Volkswagen has unveiled the second Atlas concept at the New York Auto Show – the VW Atlas Tanoak concept. While the Atlas Cross Sport concept previews a new five-passenger Atlas, the Atlas Tanoak concept could be an early look at a future VW pickup.
The VW Atlas Tanoak concept is named after the species of tree that is native to the Pacific Coast in the U.S. The Atlas Tanoak concept is based on the same MQB platform as the Atlas and Atlas Sport concept, which makes it more of a Honda Ridgeline rival, than other body-on-frame midsize pickups, like the Toyota Tacoma.
At 214.1 inches long, 15.8 inches longer than the Atlas, the Atlas Tanoak concept is a large midsize pickup. The concept vehicle is 79.9 inches wide and 72.6 inches tall, with a wheelbase of 128.3 inches, 11 inches longer than the Atlas seven-seater. The Atlas Tanoak concept also rides higher than the Atlas SUV with 9.8 inches of ground clearance and inside there’s room for five.
The Atlas Tanoak concept is powered by a 3.6L V6 that generates 276 horsepower and 266 lb-ft. of torque. The engine is mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission and 4Motion all-wheel drive. VW estimates that the concept will reach 60 mph in 8.5 seconds.
VW says that there are no current plans to put the Atlas Tanoak in production, but it is instead using the concept to gauge reactions from buyers. If the response to the concept is positive a production version of the concept would likely be built at the same Tennessee plant as the Atlas.
Source: Volkswagen