During the 2023 Chicago Auto Show (11 to 02/23), Volkswagen confirmed that it is working on the development of a new pickup. In principle, it will be aimed at the United States market, where the new generation of the Amarok, unveiled in mid-2022, will most likely not arrive.
Pablo Di Si, president and CEO of Volkswagen Group of America was in charge of breaking the news. That was not all, since He also provided details about the motorization of the truck. Who is the most visible face of the brand in the North American country assured the press that the brand new pickup will not offer a 100% combustion engine system, and revealed the “chance” that it could become hybrid or, directly, electric.
One possibility that the executive ruled out was that the new vehicle forms part of Scout, today a sub-brand of the German group and that in 2026 it will return to the US market as a firm of electric pickups and SUVs. Therefore, and so that there is no internal confrontation, The possibility that Volkswagen’s new picj-up will be powered by a hybrid powertrain is gaining momentum.
Di Si said the brand will make a final decision on the production, powertrain and other details of the new truck by the second half of this year. If it occurs, the former CEO of VW Latin America stated that he will use a platform already used by the firm.
In the United States, the hybrid pick-up that has starred in the market in recent years was the Ford Maverick, launched there in mid-2021, and which was a complete sales success. Will Volkswagen be preparing a compact pick-up to challenge Ford’s scepter, even recovering part of what was shown in the Tarok concept? Or will it target a higher segment? We will have to wait, since the brand did not provide any information about the size of the brand new vehicle.
