Possible Ford-Based VW Amarok Successor Could Be Sold In The U.S.

VW chief executive Herbet Diess revealed there’s a possibility the successor to the Amarok pickup truck will, unlike the current model, be sold in the United States.

During a recent interview with Automotive News, Diess said that new VW North America chief Scott Keogh will be the one to decide if the Amarok has a future in the U.S.

“It’s up to Scott. I think we are in much better shape now. If the Ford relationship works out well, we would have an Amarok successor, which would be then appropriate for sales worldwide — potentially as well for the United States.” Diess revealed.

“The other option is a unibody pickup, which is something for America, which is probably still a bit risky.”

VW and Ford recently confirmed a partnership which will see the automakers partner on a number of commercial vehicles. While no further collaborations between the pair have been announced, reports suggest that the collaboration could extend beyond commercial vehicles into EVs. It’s even possible that the next-generation Ford Ranger and VW Amarok could share the same underpinnings.

At the start of the year, Ford revealed that the Ranger would return to America following a seven year absence. The automaker is confident that it can prove successful in the U.S. and it’s entirely possible that a similarly-sized VW alternative could also sell well if priced in the mid-$20,000 region.

According to Diess, the pickup segment is very important in the United States and the carmaker already has the vehicles necessary to conquer most markets. Offering the Amarok stateside could help fill one of the remaining gaps in VW’s U.S. family.