VW to bring a Pickup Truck to the US

[RobertRyan]

I just hope they do their market requirements a bit better., than in Australia. They do sell the Caddy Van which is a leader in the smal l Van segment, but the Transporter Cab Chassis is OK, but others flounder here. The Crafter is not small as the article erroneously implies, it is the same as a Sprinter.

Volkswagen Considering Adding Pickup Truck, Van To U.S. Lineup

Mention the words ‘Volkswagen’ and ‘Van’ in the same sentence and most North-Americans will think of the “Hippie van” or “Microbus” (which, incidentally, aren’t exactly cheap anymore). Though a sliver of respondents may think of the Routan, the slow-selling Chrysler-based van VW (thankfully) axed from its lineup in 2013, wed think that by and large VW’s flower-power people mover is the one best ingrained in the minds of most Americans. Even so, reports have VW eyeing the van market once again.

According to Bloomberg, the Wolfsburg-based automaker is in the midst of deciding whether or not to try its hand at a new van in the U.S. But that’s not all, as the mighty VW, whose sales tumbled 10 percent in the U.S. in 2014, is also toying with the idea of adding a pickup truck to its U.S. lineup.

“Pickup trucks are a dominating segment,” Eckhard Scholz, head of VW’s light commercial vehicle unit, said at a press conference in Hanover. “We’re looking at both options intensively.”

In international markets, Volkswagen successfully sells the Amarok pickup truck along with a host of other small commercial vehicles like the Caddy, Crafter, T5 and various minibuses. In total, VW’s global commercial division sold a healthy 445,000 vehicles in 2014. An impressive 292,000 of these were sold in Western Europe.

It remains to be seen whether VW plans to craft a true rival to full-size pickup trucks and sales giants like Ford’s F-150, or if it plans to import a version of the Amarok to compete in the re-merging small pickup space currently dominated by the Chevrolet Colorado. Notably, VW filed a trademark application for the Amarok name with the United States Patent and Trademark Office in May of 2014.

Either way, the automaker’s reported $7-billion dollar investment in its North American operations should help it bear some new automotive fruit.

[PAThwacker]

I use Mobil One 0w40 in my 1.8T gas hog Passat wagon. 195k later no major mechanical wows. About $2500/year in major service and $75 .502 spec oil/M301 filters every 5,000 to 7,500 miles.

[NinerBikes]

BurbMan wrote:

NinerBikes wrote:
And one thing you should know about ALL VW common rail diesels, is that they take a very specific VW507.00 motor oil that has to be LL03 Specification, as in 30,000 km rated motor oil, that is very, very, very hard to find, outside of dealerships and ordering it on line.

Ouch this stuff isn't cheap and at 9 qts yet....probably needs a special filter with a special media element coated with unobtainium...

There's a thread running about GM limiting repair options in an effort to protect their proprietary software....VW has gone one better, spec an engine oil that you can only buy at the dealer!

My friend's Tourag is the gas engine not the TDI.

I don't buy my oil at the dealership, I can buy it on sale at Pep Boys. Mobil 1 European ESP 5w-30, by the liter. The motor in the Touareg is the same as is the Audi Q7 and the Porsche Cayenne. Same factory, same chassis, same drive train components. The Touareg is a wolf in Sheep's clothing. Same family, parts are priced accordingly.

A motor oil that is 600-700 ppm SAPS will do, usually a motor oil with a C3 rating will suffice.

Google is your friend, type in "VW 507.00 5L" and buy online and save.

Total Elf 5L Vw 507.00 motor oil. 36.99 for 5 liters

[sky_free]

NinerBikes wrote:

sky_free wrote:

BurbMan wrote:


Friend bought a Tourag...very nicely appointed, drives great....but the dealer gets $200 for an oil change and "routine service", making me wonder if the design and engineering principles are the same even if the vehicle is better....designed to assemble cheaply, not repair cheaply.

I'll never own another one that's for sure.

I have a 2012 Touareg TDI with 80,000 miles on it. Oil changes are running about $129. It takes 9-quarts of synthetic, so it's going to be a little more than a small engine that takes regular oil. Fuel filters at 40,000 mile intervals run about $100. I find it pretty inexpensive to maintain. The interesting thing is that other than those 2 things there isn't much to service. We are still on the original brakes and it does not require transmission service. I had the brake fluid and coolant flushed at 80K and that's it.

If you want expensive service to complain about, buy an Audi 🙂

You need to check your owners manual for service recommendations. Fuel filters are done on 2012 TDI Touaregs at 20k mile intervals.

...

Thanks Niner, you are right. It had an included service plan so at the most I may have missed the 60K filter. Don't know how I misread that.

