Last year, the German carmaker has presented a concept version of a pickup truck for the North American market. These days, we can hear reports that this truck will enter serial production and hit the market as 2021 VW Atlas Tanoak, despite that the company’s officials already stated that such a thing won’t happen.
The new pickup truck would definitely be a great addition to the company’s lineup. With a little bit uncommon approach, it would be a great way to gather more buyers. Still, we presume that the production model will be a little bit different compared to the concept and that we won’t see so many flashy details.
Still, we do expect to see that unibody platform design approach, which brings significant benefits in terms of comfort and driving experience. At this point, we are still waiting for more reliable information, but there are reports that suggest the new model could hit the market already in late 2020 or in the first half of 2021.
2021 VW Atlas Tanoak Design
When it comes to base design characteristics, things are pretty clear here. The 2021 VW Atlas Tanoak pickup will rather come with a little bit uncommon overall design. While the vast majority of truck makers still prefer classic body-on-frame platforms, this one will come with a unibody layout. Therefore, it’s no wonder that experts already see this model as Ridgeline’s new rival. Honda has been practicing such a design philosophy for more than 15 years and things are actually pretty good.
Compared to BoF truck, the ride is much better, as well as comfort, considering that we are talking about a vehicle that is practically a crossover. Therefore, we expect the same from the 2021 VW Atlas Tanoak. The new model will ride on the company’s proven MQB platform, which underprints almost everything in the brand’s lineup, starting from subcompact Polo and ending with Atlas and other notably bigger models.
Exterior
Of course, the first thing that comes to mind is will the new truck feature the same styling as the concept version. We don’t expect to see so many flashy details, but many styling cues are expected to be seen. A good thing to know is that the facelifted Atlas SUV is on the way. Once we see it without a camo, we will know the look of Tanoak’s front end. On the other side, the overall design will be typically truckish.
The concept version features an 11-inch longer wheelbase compared to the SUV model, which means bigger overall dimensions as well. However, this is still much shorter compared to BoF trucks like Chevy Colorado and Jeep Gladiator, which measure more than 135 inches in wheelbase.
Interior
Although shorter than the aforementioned BoF truck, the 2021 VW Atlas Tanoak interior won’t be smaller. Simply, the company will put the focus on comfort and convenience and compromise with a short bed. That would be the same approach Honda has with Ridgeline. The Ridgeline features around 125 inches in wheelbase but features one of the most spacious and by far the most comfortable cabin in the class.
In terms of the dashboard design and the overall cabin look, things shouldn’t be much different compared to the SUV sibling. The VW Tanoak Concept may feature a flashy cabin with loads of new features. Still, such an approach doesn’t look particularly production-friendly, especially if the company wants to offer a fairly competitive price. Therefore, we don’t expect bigger changes in this aspect, especially if we consider that Atlas features a pretty nice cabin, with a pretty high overall quality and lots of opulence. We also count on a full load of standard equipment, including the latest tech goodies.
2021 VW Atlas Tanoak Engines
This is the aspect that definitely won’t bring any surprise. The 2021 VW Atlas Tanoak specs are easy to predict, considering that the German manufacturer doesn’t have too much space for maneuvering. The 2021 VW Atlas Tanoak is expected to come standard with a familiar 2.0-liter turbo-four, which is good for about 235 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. Such an amount of power would provide decent dynamics for a daily ride.
Those who prefer something faster and more fun to drive will have the option to pick a 3.6-liter V6. This one is good for about 276 horsepower and 266 pound-feet of torque.
Both engines feature a pretty decent fuel economy. The turbo-four returns around 22 mpg in the city and 26 mpg on the highway. The V6 is good for about 17 mpg in the city and 23 mpg on the highway.
2021 VW Atlas Tanoak Release Date and Price
According to the latest reports, this pickup truck might come already by the end of the year. When it comes to the 2021 VW Atlas Tanoak price, we expect that base models will go around 30.000 dollars.
