Volkswagen believes it could build a pickup truck like the Tarok Concept shown off at the New York Auto Show, and price it in the mid-$20,000 range.



The German car manufacturer reportedly intends on building a road-going version of the Tarok Concept for the South American market, yet technical details about this vehicle, and whether or not it will also be sold in the United States, remain unconfirmed.

However, while speaking with journalists in New York, Volkswagen of America chief executive Scott Keogh admitted that the brand sees an opportunity with a pickup like the Tarok – to create something affordable and appealing to customers.

“I do see an opportunity where these trucks have all moved into the $50,000s and the $60,000s and beyond and that is the price of an expensive luxury car. I think there’s an opportunity and I think [Volkswagen] can come in with an extremely smart price point,” Keogh said.

Pressed on how much a U.S.-bound Tarok pickup could cost, Keogh said, “I think you could put a vehicle like that in the marketplace in the mid-$20,000, with proper engine, proper everything.”

Underpinning the Tarok Concept is the Volkswagen Group’s MQB platform, although it’s possible that a production version would share its underpinnings with a Ford. Of course, the MQB underpinnings seem most likely, with Keogh saying it would give the VW a lot of flexibility.

“We’d be capable of putting a whole assortment of engines into [an MQB truck]. We could get upwards of 250 or 300 horsepower if we wanted to do it,” he told Motor 1.