What's the news?
One pickup is, it seems, not enough for Volkswagen, and the German car maker is gearing up to build a production version of this, the Tarok. It's already been seen at shows in South America, but now the Tarok concept has been shown off at the New York motor show; a clear indication that Volkswagen has big global plans for this car.
The Tarok is based on the same MQB chassis as the Golf, but don't go thinking that it's small. In fact, the Tarok is one of the biggest vehicles to be built on the MQB setup, measuring a full 4.9 metres long, and 1.8 metres wide.
It's also very clever. As you can see from the images, it's a four-door crew-cab pickup, but if you need to carry longer loads, then there's a clever bed extension. A panel at the front of the load bed opens, and you can actually slide loads in once you've folded the back seats, for an extra 69cm of load length. A sealing mechanism makes sure that there's no rain or draughts getting in. Incidentally, the maximum cargo load is a generous one-tonne.
Style-wise, the Tarok copies a lot from cars such as the T-Roc and the (US-only) Atlas SUV, with a full-width grille at the front, and neatly integrated LED daytime running lights. The most striking element of the styling, arguably, is the big silver-finished rear pillar which gives the Tarok a touch of the appearance of a targa-top convertible. We also like the big, LED strip that runs across the top of the tailgate at the back.
Inside, the cabin looks pretty much production-ready, with a big 9.2-inch infotainment screen, which comes with its own, always-on, internet connection allowing the driver to access Volkswagen's growing suite of apps and connected services.
Power comes from a 150hp 1.4-litre turbo petrol engine driving all four wheels through a six-speed automatic transmission, and there's a driving mode selector that allows you to choose from Onroad, Offroad, and Snow modes depending on the conditions.
There's no solid word yet on whether or when a production version of the Tarok will be coming to Ireland, but we're hopeful that it will. We'll keep you posted.