You’ve seen this vehicle on these digital pages before, but Volkswagen now plans to bring its Brazil-bound Tarok unibody pickup to the United States … if only for an appearance at the New York Auto Show.
Yes, the Tarok’s role this week and next is to give U.S. consumers a come-hither look and whisper, “See anything you like, boys? You let me know.” In this case, “me” means VW brass, who have a decision to make.
While Volkswagen is adamant that the Tarok, which rides atop the Atlas’ MQB platform and boasts a similar wheelbase, is not bound for U.S. showrooms, a market-specific model isn’t out of the question.
“Although there are no plans to produce the vehicle for the U.S. market, the Tarok concept is being shown to gauge market reaction for a truly versatile and compact entry-level pickup,” the automaker stated.
VW’s big news last year was the Tanoak concept — an Atlas-based midsizer with an 11-inch wheelbase stretch, aimed at gauging reaction from a truck-loving populace. In the year following, VW failed to pull the trigger on a new entry in the hot, and growing, midsize pickup field. It looks like VW believes a smaller pickup might stand a better chance of success.
Compared to the Tanoak, the smaller Tarok more closely follows the Atlas, with only a fraction of an inch separating the two vehicle’s wheelbases. It sports a four-foot bed, which actually becomes useful after opening the midgate and dropping the tailgate, extending the cargo floor to 6.1 feet. Short overhangs and a metallic, baskethandle C-pillar lends the Tarok a sporty, youthful vibe (note the obligatory surfboard cargo), which just happens to be the market VW’s after. The model goes on sale in South America shortly.
Ground clearance is 9.6 inches, maximum payload capacity is 2,271 pounds, and power is just barely adequate, if that. Keep in mind this truck’s not U.S.-bound, so it makes do with a 147 hp, 1.4-liter four-cylinder. The Jetta’s tiny heart won’t get that surfboard to the beach in record time, that’s for sure.
As it seeks to determine public interest, automaker interest in the currently non-existent American compact truck market is on the rise. While Hyundai’s tempted us for years with its perpetually upcoming Santa Cruz-inspired sport compact, Ford recently got into the game, promising a compact, Focus-based pickup and trademarking the traditionally compact Courier name in the U.S.
Should VW go ahead with a North American-market small pickup, it won’t have the field all to itself.
That said, VW now has a partner that might be able to help. The automaker’s recent alliance with Ford could be called upon to generate a truck for the North American market, Volkswagen of America CEO Scott Keogh said last month.
“We have opportunities to do it ourselves, we have opportunities with Ford. It’s something we are 100 percent investigating,” he said, without mentioning what form the resulting vehicle might take.
[Images: Volkswagen]
Had this thing been available last year I might have bought it instead of the Colorado I currently own. But…
KINDA OVERDOSING ON VW HERE TODAY.
OKAY?
Ummmm…..this is America!!!
2775 millimeters is 109.25 inches or 9.1 red, white and blue feet….thank you very much!!!
Don’t insult me and all my fellow metrically challenged simpletons.
Question: Where did you get that length figure. It’s actually funny that the length you claim is only four units away from its weight.
That must be its wheelbase. But there was tremendous outcry, Subaru built it, but no one bought the BAJA.
I was one year away from buying the Baja. Because they dropped it, I bought a Wrangler instead.
Wow if Subaru had just KNOWN you were about to buy one or THINKING about it someday, we’d still have BAJAs TODAY…………………………………………
“Demand” doesn’t always translate into actual “Sales”. Or “would-be” buyers, fans, enthusiasts, etc, just demand a nice selection of cheap used ones, 5-10 years old, as their 2nd car, for occasional The Home Depot runs for mulch or 2x4s, hauling tables for the Annual Church Picnic and whatnot. Maybe hit a yard sale or two, flea markets a couple times a year on a whim, etc, but not necessarily “new”.
There seems to be some confusion when it comes to market research on these.
Poor, poor, DM. So blinded by his perceived brilliance that he can’t conceive of anybody using their financial wherewithal (or lack thereof) to determine WHEN to buy a vehicle.
Sorry, maybe Im the only one who noticed the illustration above of what appears to be the maximum bed length at 2775 mm or approximately 9.1 feet.
That I can accept, gamper. I couldn’t find those numbers anywhere in the article itself.
I think the talk of the next gen Amarok will ride on a Ranger platform. Assuming it can be built here as well next to the Ranger, then it will skirt the chicken tax.
Maybe VW can bring back the Routan, just as a Ranger clone instead of a Caravan clone this time.
I like it. Not buying a VW truck thou. Also they need the full midgate like the Avalanche. At least it seems a little better then the tiny pass-through the Baja offered.
why would I buy this when I could get ridgeline, tacoma, frontier, etc?
Why not when it can offer more load bed than any of those you mention? It even offers more load bed than most modern FULL SIZED pickups.
you buy it then. Tacoma is a 20 year truck
I chose a Colorado over a Tacoma. I would probably choose this VW over a Tacoma. This VW comes closest to what I wanted in a smaller truck but I doubt we’ll see it in the US–I only wish we would.
VWvalanche meets Subie Baja.