By The Honda Ridgeline is finally about to get a real rival, in a form of 2019 VW Atlas Pickup Truck. Latest reports suggest that the production version of Volkswagen’s new truck is pretty close. As you may know, the German carmaker surprised us with the new Tanoak concept, which takes a lot of inspiration from eh Atlas SUV.
It is a unibody pickup truck, which was presented as some kind of a preview to the production version that should come soon. So far, we don’t know too many exact details about the upcoming 2019 VW Atlas Pickup Truck, but there is no doubt that we are about to see a heavy relying on the recent concept and even more on the recently introduced mid-size SUV sibling. Expect to see a production model sometime in the next year.
2019 VW Atlas Pickup Truck Design
The new 2019 VW Atlas Pickup Truck is about to come as a completely new vehicle. The world’s biggest car group is expanding its lineup with a truck, which is about to replace the outdated Amarok. It won’t be just an ordinary replacement. We are about to see a completely different design approach. The new model is about to ride on a unibody platform.
While this is a pretty common thing among SUVs, trucks still predominately use a classic body-on-frame construction. The only truck on the market that features such design is Honda Ridgeline. It becomes clear that we are about to see one big rivalry in the future. The two trucks will be tough competitors, offering a much higher level of comfort and convenience compared to other models in the class. On the other side, expect weaker results in terms of towing capacity, just like it is the case with the Ridgeline.
2019 VW Atlas Pickup Truck Exterior Design
Without any doubt, the new 2019 VW Atlas Pickup Truck will be relying on the design of its SUV sibling. The Atlas SUV came recently, also as an all-new model, with a completely new look. The same design language will be applied to the new truck. In practice, this means pretty much identical look from bumper to the B-Pillar, just like it’s the case with Ridgeline and its SUV sibling Pilot.
Expect to see the same styling solutions, which are characterized by lots of straight lines and angular design elements. Those are the solutions that characterize pretty much entire VW fleet. Rest of the vehicle should come in a pretty much common truck manner. The 2019 VW Atlas Pickup Truck will most likely come in a double cab layout only. Considering that the focus will be on comfort, single-cab models don’t seem so likely.
2019 VW Atlas Pickup Truck
As we’ve just mentioned, the 2019 VW Atlas Pickup Truck will be oriented rather on comfort that working capabilities. We are about to see a spacious and well-equipped cabin, The recent Tanoak concept came with the interior which is something we should see in the production model as well. Unlike most concept cars, this one don’t feature some ultra-futuristic lines. It looks like a slightly upgraded version of the Atlas SUV. If you compare two cabins, it looks like there aren’t too many details to be removed, that seem production unfriendly.
In terms of dimension, the Tanoak is bigger than Ridgeline. If the new 2019 VW Atlas Pickup Truck keep same dimensions, it could be an advantage over its future rival. The overall interior quality should be at a high level, but time will tell will the new truck be at the same level as Ridgeline in this aspect.
2019 VW Atlas Pickup Truck Engine
The 2019 VW Atlas Pickup Truck should mimic its SUV sibling when it comes to powertrain. That means that the main engine will be a familiar 3.6-liter V6 engine, which is good for about 276 horsepower and 266 pound-feet of torque. In terms of power, this engine seems pretty much on par with the Ridgeline’s V6. Still, Honda’s unit is definitely more efficient, so a fuel economy will certainly be on Ridgeline’s side.
That probably won’t bother most of the future truck drivers. Still, if you are that economy minded, you will probably be pleased to find out that the efficient turbo inline-four will be in the offer as well. It is a 2.0-liter engine which delivers around 235 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. One thing that will definitely be 2019 VW Atlas Pickup Truck’s strong point will be a transmission. The new model should come with a familiar 8-speed automatic gearbox, which guarantees a very smooth ride.
2019 VW Atlas Pickup Truck Release Date and Price
The 2019 VW Atlas Pickup Truck release date is yet to be announced. Most likely, we will see the new model on sale sometime in the second half of next year. When it comes to price, the base Ridgeline goes around 31.000 dollars, so expect something similar to the German model as well.
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