Women May Hold The Key To Success For VW Atlas Pickup

The VW Atlas Tanoak pickup remains a concept but according to some analysts, it could prove a production success if the German brand taps into the huge market of female pickup buyers.

Autonews reports that in 2017, 18 per cent of all pickup purchases in the United States were made by women, including 21 per cent of midsize pickups. Additionally, women weigh heavily into the final purchasing decisions of such vehicles.

Despite this, very few automakers have looked at tapping into this market. According to KBB analyst Rebecca Lindland, this is something Volkswagen could look into.

“No one is doing that right now. If you look at what Ford is doing with its messaging aimed at women with the Escape, a campaign like that could work for Volkswagen.”

According to Volkswagen of America chief executive Hinrich Woebcken, looking closer into this idea could be a good idea.

Atlas underpinnings could be a recipe for success

Volkswagen believes that the Atlas Tanoak pickup could be the best option for the automaker to venture into this segment in the United States.

“If you look at this big, very patriotic segment in America, this [large pickup] segment, that is something very difficult if you tried to jump into that business model. We would never be able to get the business economics together, at least with the volume expectations that we have in mind,” Woebcken said.

As its name applies, the Tanoak concept shares components with the Atlas SUV, namely its 3.6-liter V8 engine and eight-speed transmission. With a unibody construction and Atlas-based suspension, the Tanoak pickup could offer a smoother ride than its competitors while also offering an advanced 4Motion all-wheel drive system.