General Motors took a risk when it re-introduced the mid-size Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon earlier this decade, but that gamble has paid off. Now, truck sales are healthier than ever, and new potential rivals are beginning to emerge. The latest is from Volkswagen, which showed the Atlas Tanoak concept at the 2018 New York Auto Show.
The truck is not based on a body-on-frame structure like the current VW Amarok. Instead, VW’s flexible MQB platform provides the bones. Should a production version come to market, it would be more a direct rival to the Honda Ridgeline with its unibody structure. Yet, it would do battle in the hot mid-size pickup truck segment.
For what it’s worth, Honda sold about 35,000 Ridgelines last year. Chevrolet sold nearly 113,000 Colorado in 2017, and GMC moved over 32,000 Canyons.
Yet, the Atlas Tanoak is a large truck. It measures 16 inches longer than the VW Atlas crossover and sits with a dual-cab, short-bed configuration. Power comes from a 3.6-liter V6 engine good for 276 horsepower and 266 pound-feet of torque. The concept boasts an eight-speed automatic, which sends power to an all-wheel-drive system.
Should GM have anything to worry about? Talk to us below and give us your thoughts.
Comments
Surprised VW wouldn’t come out with a compact truck (S10) with diesel or electric? That segment is wide open.
Exactly. Cause in the Mid Size Segment it’s mostly GM and TOyota. Ford can cut into it, but VW should not even bother
After what happened, VW is not touching diesel ever again.
This is like the Ridgeline where its bigger than a Midsize but not quite a Fullsize. Granted towing and hauling specs are more inline with a midsizer.
GM should look to being the Montana small pickup they sell in latin america here for the next generation. Could be a good sub colorado truck
There is a new segment for the trucks and that is the CUV based models with uni body platforms.
The Ridgeline is proving there is space for this kind of model.
I like to call it trucks for people who hate trucks. They are to be light duty vehicles with a better ride and handling more like a car or CUV. It is the modern day Ute.
These are not to compete head to head with mid sized trucks but to appeal to CUV buyers with more versatility.
Hyundai is coming with one and FCA is considering one. GM and Ford I expect will enter the segment at some point.
I could see a Ute based on the Traverse being in the mix or Acadia. Even if they wanted to go smaller the Nox or Terrain platform could provide a small crew with a bed.
I would love to see GM open the back of the cab ala Avalanche to give it more versatility.
These also would prove to be popular globally as we already have the Montana and Australia is losing the Ute.
Not sure these would do much with a Diesel and true truck owners love them. They tow and that is not the work for this truck. We already have the Colorado and Canyon.
Electric well that one needs some work yet and depending on how much it cost. If it cost as much as a full size it would not sell.
There is a future here in this segment.
Ridgeline is proving to have sales dropping at double digit percentages YTD and monthly change
http://carsalesbase.com/us-car-sales-data/honda/honda-ridgeline/
Well lets just look at the real numbers as percentages are often very dishonest in the true number of sales.
The numbers have been pretty steady with slight variation up and down and last year accounted for almost 35,000 units. The changes are just a couple hundred vehicles not thousands.
Then you also have sales for Canada and south and central America.
Being based on a CUV it just leverages the money out for the platform all that much more.
Not bad for a company not considered a truck company.
Gm already trademark these montana, name for a unibody truck. It would most-likely be on D2xx chassis.
It is already made and offered in South America.
Think they will build it here, in one there factories?
TN plant
All comes down to price.
It has a magnificent car-like interior and being a unibody it probably rides like a car too.
This is the type of mid-size truck I would prefer instead of a mid-size SUV.
Nice work VW.
Scott3, how soon do you think?
All competition is good midsize full size or smaller than mid size yes I’d like to see it built in the united states are brought to the United States. The better the competition the better off the consumer is.
They should built it just so I can call it the Atlas Truck just like how I call the Ridgeline the Pilot Truck haha. But in all honestly they really should of just brought the Amarok here
VW’s architecture’s are god tier. This truck is basically a Golf chassis!
I know VW is pronouncing it “ta-no-ak”. But I will forever call it “tan-oak”. And if they put it into production should be cheeky with themselves and have the tan paint colour called “Tan Oak”
This is a truck that GM can closely observe overtime, but not have anything to worry about for the most part, we know that the Horsepower, Off Road or Towing capabilities have yet to be evaluated and this truck will also have to compete not just with GM, but also Ford’s upcoming Ranger, we’ll just have to stay tuned until real word road test numbers come in as to where this truck stands amongst the competition.
Why ever trust a manufacturer again who cheated its customers so hard… and never ever truly apologized for it.
Recently it became known VW even tested their exhausts on monkeys and on humans: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2018/jan/29/vw-condemned-for-testing-diesel-fumes-on-humans-and-monkeys
So I cannot possibly understand why anyone would buy a product of such a company ever again.