Yahoo Autos Volkswagen of America boss says a pickup is not a priority
Returning to North America's pickup segment after a decades-long hiatus isn't a priority for Volkswagen, according to a recent report. Some of the company's top executives said they're aware dealers want a truck, but their main focus is launching more crossovers and SUVs.
Volkswagen will soon plant its stake in the truck segment via the newly-created Scout brand, which aims to put a modern and electric spin on the International Harvester Scout sold from the 1960s to the 1980s. The range will initially include an SUV and a pickup designed with a focus on off-roading and built on a new platform. Sharing this platform with the Volkswagen brand isn't planned, executives said.
"At the moment, our focus on the lineup doesn't include it. We have a clear lineup all the way through the second half of this decade. Then again, in the American market, if you don't play in certain segments then you have to stay in a certain market share area. But the question of [the new "Rugged SUV" platform] is not our priority at the moment," Volkswagen brand boss Thomas Schäfer told Automotive News.
Pablo Di Si, the head of Volkswagen's North American division, echoed these comments.
