It appears unlikely that Volkswagen will sell a pickup truck in the United States anytime soon, despite dealers across the country clamoring for one and its North America boss being a fan of such a model.
The new head of Volkswagen’s North American region, Pablo Di Si, is eager to see the automaker launch a pickup in the U.S. and noted that he loved the Tarok concept from 2019. However, he will have to convince the global head of the Volkswagen brand, Thomas Schäfer, that using the electric platform of the upcoming Scout SUV for a VW pickup is a good idea.
“At the moment, our focus on the lineup doesn’t include it,” Schäfer said of a potential U.S. pickup. “At the moment, we have a clear lineup all the way through the second half of this decade. Then again, in the American market, if you don’t play in certain segments, then you have to stay in a certain market share area. But the question of [VW’s new Rugged SUV platform] is not our priority at the moment.”
Read: Scout Motors Give New Look At Upcoming SUV Concept, Production Slated For 2026
VW’s planned Scout SUV and pickup
Speaking with Auto News, Di Si said that Volkswagen has the “knowledge” to produce a pickup and believes that the “segment is relevant, and we’re going to play the game and see where that kind of takes us.”
While it may prove tough for Di Si to convince Schäfer to green-light a pickup for the U.S., local dealer John Luciano remains hopeful that he will get it done.
“VW dealers need a truck in our lineup, and Pablo recognizes that,” Luciano said. “He did wonderful things in Brazil, so we need to give him time. But we’ll take any truck at this point — gas, hybrid, electric. We need to be in those segments to compete with other brands, and Pablo and his team know that.”
