Photo: Kleber Silva on Behance
Ever since the first Beetle arrived in the U.S. in 1949, the German brand understood that North America is a huge market for new automobiles. It’s got even more important since then, but Volkswagen AG still hasn’t cracked the very profitable pickup segment, be it mid- or full-size.
In recent years, VW made small attempts in this direction with a couple of concepts. The Atlas Tanoak, which is derived from the Chattanooga-built crossover, comes to mind with its 3.6-liter engine, 4Motion all-wheel drive, and quirky design cues. The slightly smaller Tarok is underpinned by the previous concept’s platform, but on this occasion, the German automaker went for the 1.4-liter turbo four-cylinder engine utilized by the Jetta sedan.
Overseas, we have the Amarok mid-size pickup that is due to receive a refresh with Ford Ranger underpinnings. There’s talk of a plug-in hybrid powertrain, too, most likely derived from the Blue Oval’s truck, but Volkswagen isn’t likely to bring the Amarok stateside because it would clash with the Ranger.
This gets us to senior vice president of product marketing and strategy Hein Schafer, who told Autoline After Hours that “a combustion-powered pickup is, for us, definitely a thing of the past. If we do build a large SUV on the MEB platform, maybe a large pickup might potentially also make sense.”
Reading between the lines, the option is still open for the Wolfsburg-based automaker that controls Skoda, SEAT, Cupra, Audi, Porsche, Lamborghini, Bentley, and Bugatti, in addition to motorcycle manufacturer Ducati. Our friend Kleber Silva imagined an e-pickup based on the company’s newest design language, blending stylistic elements from the ID.4 and Atlas SUVs.
The full-width taillights and light bar that connects the headlamps are pretty cool too, and the length of the bed is appropriate for a unibody pickup as well. Volkswagen would also escape the Chicken Tax by making this fellow in Tennessee at Chattanooga, where the ID.4 will enter production in 2022.
Be that as it may, it will be a slow burn. VW doesn’t have as much experience as the Big Three in Detroit in terms of pickups, which is probably why the German automaker is probably waiting for the Blue Oval, GM, and Stellantis to roll out the electric Ford F-150, Silverado, and Ram 1500.
Overseas, we have the Amarok mid-size pickup that is due to receive a refresh with Ford Ranger underpinnings. There’s talk of a plug-in hybrid powertrain, too, most likely derived from the Blue Oval’s truck, but Volkswagen isn’t likely to bring the Amarok stateside because it would clash with the Ranger.
This gets us to senior vice president of product marketing and strategy Hein Schafer, who told Autoline After Hours that “a combustion-powered pickup is, for us, definitely a thing of the past. If we do build a large SUV on the MEB platform, maybe a large pickup might potentially also make sense.”
Reading between the lines, the option is still open for the Wolfsburg-based automaker that controls Skoda, SEAT, Cupra, Audi, Porsche, Lamborghini, Bentley, and Bugatti, in addition to motorcycle manufacturer Ducati. Our friend Kleber Silva imagined an e-pickup based on the company’s newest design language, blending stylistic elements from the ID.4 and Atlas SUVs.
The full-width taillights and light bar that connects the headlamps are pretty cool too, and the length of the bed is appropriate for a unibody pickup as well. Volkswagen would also escape the Chicken Tax by making this fellow in Tennessee at Chattanooga, where the ID.4 will enter production in 2022.
Be that as it may, it will be a slow burn. VW doesn’t have as much experience as the Big Three in Detroit in terms of pickups, which is probably why the German automaker is probably waiting for the Blue Oval, GM, and Stellantis to roll out the electric Ford F-150, Silverado, and Ram 1500.
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