The Amarok has been with us for a long time, having
initially being launched in 2010 and receiving new engines in 2013 and a revamp
in 2016, so its replacement is long overdue. While there’s no official word on
when this might be revealed, we wouldn’t be surprised if the second-gen adopts
VW’s new corporate design language that’s so vividly displayed by the 2019
Touareg.
This rendering, penned by Geoffrey Garitey, depicts
just that, with the pickup truck featuring a totally new front end, a raised
bonnet, different-shaped windows, wider wheel arches and tweaked doors. While
this design would definitely work for with the successor of the Amarok, the
vehicle won’t have much in common with the new Touareg.
In fact, while the latter sits on the MQB
architecture, the former will still have a body-on-frame construction, which
will allow it to tackle the Mercedes-Benz X-Class along with other mid-size
pickup trucks. The Amarok is being built at VW’s plant in Argentina and is
available in Europe, South America, Oceania, Russia and South Africa – but,
despite previous reports to the contrary, it won’t be introduced in the North
American market.
The German manufacturer has instead decided to show
a pickup truck version of its Atlas SUV in the form of the Tanoak concept at
the 2018 New York Auto Show. The production model, which will be VW’s pickup
truck for North America, will be underpinned by the same platform as the Atlas
and its upcoming sporty version, previewed by the Cross Sport Concept. It will
be manufactured at the company’s Chattanooga, Tennessee plant, and will rival
the likes of the Toyota Tacoma and Honda Ridgeline.
