A first look at Volkswagen’s incredible new concept bakkie
Volkswagen has announced that it will show off its new pickup concept vehicle at the São Paulo International Motor Show on 6 November.
VW has promised that the vehicle will include the same features you can expect ftom a digitally networked SUV, and the versatility of a consistently well-thought-out pickup.
One of the especially noteworthy innovations of this concept, Volkswagen said, is the multivariable loading area.
In just a couple of simple steps it can be significantly extended thanks to the folding rear panel of the double cab.
It added that the concept bakkie is positioned below the Amarok, but is based on the modular transverse matrix (MQB) – just like the successful Tiguan compact SUV.
The vehicle is reportedly already close to being consumer-ready and will launch first on the Brazilian market with just a few minor tweaks.
“This new pickup’s potential is so great, however, that the vehicle concept could conceivably be suitable for other regions,” Volkswagen said.
Tanoak concept
While the new bakkie is yet to receive an official name announcement, in May Volkswagen teased its Atlas Tanoak concept which could point to where Volkswagen is heading with this new model.
Built from the same MQB platform architecture that’s used on new vehicles from the Atlas to the 2019 Jetta, the Atlas Tanoak was built as a dramatic concept to show-off VW’s design skills and engineering flexibility.
While Volkswagen has made it clear that it has no plans to make a production version of this show car, Hinrich Woebcken, president and CEO of Volkswagen Group of America says, the Atlas Tanoak “shows that we are thinking about what may also be possible, some day in the future, in this market.”
Designed as a dual-cab, short-bed truck, the Atlas Tanoak would check in as a mid-size bakkie.
It’s not just a chopped and stretched Atlas either, but a custom take on the MQB platform. Compared to the 2018 Atlas, at 128.3 inches, its wheelbase is 11 inches longer, with an overall length at 214.1 inches that’s 15.8 inches longer.
To improve off-roading, the Atlas Tanoak sits nearly 2 inches higher, with 9.8 inches of ground clearance, riding on 20-inch wheels.
“Volkswagen has ample experience building and selling pickups around the world, from the Doka to the Amarok. The Atlas Tanoak will remain a show car, but depending on public reaction, VW could consider a fresh look at the American pickup,” it said.
Read: These are the cheapest and most expensive double-cab bakkies in South Africa right now
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