It’s something local Volkswagen fans have long been asking for, and now it seems it just might happen. Yes, a report out of Australia suggests that the German automaker is indeed developing an Amarok-based SUV.
According to motoring.com.au, a Volkswagen official has confirmed that the Australian arm of the automaker has also made a compelling business case for the new seven-seater, off-road-capable SUV to its Wolfsburg parent company.
“There is some very serious development happening at the moment for an SUV based on Amarok, which will be quite a large passenger vehicle,” Carlos Santos, Volkswagen Group Australia commercial vehicles director, told motoring.com.au.
“It’s not confirmed yet, but it’s been going on since the start of Amarok,” he revealed.
Santos added that the proposed bakkie-based SUV would in all likelihood employ the same 3,0-litre V6 turbodiesel that is set to arrive with the upcoming Amarok facelift.
“The discussion has been re-ignited because obviously this V6 engine is able to be sold in the US.
“The 2,0-litre would never get into the States, but the V6 is the same as the one in the Cayenne and Touareg and is a well-proven engine. We’ve got the volume to justify the investment,” he explained.
An Amarok-based SUV would, of course, compete with the likes of the Toyota Fortuner, Ford Everest and Chevrolet Trailblazer.
