Volkswagen has long watched rivals profit from rugged, ladder-frame pickup-based SUVs without offering its own.
But behind the scenes, some Wolfsburg bosses have been pushing hard to green-light such a project, and they haven't given up.
Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles previously developed a one-off seven-seat SUV based on the Amarok pickup.
The body-on-frame midsize truck sells in Europe, Asia, Australia, and South America, but not the US.
The vehicle never made it beyond the prototype stage, but it apparently still survives within Volkswagen's internal collection.
Why the Project Stalled
The concept itself is straightforward: take a rugged body-on-frame pickup, replace the cargo bed with an enclosed passenger cabin, add a third row, and you have a rival for vehicles like the Ford Everest, Toyota 4Runner, and Isuzu MU-X.
The problem wasn't engineering. Volkswagen reportedly advanced the project far enough to establish its overall shape and proportions.
VWCV head of design Albert Kirzinger even shared an image of the creation on LinkedIn in 2024, years after it was nixed.
The real hurdle was money.
Building a dedicated SUV derivative only makes sense if enough buyers show up, and Volkswagen's Wolfsburg chiefs couldn't make the numbers work.
While ladder-frame, pickup-based SUVs are hugely popular in Australia, Thailand, South Africa, and parts of South America, they aren't volume sellers everywhere else.
Now, though, the idea could be back under consideration. "To extend the model range is a long-desired wish," Mecha told Australia's Go Auto.
"In particular, this rugged or closed pickup, for instance, as we would call it, where you have the same platform as the pickup."
New Amarok Under Development
Volkswagen has already confirmed that a third-generation Amarok is coming to replace the gen-two launched in 2022. Discussions are underway regarding who will help develop and build it.
One obvious route would be continuing the company's relationship with Ford.
The current Amarok shares much of its DNA with the Ranger, which already has the Everest SUV as a close relative.
Creating a VW-branded counterpart would seem straightforward, though VW must also consider leveraging its Chinese operations – it's already working on an all-new hybrid Amarok for South America based on Chinese tech.
For American buyers, this is mostly an interesting what-if since the current Amarok isn't sold in the US, largely because the chicken tax makes it too expensive to import.
But given the success of body-on-frame trucks like the Ford Ranger and Toyota Tacoma in America, maybe VW would consider US production.
Regardless of whether that happens, the thought of a Volkswagen alternative to the Everest, Prado, and other rugged SUVs is intriguing.
The prototype may have spent years gathering dust, but it sounds like the dream isn't dead just yet.
