“I do see an opportunity where these trucks have all moved into the $50,000s and the $60,000s and beyond,” Keogh told Motor1.com at a roundtable event with the motoring media. Given that Volkswagen tapped Ford for the next generation of the Amarok, it makes sense to offer the Tarok as a standalone pickup on the MQB vehicle architecture.
The engine in question is the 1.4 TSI with similar horsepower and torque to the Jetta compact sedan. On the other hand, Keogh claims that Volkswagen is “capable of putting a whole assortment of engines” into the unibody truck. “We could get upwards of 250 or 300 horsepower if we wanted to,” referring to the 2.0 TSI utilized by the Golf GTI and Golf R.
Looking at the bigger picture, the Tarok would make a lot of sense in Europe as a combination between a crossover such as the Tiguan and a mid-size pickup such as the Amarok. The lower price would help the Tarok in this part of the world, and the adventure-oriented styling of the concept would attract younger buyers too.
For the time being, Volkswagen hasn’t made an official comment on the availability of the Tarok in the Old Continent and North America. On the other hand, bringing the concept to New York translates to high hopes from the higher-ups and bean counters.
