VW ID.4’s Death Could Lead To Birth Of An American Pickup

Yesterday, Volkswagen announced plans to end production of the ID.4 at their Chattanooga plant in Tennessee. At the time, they said the facility would shift its focus to “higher‑volume models that support sustained growth in North America.”

While the automaker specifically mentioned the redesigned Atlas, they also said the move provided a path to introduce a “new product intended specifically to meet U.S. consumer needs and in line with the new focus on high-volume vehicles.”

More: VW Kills The ID.4 For Now, But Something New Is Coming

Volkswagen implied a decision hasn’t been made, but Car & Driver believes the automaker could be eyeing a pickup. This wouldn’t be too surprising as the company has been toying around with the idea for years.

In 2018, the company introduced the Atlas Tanoak concept and said they were “keen to gauge the reactions of buyers and media, since pickup trucks are one of the biggest volume segments in the U.S.” The response was overwhelmingly positive, but nothing ever came of it.

Instead, the automaker focused on EVs and that turned out to be a terrible decision. Plans to launch the ID.7 in the United States were quickly abandoned, while the overpriced ID. Buzz is going on hiatus. The ID.4 waves goodbye later this month, but it will eventually return as an imported ID. Tiguan, which is essentially a facelifted ID.4.

While only time will tell if Volkswagen is working on a new truck for America, it would presumably have a lot in common with the Atlas. This means we could expect a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine developing 282 hp (210 kW / 286 PS) and 258 lb-ft (349 Nm) of torque. It’s paired to an eight-speed automatic transmission and an available all-wheel drive system. It’s also worth noting the model has a towing capacity of 5,000 lbs (2,268 kg), which is the same as the Honda Ridgeline.