One of the few surprise cars at this year's Tokyo Motor Show was the Volkswagen Cross Coupé. Though it's billed as a 'design study' you can be sure that it previews a forthcoming SUV in the vein of the Range Rover Evoque.

At first glance you might think that the Cross Coupé is a sportier Touareg of the future, but it's much smaller than that. At 4,345mm, the concept is longer than a Volkswagen Golf, but shorter than the Tiguan. It also sits between those cars in terms of width and height, though the 2,630mm wheelbase is longer than either. This is the first vehicle to be shown on Volkswagen's new 'modular transverse matrix' platform so it's not as pie-in-the-sky as many show cars.

Neither is the styling of the Cross Coupé. While all new, the front end is a logical evolution of the current Volkswagen family face, featuring seamless integration between the various headlight elements and the chromed grille. Muscular haunches cover polished 20-inch alloys, but the side profile could be unchanged from concept to production. Indeed, even the door mirrors look vaguely showroom-ready. The rear of the concept is distinctly sportier than any Volkswagen SUV before and has more than a little of the Alfa Romeo 147 about it.

Inside, the production-model-disguised-as-a-concept theme continues. The overall shape of the cabin, including the dashboard, looks feasible, though we'd expect Volkswagen to offer a five-seat layout instead of the sporty four seats featured in the Cross Coupé. The boot holds 380 litres normally, or up to 1,230 litres with the rear seats folded. Up front, the instruments are customisable and two large aluminium rotary dials control a myriad of functions from the climate control to the drive functions.

And as you'd hope from a concept car the drivetrain is a bit special. Under the bonnet is a 147bhp TSI petrol engine (turbocharged, with direct injection), which is bolted to a seven-speed, dual-clutch DSG transmission. Sounds standard enough for a Volkswagen, but it's assisted by a 40kW (53bhp) electric motor, which also delivers 132lb.ft of torque (in addition to the engine's 154lb.ft). They power the front wheels, but the Cross Coupé has an extra electric motor on the rear axle to give it four-wheel drive. This generates up to 114bhp and 199lb.ft of torque. Total maximum power available is 261bhp, which translates to a 0-62mph time of seven seconds and a top speed of 125mph - though that's limited to 74mph if in electric-only mode.

A combined cycle economy figure of 104mpg is quoted with CO₂ emissions of just 62g/km. A 28-mile electric-only range contributes to that.

Volkswagen hasn't revealed what its intentions are for a production version of the Cross Coupé, but given that a new compact Porsche SUV (nicknamed the 'Cajun') is only around the corner, it's fair to assume that we're looking at a preview of the Volkswagen-badged variant.

Shane O' Donoghue - 30 Nov 2011