Volkswagen surprised everyone at the New York Auto Show with this wild pickup truck concept
Yes, you read that right: Volkswagen may soon be building large, full-size pickup trucks.
The German automaker known for its compact passenger cars unveiled the Atlas Tanoak pickup truck concept on Wednesday, in one of the biggest surprises of the New York Auto Show.
This bad boy has all-wheel drive and a 276-horsepower engine. But don't get too excited yet: Volkswagen says that it has no product plans for this vehicle. Instead, it's unveiling is meant to "gauge the reactions of buyers and media," according to the company's announcement.
This move makes sense as demand for pickups grows. A number of top manufacturers including Ford, Chevy, and Ram have all unveiled new trucks in the last few months. Pickup sales rose by 4.8% in 2017, and the average price of Ford's F-series pickup, the most popular model in the U.S., hit a record $47,800 in December. It seems Volkswagen isn't sure yet if it can get a piece of the pie -- but it's putting out feelers.
So, if you really want this truck to stick around, we guess you should...send Volkswagen an email? Show up to the Auto Show and give the CEO a hug? Tweet your enthusiasm emphatically?
Look, we're open to suggestions, but it's safe to say we're just as excited as you about this slick-looking new vehicle.
Monica wrote for Mashable's Tech section with a focus on retail, internet of things, and the intersections of technology and social justice. She holds a degree in creative writing from Brown University, and has previously written for Dow Jones Media, the New York Post, Yahoo Finance, and others. In her free time, she can be found attempting to cook Asian food, buying board games, and looking for new hobbies.
