Not a full-size truck and not an SUV either, the Volkswagen Tarok Concept is VW dipping its toe in the small-truck waters to see if should dive in and swim. Clearly envious of the stampede of sales going to full-size trucks amid an equally coveted resurgence of midsize trucks, VW is presenting the Tarok at the NY Auto Show as way to gauge interest for the vehicle in North America, even though VW already intends to build the truck for South America.
With a reconfigurable cargo bed capable of carrying six-foot objects, thanks to a folding waterproof panel behind the rear seat, the Tarok boasts a cargo-carrying capacity of 1,030 kg — more than the Toyota Tacoma, Ford Ranger or Jeep Gladiator — so perhaps take that with a grain of salt, given that a solid rear axle is unlikely and the engine is the same as that in a Golf, a 147-hp turbocharged 1.4-liter four cylinder. A digital instrument cluster, 9.