Volkswagen to debut 7-seater SUV concept at Detroit

volkswagen-7-seater-suv-concept

The sketch above is that of a Volkswagen 7-seater SUV based on the Passat platform, which will rival other vehicles in the segment such as the Toyota Highlander, Mazda CX-9 and the Honda Pilot. There’s also the long time favorite Volvo XC90. The new Volkswagen 7-seater SUV will slot in between the Tiguan and the Touareg.

You might find it odd at first that a 7-seater is positioned under the 5-seater Touareg. The differentiation is that the Touareg has a premium positioning and shares a platform with high end cars such as the Q7 and the Cayenne, while this new 7-seater will be Passat-derived.

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From what we understand, the SUV is aimed at the US market. Volkswagen currently doesn’t have a 7 seater there, and has resorted to rebadging a Chrysler minivan as the Volkswagen Routan as a stop gap to fill that market segment. I’m guessing the Touran is too small for the USA, and the Sharan is too expensive.

Theophilus Chin previously rendered something like this (second picture above) – a Volkswagen 7-seater SUV that’s more utilitarian than premium, but when he did it, he based it off the Amarok, the same way that Toyota built the Fortuner on the Hilux and Mitsubishi built the Pajero Sport on the Triton. But the decision to make it based on the Passat platform should ensure lower weight and increased comfort as well as dynamics.

A concept version of the 7-seater will be showcased at the 2013 Detroit Motor Show this month.

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Paul Tan

After dabbling for years in the IT industry, Paul Tan initially began this site as a general blog covering various topics of personal interest. With an increasing number of readers paying rapt attention to the motoring stories, one thing led to another and the rest, as they say, is history.

 

Comments

  • Jafar on Jan 14, 2013 at 10:39 am

    Very boxy…

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 3
    • Chimpanzee on Jan 14, 2013 at 10:55 am

      agree. that’s nerd SUV.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 3
    • mark foster on Jan 14, 2013 at 11:30 am

      dey, itu rendering lama based on the amarok la. while the announced 7 seater will be based on passat. baca la dey baru komen

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 7 Thumb down 2
  • dozy888 on Jan 14, 2013 at 1:06 pm

    Bring in Amarok with 2.0 cc with 177HPS.. and price it below RM98K.. Sure will smoke all other Pick Up trucks in Malaysia..

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • No production capacity left. The plant in Argentinia is so busy that the Amaroks for Europe, Russia and Africa have to be made in Germany (which was initially not planned). As far as I know the Amarok is currently not sold in Asia (outside Russia).

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • kadajawi on Jan 14, 2013 at 1:42 pm

    HM. Sharan too expensive? Entry level Sharans start at around RM 90000 or so.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • veedub on Jan 14, 2013 at 3:19 pm

      agreed..VDud shud bring in the Sharan 1.4TSI and price it lower. The 1.4TSI in the golf is sufficient to carry the Sharan’s weights (160hp/240nm from low 1,500rpm).

      Btw, VW have the 1.4 TSI Seat Alhambra sold in Europe (For info, Alhambra is a re-badged Sharan & Seat is under VW group – for those who dont know)

      and do bring the normal Touran (the cross touran is too stiff & not comfortable for a ppl carier) wt the 1.2TSI option too not just a 1.4TSI only(yup, its the Polo 1.2tsi hatch engine and it produce 175nm torque from 1,550rpm – 4,100rpm is sufficient and for comparison a Mazda 5 2.0 liter max torque of 180nm only happen at high 4,500rpm while a Honda stream 1.8 liter have lower 174nm and only produced at high 4,300rpm)

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • Jimmy on Jan 14, 2013 at 5:41 pm

      Agreed. Sharan is considered cheap for people looking at brand new 7-seater large MPV with good safety features in Malaysia. Best buy in fact, as Mazda 8 doesn’t have ESP.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • Joe Radzif on Jan 14, 2013 at 4:06 pm

    the sketch look a like a X5…

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • Sketch looks like the Q7

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 2
 

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