Ford agreement means shared Amarok and Ranger platform
VW has trademarked name in US once before
Is Volkswagen planning on joining the pickup truck market in Canada and the US? They’ve just filed a trademark on Amarok, which suggests that VW is once again looking at bringing the compact truck here.
Volkswagen trademarked the Amarok name in the US once before, three years ago, but didn’t end up bringing the model to our roads. The automaker filed for the Volkswagen Amarok name once again this month (via CarBuzz), and that could mean the vehicle actually being brought over this time.
Or made here, at least, because US import rules make foreign pickups a highly-taxed item in that country. It’s why Toyota builds its pickups in Texas, and part of why Volkswagen hasn’t had a truck here since the Rabbit pickup ended in 1984.
How could it work this time? Because of the new partnership between Volkswagen and Ford. In addition to Ford-branded EVs using Volkswagen’s MEB electric architecture, the plan was for Volkswagen’s next pickup truck to share underpinnings with the Ford Ranger. And while the US-built Ranger isn’t exactly the same as the one sold elsewhere, the same changes could likely be made to an Amarok, if needed, with little extra effort. Built alongside the Ranger, it could avoid the 25 percent tariff that affects trucks built outside of the US.
The small truck market is heating up as Hyundai plans to enter it with the Santa Cruz and Ford is reportedly bringing a new pickup to sit under the Ranger in its lineup. With SUVs and pickups stealing car sales by the moment, the timing may never have been better.
