VW Tests U.S. Pickup Truck Market

Volkswagen AG unveiled the Atlas Tanoak concept pickup truck today at the New York auto show as a test of market interest.

The short-bed, dual-cab pickup rides on a stretched version of the MQB platform that carries the Atlas SUV made by VW in Chattanooga, Tenn. The midsize five-seater is powered by a 3.6-liter V-6 engine that delivers 276 hp and 266 lb-ft of torque through an 8-speed automatic gearbox and all-wheel drive.

VW says it has no current plans to produce the Tanoak but might do so if reception by consumers and media is sufficiently strong. The truck would likely be produced at the Tennessee factory.

The carmaker has been selling a midsize pickup, the Amarok, since 2010 in many markets outside the U.S. That model is produced in Algeria, Argentina and Germany.

VW phased out its Rabbit-based, front-drive Sportruck compact pickup in the American market in the early 1980s. Called the Caddy in other markets, the 78-hp truck was produced locally for three years at VW’s now defunct assembly plant in Westmoreland, Pa.