Volkswagen Amarok’s junior sibling seemingly happening after all

Conflicting reports dating back nearly four years ago about Volkswagen ever approving production of the concept Tarok bakkie have seemingly been resolved with a weekend report from Brazil alleging the official go-ahead had been given.

Where it started

Seemingly now all but certain to replace the 14-year old Saveiro that received its third restyling two months ago, the Tarok has been shrouded confusion ever since its showing at the Sao Paulo Auto Show in 2018.

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Billed as a world vehicle, therefore suitable for both right-and-drive-hand-drive markets, the Tarok not only debuted with all-wheel-drive drive, but also an electronic partition behind the rear seats as a means of improving loadbin space for longer cargo items.

Unlike the Saveiro, the concept Tarok comes standard with a six-speed Tiptronic gearbox and, as per is “world vehicle” classification, a choice of two engines; a 110 kW 1.4 TSI capable of running on petrol or ethanol, and a 2.0 TDI also producing 110 kW.

Kept in limbo since

Supposed to have entered production in November 2020, the impact of the pandemic in Brazil effectively brought the project to halt, with then Volkswagen South America boss, Pablo Di Si saying, “with the pandemic and our cash flow, we will have to re-evaluate all investments, 100% of them. I’m not talking about cancelling [projects], but some will be delayed.

Less than a year later, reports alleged that the Tarok had in fact been the go-ahead, but only in 2025 with assembly set for Argentina instead of Brazil.

Conversely, Volkswagen Passenger Brand CEO Thomas Schäfer, then struck the Tarok off the production record again by telling Automotive News Europe at the Los Angeles International Auto Show in November last year that “our focus doesn’t include it”.

At the time, it was reported that MQB A0-based bakkie would indeed be assembled at the São Bernardo do Campo Plant in Brazil, and had been 80% production ready.

Now known

It’s reveal systemically pushed back from 2020 to 2024 and then 2025, motor1.com Brazil has now claimed that the latter year will see the Tarok become a production model based on the MQB platform model, and produced alongside the Taos and the previous generation Amarok at the General Pacheco Plant in Argentina.

Known to have attracted attention from Volkswagen North America, now headed by Di Si, back in 2020, the apparent decision to settle upon the General Pacheco Plant represents a u-turn on the comments made by the executive in May last year after a massive $250-million investment into production of the Amarok that won’t be replaced by the new Ford Ranger-based model made exclusively at the Blue Oval’s plant in Silverton outside Pretoria.

“The Tarok compact pickup is a beautiful project, but today it is impossible to make it in Argentina. (Production of it) is humanly and technically impossible,” motor1.com Brazil quoted Di Si as saying.

And South Africa?

Despite neither Volkswagen South America nor Volkswagen Group America having commented on the claims, the supposed production approval is expected to have a knock-on effect on South Africa that had mulled as possibly producing the Tarok for key markets.

As is well-known, Wolfsburg will supplement existing Polo and Polo Vivo production at its Kariega Plant in the Eastern Cape with a third model from 2026.

While billed as an SUV-type vehicle, a bakkie has not been ruled-out, however, expectations are that the unnamed, unseen newcomer will be an SUV Volkswagen has confirmed will ride on a revised version of the MQB A0 platform known as the MQB Entry.

For now, both the production Tarok and MQB Entry SUV remain shrouded mystery, though expect clearer details to become apparent in 2024.

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