VW Plans An American-Built Pickup Before The Decade Ends

Volkswagen reportedly plans to build a pickup truck in the United States before the end of the decade, according to reports from Germany. This move could help the company crack a lucrative market it hasn’t been part of for decades. A midsize truck could give VW entry into one of the US’s most profitable segments. The company has spent decades trying to win over American buyers with hatchbacks, sedans, SUVs, and more recently EVs, with mixed success. Now it might finally be embracing the vehicle Americans actually can’t seem to get enough of. The alleged plan forms part of a wider rethink of Volkswagen’s American strategy, with new management taking charge of the operation while the company reassesses its product lineup in an effort to grow beyond its disappointingly modest 4 percent slice of the US market. VW has been teasing a US truck for years, most notably with the Atlas Tanoak concept. A pickup makes plenty of sense, as trucks remain some of the highest margin vehicles sold in America, yet the automaker hasn’t sold one in the US since the Rabbit-based Volkswagen Pickup ended its five-year run way back in 1984. The truck is expected to be built at VW’s existing plant in Tennessee, avoiding tariffs attached to imported pickups and making better use of the Chattanooga factory. Given the cost of creating an all-new body-on-frame pickup, another partnership feels far more likely, with Ford being the natural candidate. The two companies already have an extensive relationship spanning both Europe and South Africa, with Volkswagen’s latest Amarok effectively being a Ford Ranger underneath. If another collaboration happens, Volkswagen could dramatically shorten development time while giving itself a proven platform capable of competing in one of America’s toughest market segments.