A Volkswagen body-on-frame family to take on the Toyota Tacoma and 4Runner? It sounds too good to be true, especially in the wake of the second-largest round of staff cuts in recent automotive history, but somehow, amid all the madness, Volkswagen bosses want to make it a reality. Nestled in a plethora of announcements last week, some of which painted a bleak picture for the Volkswagen Group and its brands, there was a glimmer of hope for an American rival to the 4Runner, Bronco, and the forthcoming Montero and Xterra.
Dedicated North American Product Onslaught Is Going Off-Road
Volkswagen Atlas Tanoak ConceptVolkswagen
Volkswagen’s new American boss, Marco Schubert, replaces Kjell Grunner after just two years, and he takes over at the trickiest time, when automakers can’t rely on government to provide consistent guidance and when the market has turned away from the electric car revolution that VW and many other automakers had put all their investment into. Schubert needs a win, and one of his first orders of business may be just what the German automaker needs.
The announcement from VW briefly mentioned that VW will focus on North American opportunities in the same way it does with markets like China and Europe. Specifically, it states that “In line with its ‘In China, for China’ and ‘In Europe, for Europe’ strategies, Volkswagen will also pursue a dedicated North America strategy.” So what fruit will this strategy yield? That’s the good news…
Watch Out 4Runner, Volkswagen Is Coming For You
“As part of this approach, the brand will explore opportunities in the highly popular body-on-frame B-segment, including robust SUVs and pick-up trucks, as a potential component of Volkswagen’s future product portfolio,” the statement said. That’s by no means a guarantee that we’ll see off-road models from the brand, but given the resurgence of such models and the ever-increasing market that has seen the revival of the Land Cruiser, the Ford Bronco beating the Wrangler in sales, and Nissan confirming a new Xterra, this seems like the perfect opportunity for VW to capitalize on a segment before it loses its luster.
Not Volkswagen’s First Pickup Truck Rodeo
Americans may not be all too familiar with VW’s prior experience building pickup trucks, but the brand has proven itself more than capable. Aside from the old Type 1 and Type 2 trucks, the brand has had recent experience with a midsize truck named the Amarok. The first generation was built in-house by VW and was a perfect example of an over-engineered truck that was as capable and vastly more luxurious than rivals in a global market.
The second generation was different, however, as VW partnered with Ford, sharing the bones of the Ranger. But despite this shared architecture (and engines), the Amarok never made it stateside, thanks to the Chicken Tax. A third generation has officially been teased, believed to no longer share underpinnings with Ford, but reports claim this isn’t the truck that will come to North America.
So the question is: what’s changed? Why is VW choosing now to bring a truck to North America?
What’s Volkswagen’s Secret To Making A Tacoma Rival Viable?
2027 Scout Motors Terra Pickup Exterior Side ProfileScout Motors
Should VW pursue this avenue – again, it’s not confirmed, just under investigation – it would need to invest in local American manufacturing of body-on-frame vehicles. The aforementioned Chicken Tax precludes automakers from importing pickup trucks without huge tariffs making them unviable for the local market. But this local production conundrum is where VW has a leg up on rivals trying to enter the space. Its secret weapon could be the revived Scout brand and its significant investment in Rivian.
While the latter is primarily to leverage software, Rivian has established itself in the American off-roading scene, and can provide much-needed insights for VW to capitalize on. But it’s the Scout revival that is of most interest, as the Scout Terra pickup truck and its Traveler SUV sibling are underpinned by a rugged body-on-frame architecture.
2018 Volkswagen Atlas Tanoak ConceptVolkswagen
The Scouts are EVs first and foremost, but from various patent filings, including one revealing the secrets of the range extender engine placement, we know the platform is extremely versatile. More than that, it’s already been reported that Audi will borrow the platform for its own rugged Mercedes G-Class rival. If the Volkswagen Group is good at one thing, it’s leveraging a common architecture to achieve economies of scale, and with VW, Audi, Scout, and who knows which other brands leveraging platforms, it will make it significantly easier for the German automaker to bring such a vehicle to market in record time.
CarBuzz Insights — Why it Matters
The automotive market is oversaturated, which is why automakers have been consolidating their lineups and getting rid of models that don’t pay their way. However, when a new segment opens up, it pays to get in early before the trend dies down. No one foresaw the rugged body-on-frame segments booming as they have, but after the success of the Bronco and Land Cruiser proving there was space for more models, others have flocked to join them.
Nissan is developing a new Xterra, and Mistubishi’s new Pajero is likely to spawn an American cousin reviving the Montero nameplate. Hyundai is reportedly joining the action, too, with the Boulder Concept previewing a pickup truck for America that we believe will get an SUV version too. When that arrives, it won’t be long before Kia leverages it for its own rugged models. Further upmarket, Audi and Genesis are trying to rival the G-Class, and even BMW might join them.
Long story short, it’s been a while since a new market segment opened up with such immense demand. Volkswagen is wise to get in on it before it’s too late, and with Scout, it has an advantage over rivals starting from scratch.
