VW’s Tennessee plant could get even busier
If you’ve spent anytime overseas or south of the border, chances are you may have spotted a Volkswagen pickup truck called the Amarok or a smaller one called the Saveiro. Or maybe you remember the cute little Rabbit pickup truck that was built in Pennsylvania in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
If a VW with a truck bed is on your wish list, you might be in luck. A midsize Volkswagen pickup concept based on the Atlas three-row crossover may be unveiled at the 2018 New York auto show this week, according to one report.
Automotive News reports that VW may unveil a unibody pickup concept alongside the previously reported five-passenger Atlas concept. Sources told AN that the as-yet-unnamed pickup could be assembled at the company’s Chattanooga, Tennessee, plant as well. If true, it means Volkswagen has reversed course on its plans, as VW North America CEO Hinrich Woebcken told us just last month that the automaker wasn’t pursuing a pickup truck.
While the VW Saveiro (above) with its four-cylinder engine that offers 101 hp and 105 lb-ft of torque is not enough truck for most Americans, a pickup based on the Atlas’ flexible MQB architecture and powered by either VW’s turbo 2.0-liter four-cylinder or 3.6-liter V-6 may do well in the U.S.
A new VW pickup assembled in the U.S. makes sense if you consider the popularity of midsize trucks like the Toyota Tacoma, Chevrolet Colorado, and Honda Ridgeline. The 2019 Ford Ranger arrives in the first quarter of next year and a production version of the Hyundai Santa Cruz concept is expected to follow.
It’s still unclear if the Mercedes-Benz X-Class pickup will make it to the U.S., so a VW-built pickup may be the next best option for those looking for a German-branded truck. Only time will tell if it will look like the Amarok pictured, but having new blood in the truck category is always welcome. Stay tuned for more news coming out of New York this week.
Source: Automotive News (Subscription required)
