Volkswagen Tukan channels Subaru Brumby
New single-cab Tukan taps into the same spirit that made the Subaru Brumby an Aussie cult heroThe News
Volkswagen has revealed the new Tukan small ute in Brazil, with its single-cab version channelling the spirit of the Subaru Brumby with a simple, tough and work-focused design.
The Key Details
- New Volkswagen Tukan revealed in Brazil in single and dual-cab forms
- Single-cab Robust version features a longer tray and steel wheels
- Uses the MQB car architecture borrowed from the VW T-Cross SUV
- Turbo-petrol engines are expected to include 1.0-litre three-cylinder and 1.5-litre four-cylinder units
- Not planned for Australia
The Finer Details
Remember the Subaru Brumby? The stumpy, car-based ute that spent the 1980s bashing through paddocks and quietly becoming a rural legend? Volkswagen has just revealed a spiritual successor of sorts – and like the Brumby (known as the Brat overseas), it starts life as a humble two-seat workhorse.
Say g’day to the Volkswagen Tukan, which was unveiled in Brazil and comes in two flavours: a no-nonsense single-cab in entry-level Robust trim and a flashier dual-cab in range-topping Extreme guise, decked out in Canary Yellow with a sports bar and alloy wheels.
The single-cab is the one channelling that old Brumby energy and, interestingly, the Tukan is the first Volkswagen ute to use the MQB car architecture, borrowed from the T-Cross light SUV.
But where the T-Cross runs coil springs for its rear wheels, the Tukan gets a rigid rear axle with leaf springs – a proper ute set-up that lets it carry more weight.
Volkswagen says prototypes have already covered more than 2 million kilometres.
Powertrain details are still under wraps, but Brazilian reports point to turbo-petrol 1.0-litre three-cylinder and 1.5-litre four-cylinder engines, the latter likely packing a 48V mild-hybrid system.
That’s a big step up from the ageing Saveiro it replaces, which soldiers on with a naturally aspirated 1.6-litre engine.
According to carsales' sister site in Brazil, Webmotors, the Tukan’s rear suspension was developed in Brazil specifically for the new ute.
Webmotors also reports the Robust single-cab shown at the reveal features unpainted plastic bumpers, side mouldings and mirrors, along with 16-inch steel wheels, while Volkswagen says it will offer the largest cargo capacity in its class.
The will take on the Fiat Strada and Chevrolet Montana, with the Brazilian publication suggesting the new Volkswagen has the potential to be a serious contender if the brand gets its pricing right.
The Road Ahead
Built in Paraná and launching in the first half of 2027, the Tukan is part of a US$3.7 billion ($A5.16 billion) Volkswagen investment in South America.
It slots under the body-on-frame Amarok, which is sold in Australia, and squares up against small utes like the Fiat Strada and Renault Oroch.
Don’t get too excited, though – it’s not bound for Australia.
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