Volkswagen is popping Worldwide Harvester’s long-dormant Scout nameplate right into a standalone model to construct body-on-frame off-roaders, but it surely’s not the primary time the corporate has experimented with the concept of growing a rugged SUV. It launched a Jeep CJ-like mannequin referred to as Iltis (Kind 183 internally) in 1978, and it launched a sketch of an enormous, Amarok truck-based household hauler that by no means left its design division.
Albert Kirzinger, the pinnacle of design for Volkswagen’s Business Autos division, revealed the sketch on his LinkedIn web page. He defined that the analysis part took his crew “on an off-road journey” and that the SUV was one of many concepts that emerged from it. Tall and decked out with off-roading gear, together with a roof rack and a snorkel-type air consumption system, the mannequin nearly reminds us of a Nissan Xterra.
It does not sound just like the off-roader made it off the drafting board, so technical particulars seemingly weren’t finalized. It is based mostly on the Amarok, a pickup bought in a lot of international markets however that has by no means been out there in the US, but it shares no styling cues with the first- or second-generation variations of the truck. It will get a tall entrance finish with “AMAROK” on the hood, skinny LED lights, and a grille with honeycomb-shaped inserts. There is a step within the belt line that seemingly integrates the rear door handles and marker lights on the wheel arches.
On our shores, this might have been Volkswagen’s reply to the Toyota 4Runner, although we’re guessing the off-roader would not have ended up in American showrooms had it acquired the proverbial inexperienced mild for manufacturing. Globally, it might have competed immediately in opposition to the Ford Everest (a Ranger-based SUV bought in a number of abroad markets, together with Australia), the Hilux-based Toyota Fortuner, and the D-Max-based Isuzu MU-X, amongst different fashions. It will be a really cool addition to the Volkswagen vary, however nothing suggests it is occurring.