By Four years ago, Volkswagen presented a concept of pickup that was supposed to battle in the segment of mid-size pickups and it looks like something is finally happening. Initially, the German manufacturer gave up on this idea but the recent super-fast growth of the market seems to change the management’s mind. So, the latest reports suggest that the serial production could start already in the next year. The production model would debit as the 2023 VW Atlas Tanoak, allegedly.
At this point, we are still waiting for the official confirmation but we may presume that the overall layout won’t be significantly different compared to the concept version. We will see the same design approach, which would include a unibody layout, similar to one found in Honda Ridgeline. On the other hand, the styling and interior design might be slightly revised, in order to be more production-friendly.
2023 VW Atlas Tanoak Design
As we’ve just mentioned, the overall design approach shouldn’t be much different compared to the concept version. Therefore, we would see a unibody layout, based on the company’s familiar MQB platform, the same one that underpins the Atlas. These two models would have so many things in common and the Tanoak would come with obvious advantages over the body-on-frame competition, particularly in terms of the ride quality.
The MQB platform also means that the 2023 VW Atlas Tanoak would feature a transversally-mounted engine and front-wheel-drive layout, though we presume that the AWD system would be offered as a part of standard equipment. The ride quality should be mostly about comfort, while the max towing capacity and other capabilities will be at a lower level compared to BoF rivals, such as Chevy Colorado or Ford Ranger.
The styling would closely resemble the concept version, though we believe there is room for some modifications as well. We are pretty sure that the crew cab layout would be the only one on the offer.
Interior
On the inside, we presume that most of the things would be shared with the Atlas SUV. Therefore, we expect to see a familiar dashboard design, which looks pretty conservative. Some complain about the Atlas materials and overall interior quality, but that shouldn’t be an issue in the segment of pickup trucks. Of course, we expect that the new pickup will be full of modern tech features, including a large touchscreen, massive digital infotainment display and all kinds of driver-assistance features.
As we’ve just mentioned, the new pickup would come in a crew cab layout only, so we expect nothing less than a generous amount of passenger space. Both rows would be adult-friendly and should be able to accommodate five adults with ease.
2023 VW Atlas Tanoak Engines
Things under the hood are pretty easy to predict. The concept version was presented with a good-old 3.6-liter V6, which puts out around 276 horsepower and we have no doubt that this engine would find its place in the production version as well. However, we presume that base models would come with a smaller and more efficient 2.0-liter turbo-four engine, which puts out around 235 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque.
Both engines would come coupled with 8-speed automatic transmission. As we already mentioned, AWD will probably be standard in all versions. If not, base models will feature front-wheel drive.
2023 VW Atlas Tanoak Release Date and Price
We believe that the 2023 VW Atlas Tanoak could arrive already in the next year, even though the officials are still quiet. We presume that the starting price would go around 33.000 dollars, while Honda Ridgeline would be the key competitor, along with smaller unibody pickups, such as Ford Maverick and Hyundai Santa Cruz.
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