Skip to main content

Volkswagen Atlas Could Spawn a Pickup Truck

Volkswagen’s chief engineering officer confirms an Atlas-based truck is a possibility.

The new three-row SUV is coming soon to North America, and speaking to CarBuzz, Dr. Matthias Erb said that Volkswagen is asking how it can further scale the platform developed for the Atlas, and turning the SUV into a truck could be an option. It would be similar to Honda’s recent move of using the Pilot to develop its new Ridgeline and it would give Volkswagen a model it currently lacks in the U.S. market.

The company, however, hasn’t ruled out the possibility of a body-on-frame truck, but at the same time, it’s cautious to enter the truck market. “More than 80 percent of trucks in the U.S. are full-size,” said Erb. “There are three main automakers who greatly protect this segment: Ford, GM, and Ram. They’re not just about to let someone else invade their turf.”

It’s hard to argue against Erb, especially when you look at Ford F-150 sales compared to the Toyota Tundra or Nissan Titan.

Volkswagen does offer the Amarok mid-size pickup in overseas markets, but Erb has confirmed once again that Volkswagen doesn’t ever plan on bringing that to the U.S.

[Source: CarBuzz]

This article first appeared on autoguide.com

The post Volkswagen Atlas Could Spawn a Pickup Truck appeared first on VWVortex.



from VWVortex http://ift.tt/2iLk3k8
via IFTTT

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Review: Saying Goodbye to the CC V6

For all its size and its global reach, Volkswagen is still, in many ways, a deeply human company. There was, for instance, the Bugatti Veyron an ego project if ever there was one. Then the purchase of Ducati, a move most called folly. And then there was the Phaeton, the Volkswagen that most folks can’t afford. Not only were these moves all strange, I’m sure that they made VW’s accountants furious. None of them made good business sense, but they were all deeply interesting and they all are evidence of the heart that beats at the center of VW. Among these follies is the CC, a car that everyone agrees is rakishly handsome, but that no one really wanted to buy. The car couldn’t last, but the world is brighter for its having been in it. With the approach debut of the Arteon, it seems like a good time to look back on its sadly departing predecessor. The version I drove, because I live in Canada, is a V6 Wolfsburg Edition, which apparently isn’t available in the States. Nor is the V6, not as...

Mitsubishi admits it lied about MPG ratings for all vehicles in Japan

Filed under: Government/Legal , Green , Mitsubishi , Fuel Efficiency , Japan Mitsubishi says its shady fuel-economy test practices may have been used on all vehicles it sells and has sold in Japan. Continue reading Mitsubishi admits it lied about MPG ratings for all vehicles in Japan Mitsubishi admits it lied about MPG ratings for all vehicles in Japan originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 11 May 2016 12:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments from Autoblog Volkswagen http://ift.tt/21X3bHv

More 3.0-Liter TDI Settlement Details Expected by January 31

Volkswagen and the TDI Plaintiff’s Steering Committee were in court today for another status conference following the agreement in principal reached earlier this week. Little new information was given at the conference held before Judge Charles Breyer today, but the court ordered the parties to develop a formal settlement agreement, class action notices, and a class notice plan by January 31, 2017. For now, though, owners still don’t know how much to expect in compensation. Elizabeth Cabraser, lead Counsel for the Plaintiff’s Steering Committee reaffirmed in a statement today that the compensation would be “substantial.” The potential cost to Volkswagen is widely reported to exceed $1 billion, though, with an additional $225 million going into an environmental trust to help offset excess emissions. Buy back offers are still only expected for the oldest 20,000 of the roughly 80,000 VW Group vehicles sold in America with the 3.0-liter TDI engine. Those vehicles are mostly SUVs, like ...