Volkswagen T-Cross Breeze Concept (2016)

Exterior - contemporary SUV design

The brand's unmistakable design DNA ensures that each model can immediately be recognised as a Volkswagen, even without the VW logo visible. The design of the new T-Cross Breeze also underlines the fact that each series and vehicle genre is perceived as completely independent within the brand. The new Tiguan, set to launch this spring, is the first production model to sport the new, authentic, SUV design. The Volkswagen T-Cross Breeze concept will follow this charismatic style, while at the same time clearly demonstrating the fact that it is an independent SUV series.

Striking design specifications

Of course there is a certain familial relationship between the SUV series, but the clearly unique features are just as distinctive. Take the front end, for example: here the T-Cross Breeze is characterised by a remarkably wide radiator grille and narrow headlights. These details form the new, characteristic face of this most compact SUV. The distinctive signature of the LED daytime running lights with delicate arcs of light under the LED headlights, as well as large LED rings around the fog lights, underline the independent design of this small SUV. The side profile is also very distinctive. A striking example of the independence of each of the new SUV series is the double character line. Its bottom edge does not, in this case - and in contrast to the Tiguan, for instance - run straight around the car, but instead rises over the rear wheel, resulting in an entirely new side of the car. Another feature that characterises the side profile is, of course, the wheels. The 19-inch aluminium wheels feature a spiral design that is individualised in the area of the wheel hub by colourful, star-shaped plastic clasps. The rear end of the convertible SUV, meanwhile, is dominated by the extremely wide boot lid with integrated LED rear lights. The lid opens up to reveal a boot that is very easy to load, with a volume of nearly 300 litres.

Show your true colours

The VW T-Cross Breeze is painted a warm shade of green called "Summer Green Metallic", with attachments such as the wheel arch extensions, the radiator grille and the lower sections of the side panels and the bumpers in a cool, flawlessly harmonised contrasting dark petrol ("Deep Teal"). The plastic clasps and the star wheel hubs are also painted in "Deep Teal". All of the visible aluminium parts of the body - such as the application on the windscreen frame and the all-terrain elements like the underbody protection at the front and rear as well as the side sills - are sandblasted. The soft top comes in black.

Interior - fascinating quantum leaps

Volkswagen's interiors are currently making quantum leaps. The designers concentrated on what really matters: creating a new spatial experience and completely redesigning the driver's cockpit, making use of next-generation human-machine interface (HMI) and developing an entirely new control interface that, one day, will completely do away with buttons and switches. Yet this is no science fiction, but, rather, an early glimpse at where production models are heading in the medium-term. Volkswagen has already implemented an operating concept with almost no buttons on board the T-Cross Breeze. The convertible SUV builds the conceptual bridge to the BUDD-e, which was also presented in Geneva and saw its debut at the CES in Las Vegas in January 2016. With the exception of the control stalk, the power window switches and the buttons for opening and closing the soft top, all of the controls in the Volkswagen T-Cross Breeze are touch-sensitive surfaces or executed as completely new "by-wire" solutions. Gesture control also forms an integral part of the operating interface. The new HMI, with its coupled displays, is detached from the dashboard in a style similar to that of the zero-emission BUDD-e - this is the cockpit of the future. Last, but not least, it is apparent that elements that were formerly purely functional, such as the air vents, now merge with the contours of the interior.

High-tech design and materials

The design language and colour of the interior forges a link to the expressive exterior. The dashpad and the outer areas of the centre console radiate in a fresh "Summer Green Soft" special-effect paint. In contrast to this are the dark surfaces in the interior; the trim is also "Deep Teal", like the exterior. Both of these colours repeat on the applications on the steering wheel. Elements such as the arm rests and door handles, the rear section of the stylish free-floating centre console and the seat backs, meanwhile, are a light "Ceramique". The precision of all the edges is emphasised by the combination of sandblasted and high-gloss surfaces. Volkswagen is also breaking new ground in the automotive sector with the materials used: just like high-tech sports shoes, parts of the seating are form fashioned and coloured (in "Deep Teal") and "knit" in 3D, creating the covers of the inner surfaces of the side supports in a single piece out of various materials such as special polyamide hybrid fibres that are extremely resistant to deformation, durable and resistant to abrasion. This method can be used for any shape. In the case of the T-Cross Breeze, for instance, it was also used to make the front seat back pockets.

Human-Machine Interface

The interactive HMI offers a glimpse at what the next generation of Volkswagen vehicles will look like. With the T-Cross-Breeze, Volkswagen has transferred the visionary system showcased in the BUDD-e to the compact class. This consists of two physically separate screens that blend optically and functionally into one large surface: the Active Info Display as a freely programmable instrument panel in front of the driver, and the Head Unit, which serves as the screen of the infotainment system on the centre console. These two screens form a single functional entity.

