Mexico.
By Dan Mihalascu
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