VW's Detroit star, the Crossblue, was unashamedly aimed at American buyers – because for all the brand's progress in this region (its rise in sales figures is nothing short of alarming), it has lacked the sort of seven-seat SUV that has been such a cash cow for the likes of Ford and General Motors.

The Crossblue will change that when it gets turned into a production car some time in the next couple of years. It's based on the largest and tallest version yet of the MQB chassis kit that sits under the latest VW Golf and Audi A3, and is equipped with a novel diesel-electric hybrid powertrain. Expect four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engines to also feature in the line-up when it hits US dealers, though.

The styling is safe and entirely predictable; the car is expected to fit in between the Tiguan and posher Touareg in VW's line-up, and it looks superbly tuned to that role. When it does turn up, it should help VW's burgeoning American dealer network to improve upon the company's 3% market share. It won't come to Europe, though – and that's probably the right decision.

gopping!

^+1 Si. <This is my name.

I eat rat poison.

A man ain't truly been insulted until he stands buck naked in front of a woman and she didn't even notice. Or care.

I've seen that in Transformers turns into an even uglier machine  ====================================

"Open Mike Night " sounded like a lot of fun until i found out i was going to an Autopsy