Rumors of Volkswagen launching a pickup truck in the US have circulated for years, and while it finally looks like the automaker might be ready, elsewhere in the Americas, it’s already onto its third vehicle with a bed. Yes, after enjoying some success with its long-running Saveiro compact pickup and more recently the Amarok midsize pickup, essentially a clone of the Ford Ranger, VW has now given us a first look at a new compact design aimed directly at the Ranger’s smaller sibling.
Targeting The Maverick, Tukan Style
2027 Volkswagen Tukan Front 3/4 ViewVolkswagen
Volkswagen’s latest pickup is a compact design called the Tukan, and right now, information is limited, as sales aren’t due to start until the first half of 2027. VW has confirmed the Tukan was fully designed and developed in Brazil for the Brazilian market, where it will also be built using as much as 76 percent locally sourced parts. The tariff situation (and the famous Chicken Tax) would likely make it hard for VW to bring the Tukan to the US, even if it wanted to, so don’t hold your breath on seeing it stateside. That’s a shame, as it could provide some competition for the Ford Maverick, which right now mostly has the growing compact pickup segment to itself.
The Tukan is based on VW’s flexible MQB platform, found in a variety of vehicles including the Golf hatchback and Tiguan and Atlas SUVs. The Tukan is the first pickup on the platform, at least in production. There have been some concept trucks prior, most notably the US-focused Tanoak study unveiled in 2018.
Reminding us that the Tukan was developed specifically with emerging markets in mind, it swaps out the platform’s usual coil springs at the rear for a leaf-spring suspension setup, which is better suited for load lugging but delivers a stiffer and rougher ride when the bed’s empty. Under the hood, one powertrain is anticipated to be a turbocharged 1.5-liter inline-four. We could also see it offer VW’s turbocharged 1.4-liter engine found in the T-Cross subcompact SUV, which VW also builds in Brazil.
A Subaru Baja Redux
2027 Volkswagen Tukan Rear 3/4 ViewVolkswagen
VW hasn’t revealed much else. In fact, we don’t even have photos of the cabin. On the outside, it’s clear the team took some inspiration from the Subaru Baja. The body cladding and hero yellow color shown here on a rugged flagship trim known as the Extreme look like a clear nod to Subaru’s unloved pickup of the 2000s. Unlike the four-door Baja, though, the Tukan will give buyers both single- and dual-cab options.
That kind of flexibility could give the Tukan an edge over the Maverick. The single cab could appeal to buyers looking for a cheap work truck for small jobs, which is something upstart electric truck company Slate clearly has in mind with its new affordable pickup.
CarBuzz Insight – Why This Matters:
Volkswagen is spending big across the Americas as it looks to grow sales now that it can no longer rely on China as its cash cow. In South America alone, the automaker plans to invest around $4 billion to launch 21 new models by 2028. It’s also spending big in the US, where the Volkswagen Group mothership is establishing the rugged Scout truck and SUV brand, complete with its own factory in South Carolina. And just this month, reports surfaced that VW might finally be ready to green-light a pickup truck as well as an SUV larger than the midsize Atlas for the US market.
Who knows, if the market receives that well, maybe a Maverick rival like this could be on the cards, too.
