Using the Atlas crossover and its MQB platform underpinnings as the base, Volkswagen is considering production of the Tanoak concept midsize pickup truck.

VW is “listening carefully” to customer feedback regarding a truck that would go head to head with the Honda Ridgeline.

“We are at the feasibility stage, seeing if it is doable,” said VW spokesman Mark Gillies. “Is the market limited by its size, or does the Ridgeline limit the market due to its premium price?”

The Ridgeline starts at just under $31,000 including destination, but it quickly reaches the mid-30s, and Motor Trend tested one that was more than $40,000. Should the Tanoak get the green light, VW spokesman Martin Hube said the automaker needs it to start at or below $28,000. That would also place it considerably below a base Atlas S, which starts at $31,745 with destination.

Parts commonality would be key to keeping costs down. From the B-pillar forward, the Tanoak would be identical to the Atlas SUV and likely would come down the same Chattanooga, Tennessee, assembly line. And although the concept carries cool hidden door handles in its rear doors, the production version would likely carry traditional handles.

Unlike the Ridgeline, which has a bed structure separate from the cabin, the Tanoak seeks to unitize the cabin and the bed with conjoined sheetmetal, Hube said.

Also, although the Tanoak concept is larger than the Ridgeline in several key dimensions, remember that most design studios oversize their concepts so they carry more oomph on the show stage. A production version might be a touch smaller.

How does the Tanoak drive? In a short loop of 17-Mile Drive, the Tanoak carries a more rugged look and feel than that of the Atlas. Being a concept, the Tanoak was governed to 20 mph—we were passed by a cyclist at one point—so any sort of evaluation of its VR6 powertrain was moot. VW predicts an 8.5-second 0–60 time, which would place it among the slowest in the midsize class.

The bed has the usual tie-downs, but there is one cool feature: The bed’s side rail caps pop out, allowing a hoop to slide out and back from the roof frame, providing an additional brace point for a surfboard or kayak.

A climb into the back seat was a bit cramped on legroom, but Hube said the thick concept seats would likely be thinner in a production version, providing a couple extra crucial inches of space.

A Volkswagen pickup truck may not be the weirdest idea in the book. After all, they did it before, back in the early ’80s. Sold around the world as the Caddy, the Rabbit-based compact pickup was built in Westmoreland, Pennsylvania. Despite the pickup’s blue-collar, coal-country production source and smart fuel economy, sales fizzled after just a few years and VW pulled the plug.

VW product planners are eyeing the sales of the Ridgeline, which saw a first-generation peak of 50,193 in 2006. But the recession numbed demand for Honda’s unibody pickup, and sales floundered in the teens. Last year, the first for the new generation, Ridgeline sales jumped to 34,749.

Would such volumes be sufficient for VW to build the Tanoak? That remains to be seen. A niche variant usually requires a minimum of 30,000 annual units for a manufacturer to consider building it.

One last thing: Should VW decide to build it, and keep the name, it’s pronounced tan-oke, not tan-o-whack.

	Volkswagen Atlas Tanoak Prototype	Honda Ridgeline
Wheelbase	128.3”	125.2”
Length	214.1”	210.0”
Width	79.9”	78.6”
Bed Box	64.1 x 57.1	64.0 x 60.0
Engine	3.6L V-6	3.5L V-6
Horsepower	276	280
0-60	8.5 secs (est.)	7.3 secs
Starting Price	TBD	$30,985

The post Volkswagen Atlas Tanoak Prototype Drive: Atlas Tugged appeared first on Motor Trend.

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