Active Info Display

The digitalization of the instruments is opening up a whole new spectrum of graphic and interactive possibilities. Volkswagen calls this new generation of digital instrumentation the Active Info Display. Volkswagen demonstrates how the Active Info Display, which is already used in the Passat as well as in the new Tiguan, could develop on board the Volkswagen T-Cross Breeze.

On-road

The graphic environment there displays the driving information on a completely new, three-dimensional, animated display. These forward-looking, stylish graphics panels that can be freely programmed by the developers, make a deliberate break with the classic round instruments. They form an entirely new virtual stage for the information, which drivers can configure themselves within defined areas, a bit like arranging apps on a smartphone. Depending on the configuration, the display elements change shape, move, shrink or are enlarged. This virtual stage is underlaid with a background consisting of a honeycomb structure, which forms the stylistic common thread running through the entire T-Cross Breeze, as similar elements are also found on the dashboard as well as on the outside of the car in the area of the radiator grille, for instance. The robust honeycomb structure was a deliberate choice, as it fits in perfectly with the character of an all-terrain vehicle.

Predictive driving profile selection

The Volkswagen T-Cross Breeze features a predictive driving profile selector. This assistance function is closely linked to the navigation system, the front camera and various other systems in the Volkswagen, which enable it to register parameters such as the topography of the route, for example. When the predictive driving profile selector's Auto function is on, the system reacts automatically and can change the engine, damping or steering characteristics, depending on the driving situation.

Easy terrain

The Active Info Display also has - as an additional off-road feature - an individual graphical stage that is directly linked to the predictive driving profile selector. Using the wide range of sensors on board and by evaluation of geographical data, the car is able to recognise that it no longer has a tarmac road under its wheels any more, but is now driving on off-road terrain when the driving profile selector is in Auto mode. If this happens, the HMI that is linked to the predictive driving profile selector activates a new off-road mode, so that the system messages "TERRAIN IDENTIFIED" and "OFFROAD MODE ACTIVATED" are displayed on the driver's screen. Simultaneously, all of the interactive displays indicate to the driver where the front-wheel drive car can drive safely on such easy terrain, and where not. The "normal" driving information is then moved to the edges and shrinks to make way and put the emphasis on the off-road content, which is now more relevant in the current situation. A topographic map of the immediate vicinity appears in the centre of the screen and a stylised depiction of the chassis (tyres and shock absorbers) is also displayed. The honeycomb background pattern is transformed into little columns with a hexagonal cross-section, depending on the altitude of the terrain scanned ahead of and beside the T-Cross Breeze to represent the local topography. Areas that should be avoided are highlighted separately. Beside the Active Info Display there is also a 3D honeycomb structure that consists of back-lit perspex columns - making the virtual and real vehicle architecture merge into one entity.

Head Unit

The infotainment system's central screen (Head Unit) is freely configurable, with tiles that can be freely rearranged on a predefined grid. Here again, the graphics feature the robust honeycomb structure as a common thread. It is possible, for example, to depict the whole route topographically. You can, for instance, display information on the altitude along the route, or the honeycomb pattern can form a dynamic equalizer. Meanwhile, an inbox displays the last three SMS messages along with a picture of the sender. The other tiles include features such as current weather data and a cover flow for the media library. All of these tiles can, as outlined above, be arranged by the driver or the front seat passenger. The configuration and operation are self-explanatory. Operation of the air-conditioning system is also intuitive: proximity sensors are used to open the required window on the touchscreen, which provides the familiar air-conditioning functions as well as controls for the heated seats.

New by-wire controls

The newly developed features also include a "by wire" gear change unit in the centre console. This compact gear change unit is used to operate the DSG dual-clutch gearbox, the electronic parking brake and the adaptive chassis control (DCC/in the "Sport", "Normal" and "Comfort" settings). Three elegantly designed glass scroll wheels set in chrome fitted with sensors enable intuitive operation of these functions. The controls around the glass scroll wheels for the hazard warning lights, the Auto-Hold function, starting and stopping the engine (Keyless Access) and the driving profile switch (Mode) are touch-sensitive surfaces.

BeatsAudio™ sound system

The American audio specialist Beats Electronics - founded in 2008 by the rapper Dr. Dre - made a huge impact on the music scene, primarily with its headphones. Now the Californian company also offers a wide range of audio technologies, including full in-car sound systems. The VW T-Cross Breeze features such a BeatsAudio™ sound system. The bass heart of this system is a subwoofer that is integrated in the centre console, between the driver and the front seat passenger. The sound system's 300 W, 8-channel amplifier has a digital sound processor (DSP). High-end loudspeakers distributed around the interior deliver crystal-clear sound from the system and a special perforation visually emphasises the BeatsAudio™ system. Of course the sound system is compatible with App-Connect, meaning that CarPlay™ (Apple), Android Auto™ (Google) or MirrorLink™ can be used to control the playlists of virtually all current smartphones via the T-Cross Breeze's HMI.