Making its debut at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show, the VW Sport Coupe Concept GTE will herald a new and progressive design language for future Volkswagen products. Based on VW’s existing design DNA and the flexible MQB platform, the radiator grille, headlights and VW badge merge into a completely new interpretation of the Volkswagen front end. The designers specifically emphasized three-dimensionality. Towards its outer edges, the radiator grille borders the LED dual headlights that are framed by an aluminum radiator grille crosspiece, whose ends take an upward turn, like the winglets of a modern jet airplane. This shape is repeated on the exterior and in the interior, running as a common thread throughout the vehicle’s design.
The uppermost radiator grille crosspiece frames the inner LED modules (high beams and Daytime Running Lights); the second crosspiece wraps around the outer LED modules (low beams and DRLs). Like the headlights, the LED taillights are designed to have a 3D appearance, with a light signature that apes the winglets at the front. On each side of the vehicle, the basic lighting unit consists of two glossy black elements, in which the brake light, turn signal, and rear light LEDs have been integrated. At night, the black background surfaces are not visible, which makes the illuminated LED elements appear to hover.
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The Sport Coupe Concept GTE is 191.7 inches long with an incredibly long wheelbase of 118.9 inches, creating an interior that is 73.7 inches long, as well as short body overhangs: 35.8 inches at the front and 44.1 inches at the back. Its low height (55.4 inches), width (73.4 inches) and large 21-inch wheels give the car a spectacular stance.
This sports saloon is a plug-in hybrid that combines two electric motors and a 295 hp, V6, TSI engine that is mated to a 6-speed DSG. Capable of hitting a top speed of 250 kph, the GTE can do the 0 – 100 dash in 5.2 seconds and still return an efficiency figure of 50 kpl. On electric power alone, the Sport Coupe can cover a distance of 50 kms and along with a tankful of fossil fuel has a range of 1000 kms. The electrical components consist of a lithium-ion battery that’s housed in the center tunnel and two electric motors. The 54-hp (40 kW) front motor is integrated in the 6-speed DSG dual-clutch automatic transmission and the rear electric motor develops 114 hp (85 kW). The total available system power is 374 hp. If necessary, the system’s power can be distributed to all four wheels thanks to the rear electric motor and an electric driveshaft.
The concept car starts in Hybrid Mode by default. The Sport Coupé Concept GTE charges the battery via regenerative braking and automatically uses the V6 engine and/or the electric motor depending on the drive situation. In this mode, the battery state of charge is kept constant; the driver can actively influence this by using the battery hold function. As soon as the driver takes his or her foot off the accelerator and the battery is sufficiently charged, the gasoline engine and electric motors are shut down and disengaged from the drivetrain. If the driver removes his or her foot from the accelerator or brakes when the battery is not sufficiently charged, both electric motors work as generators and feed the energy generated during braking to the lithium-ion battery. In this case, too, the V6 engine is shut down and disengaged. When the conventional engine alone is powering the vehicle, the concept car is purely front-wheel drive to achieve higher fuel economy.
The interior of the Sport Coupé Concept GTE is as innovative as its exterior. It features a new interactive interface that uses the driver’s biometric data and a new Active Info Display that has a 3D appearance. The instrument cluster is a prototype of a newly conceptualised Active Info Display with 3D graphics. The display has a 12.3-inch diagonal and was designed in such a way that the virtual space blends into the real border of the instrument cluster, via a patented ambient light effect, thus creating a free-form surface. In its basic configuration, the digital display depicts two round instruments; a power meter on the left and a speedometer on the right with a field between them for all sorts of information. The new free-form surface makes the round instruments appear to hover in virtual space. The graphics of the displays change according to the driving mode (E-mode or GTE mode).
The central infotainment system’s touchscreen has a 10.1 inch diagonal; the area alongside this screen also features touch-sensitive slider controls for the HVAC. The rear seating area has a 12.3-inch touchscreen that serves as the media control module and is integrated between the individual seats. It can be used to operate functions that include the media library, telephone and navigation. . In addition, the slider controls integrated alongside the 12.3-inch display can be used to operate the automatic climate control system, for a four-zone system. For the first time, Volkswagen is interfacing the car’s electronics directly with the driver. Based on the driver’s biometric data, the Sport Coupé Concept GTE determines, via a smartwatch or armband for measuring the driver’s vital functions, whether to select a route that includes an exciting country road or a gentle route instead.
The navigation system recommends routes that are displayed in lists or via Cover Flow; in this case, apps such as Instagram are used to show additional information and images of the individual routes. The driver can view the selected route in the infotainment system before heading out. Simultaneously, the driver gets detailed information on the type of route and on the traffic, weather and road conditions along the route.
looks like the car has more features for back seats than front seats.. maybe meant for CEO’s of companies who travel in the back