Saw this today in town. Couldn't see the model or read where the license plate was from but doesn't look like a U.S. plate. Large meat packing plant here getting people from all over the world but they don't pay enough to have a vehicle shipped here so I am guessing it may be a country north of the Darin gap.
What is this Volkswagen truck?
- Thread starter jhellwig
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Volkswagen Amarok - Wikipedia
I have seen alot of Mexico plates on I-35 the past few years with vehicles not sold in the states.
Just guessing…Looks like a Ford Explorer Sportrac rebadged as a VW.
As Chrysler rebadged a T&C or Caravan as a VW Routan.
As Chrysler rebadged a T&C or Caravan as a VW Routan.
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Looking at the images it is close but I don't think that is what it is. The base model of the Amarok has a different grill. This has steel wheels and a front end that looks like a VW car from the 2000s or so but everything else looks like it is a fairly new vehicle.Volkswagen Amarok - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
I have seen alot of Mexico plates on I-35 the past few years with vehicles not sold in the states.
Nevermind. I see the first gen model now. That looks like what it is.
This still doesn't top the Taco I saw with Hawaii plates I saw earlier this winter.
If the side body styling had any influence I'd say more like an older Chevrolet Colorado.
First gen Amarok Sold "south of the Rio Grande" since around 2010
Second Gen is built by Ford in South Africa, along side the T6 Ranger. (same Platform)
Ford Europe is also working on an Explorer EV, based on the VW ID.4's MEB platform, with VW supplying the Batteries, built in Ford's Cologne, Germany assembly plant. (Former home of the Fiesta)
they have no plans to sell it here in the US.
Second Gen is built by Ford in South Africa, along side the T6 Ranger. (same Platform)
Ford Europe is also working on an Explorer EV, based on the VW ID.4's MEB platform, with VW supplying the Batteries, built in Ford's Cologne, Germany assembly plant. (Former home of the Fiesta)
they have no plans to sell it here in the US.
The carpenter I worked for while in high school bought one of the first VW Rabbit pick-up trucks in 1978. Based on the MK1 Golf, it was a fantastic little truck. TDI engine with a 4 speed, it would move fairly quickly to about 35mph, and being based on the Golf, handled way better than any other small PU of the time. I loved driving it, and beat the heck out it everytime I did. But you just couldn't kill it. Very durable, except when rust ate it all to pieces.
Thank the "chicken tax" for the main reason we do not see Amaroks at VW dealers. They would sell pretty well to the VW cognoscenti looking for a pick-up, I would probably get one if they did. But Ford wouldn't let it happen as it would probably eat into Ranger sales in the US.
Thank the "chicken tax" for the main reason we do not see Amaroks at VW dealers. They would sell pretty well to the VW cognoscenti looking for a pick-up, I would probably get one if they did. But Ford wouldn't let it happen as it would probably eat into Ranger sales in the US.
You're not touching my truck! !
I didn't know that VW was building a truck, even for other markets.
I remember those. VW ran ads in the Northern Utah market, claiming that the truck could be driven from SLC to LA on a single tank of diesel.
It's rather surprising that VW would have a small truck, and wouldn't have brought it to the US market. The small truck market is huge here. Plenty of Ranger and Colorado and Ridgeline trucks are sold here. I would think the VW and Euro car fans would be all over a truck from VW.
Those ads weren't far off. You can drive from salt lake to Phoenix on one tank of fuel in our 2002 Jetta TDI (700 miles on a tank if you drive slow)
The gas gauge quit working a few years back so we just fill it up at 500 miles
My Buddy in Columbus, Ohio Drives a 2012 mazda 3 with Alaska plates... the car has never been to Alaska...been pretty much just in OH since it was first imported from Japan.
His Mom lives in Alaska, She Owns the car, and it's registered to her. ( he is making payments to buy it from her)
Ah yes, the Rabbit pickup truck. What I remember was how tight the cab was. 6' tall max and if you are a fatty, forget about it. I remember the TDI's back in the 70's. Easily in the 50+mpg range. Great if you had the time to meander up to 55mph and top out about 75mph. Great for what they were.
These were not common here even in the day. I think this was the first one I'd ever seen.
I said Saskatchewan, but now think it was Medicine Hat, Alberta. (Lots of miles that day in both provinces.)
I'd always assumed the Dodge Rampage was the first FWD-platform-based pickup.
I'm sure that the 55 mph speed limit helped in getting that sort of fuel economy.
Not only that. You could buy #2 diesel for a quarter a gallon in bulk.
We had a 77 rabbit, without the truck. Just the rabbit. Nimble and quite a spirited hot hatch. Couldn’t keep oil in it even after several dealer visits - bad valve seals. Interior started coming apart early in life. But dad didn’t care - AC blew *ice cold* and he regularly pulled off the 3-wheel turns these were known for (lifting the inner rear tire with no upset to the suspension geometry mid-turn). It was a loud, buzzy penalty box above 50 mph. Ours was baby blue with orange interior. I think the diesel would have been a NEAT car!
