Volkswagen mulls another SUV

Volkswagen is considering adding another crossover to its product portfolio as it takes aim at ambitious sales targets in the United States and overseas markets.

“It's a part of our vision for the future,” Volkswagen Group of America CEO Jonathan Browning said.

The vehicle would have SUV-style cues, and Browning said it's being discussed by company brass.

Speaking before a luncheon crowd in Detroit on Tuesday, the VW exec said there's “a great opportunity for a midsize SUV.”

He declined to offer specifics or timing. Volkswagen already sells the Tiguan and Touareg crossovers in the United States. Another ute would allow VW to reach a broader spectrum of customers in the competitive U.S. market.

There's a strong possibility that the future ute would be based on the Volkswagen Group's so-called MQB platform, which launches on the Audi A3 and the VW Golf and will be used for more than 40 of the company's models by 2017. The platform is said to reduce costs and speed development time.

By Greg Migliore