Does the Volkswagen Amarok need a baby brother? 

Volkswagen is readying a new compact ute for South America and aptly named it the Tukan. Due on-sale next year, the 2027 VW Tukan will be built in Brazil and has been imagined ahead of its global debut, but would it work in Australia? 

Named after the striking South American bird, the Tukan will be a niche product aimed squarely at South and Latin America, so much so it will be produced there. 

That rules it out for Europe and Australia (for now), but that doesn’t mean it hasn’t drawn attention. 

Teased but not yet revealed, the lead images of this report are unofficial renders forecasting what the compact ute will look like based on VW’s current design language, and the end result is rather handsome. 

It sits on the same MQB A0 monocoque platform as the T-Cross light SUV and will likely come with matching powertrains, but the real question from an Australian point of view is: would it work Down Under? 

On paper at least, yes. Why wouldn’t an open-back SUV work? Many ladder-frame ute buyers these days don’t actually need a 1000kg payload, 3500kg towing or low range gearing. 

The whole Brazilian production element complicates things from a feasibility angle but that’s VW’s problem – we’re just wondering if the Amarok could do with a little sibling…  

Competition for the Tukan will include the RAM Rampage, Fiat Toro, Renault Oroch and Chevrolet Montana, not to mention the North American Ford Maverick.

Subaru has also expressed an interest in entering the monocoque SUV scene, especially in Australia, where the segment has been empty since the demise of the Holden Commodore and Ford Falcon. 

Don’t expect the Tukan to feature, but it’d be reasonable to expect the return of the light-duty/monocoque ute in the coming years. 

Digital image credit: Kolesa.RU

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