Volkswagen Concept A
In terms of exterior dimensions, Volkswagen's all-wheel-drive Concept A is similar in size to the Kia Sportage compact sport utility vehicle, but the Concept A is much sleeker in appearance due to its dramatically sloped roofline. Volkswagen claims the Concept A blends sports car and SUV styling, and that the front-end design previews what the face of a small Volkswagen SUV might look like.
That front end carries the plunging, V-shaped grille seen on recently redesigned Volkswagens like the Jetta and Passat. Volkswagen seems to think the face of the Concept A looks like a cheetah, but to my eyes the Concept A is reminiscent of AMC's 1970s-era Gremlin.
The Concept A's front doors are of the traditional front-hinged variety, but the back doors are rear-hinged. This design does away with a conventional B-pillar and allows easy access to the cabin. The combination liftgate/tailgate's lower section flips down, pickup truck style, for carrying long items.
There are four bucket seats in the Concept A, over which a low-tech fabric sunroof can be slid open. In place of conventional climate-control vents, the Concept A features mesh dashboard inserts for air circulation.
The minimalist dashboard features an instrument cluster dominated by one large analog gauge. Only a few knobs and buttons adorn the rest of the cockpit. The Concept A features a Multi Media Interface control system, which has only been installed in Audis to date. Does this foreshadow a move to equip Volkswagen models with MMI? We can only hope Volkswagen's kidding around with us.
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