[RobertRyan]

brulaz wrote:
Those LPG injection systems look pretty nifty. But actually I don't mind travelling up hill at lower speeds so that's not what I'd want the extra HP for. It's fighting the all-day headwinds (sometimes longer) in the prairies that drives me nuts, especially with that 64 sq ft sail behind me. Figure I need at least 300hp to do that comfortably. And I don't think the "all day" part would work well with an LPG boosted engine. The engine's just not designed for that boosted HP full-time

He has been doing it over this sort of terrain for 7 yrs without a problem. 5ver reinforced to take the pounding. It is not an Off Road 5ver, but primarily an on road rig.

[BurbMan]

NinerBikes wrote:
And one thing you should know about ALL VW common rail diesels, is that they take a very specific VW507.00 motor oil that has to be LL03 Specification, as in 30,000 km rated motor oil, that is very, very, very hard to find, outside of dealerships and ordering it on line.

Ouch this stuff isn't cheap and at 9 qts yet....probably needs a special filter with a special media element coated with unobtainium...

There's a thread running about GM limiting repair options in an effort to protect their proprietary software....VW has gone one better, spec an engine oil that you can only buy at the dealer!

My friend's Tourag is the gas engine not the TDI.

[BurbMan]

NinerBikes wrote:
And one thing you should know about ALL VW common rail diesels, is that they take a very specific VW507.00 motor oil that has to be LL03 Specification, as in 30,000 km rated motor oil, that is very, very, very hard to find, outside of dealerships and ordering it on line.

Ouch this stuff isn't cheap and at 9 qts yet....probably needs a special filter with a special media element coated with unobtainium...

My friend's Tourag is the gas engine not the TDI.

[NinerBikes]

sky_free wrote:

BurbMan wrote:


Friend bought a Tourag...very nicely appointed, drives great....but the dealer gets $200 for an oil change and "routine service", making me wonder if the design and engineering principles are the same even if the vehicle is better....designed to assemble cheaply, not repair cheaply.

I'll never own another one that's for sure.

I have a 2012 Touareg TDI with 80,000 miles on it. Oil changes are running about $129. It takes 9-quarts of synthetic, so it's going to be a little more than a small engine that takes regular oil. Fuel filters at 40,000 mile intervals run about $100. I find it pretty inexpensive to maintain. The interesting thing is that other than those 2 things there isn't much to service. We are still on the original brakes and it does not require transmission service. I had the brake fluid and coolant flushed at 80K and that's it.

If you want expensive service to complain about, buy an Audi 🙂

You need to check your owners manual for service recommendations. Fuel filters are done on 2012 TDI Touaregs at 20k mile intervals.

And I would absolutely change all your transmission fluid, with a flush of 12 liters, every 40k miles with that Aisin 8 speed automatic transmission. Especially if towing. VW's idea of lifetime fluids is the lifetime is up when all the parts going round and round and round inside your transmission stop going round and round. They hope it makes it out of warranty before doing so. You can use Aisin limited slip package ATF in that, same as in a Lexus or a Toyota.

Also, change out your front and rear differential fluids and your transfer case fluid with the proper spec oils.

I've owned VW diesels since 1981, had a 1996 passat tdi, a 1998 jetta tdi, a 2002 jetta TDI GLS, a 2012 passat TDI SE 6 manual, and currently own a 2012 Touareg TDI, a 2013 Touareg TDI and a 2014 Passat SE TDI with the 6 auto manual DSG gear box, and I service them all.

German cars need a lot of service maintenance, there is no other way around it... you can pay a little now, and do it by the book, as it should be done, or you will pay a lot, later down the road, when you neglected the service intervals.

Do your Transmission ATF, transfer case and diff fluids now, and do your fuel filters every 20k miles on the Touareg TDI diesels, before you wreck a very expensive Bosch HPFP due to neglect.

And one thing you should know about ALL VW common rail diesels, is that they take a very specific VW507.00 motor oil that has to be LL03 Specification, as in 30,000 km rated motor oil, that is very, very, very hard to find, outside of dealerships and ordering it on line. You can not and should not just run "any diesel" rated motor oil in them, certainly not the stuff folks run in american diesel trucks by ford, chevy, gmc or Cummins/ dodge.

[pappcam]

RobertRyan wrote:

Turtle n Peeps wrote:
All I Have to say to VW is: "good luck with that." 🙂

They will need a complete change in mindset. Maybe pair with an Asian Manufacturer, like Mercedes

I know the first company I think of when someone says "Asian Manufacturer" is Mercedes... 😛

I know what you're trying to say but the wording is a little off. 😉

[brulaz]

RobertRyan wrote:
Actually it is the Ford Transit,the Transit Connect is the mini Van
A fellow here uses an IVECO Daily 65c with 3 litre Diesel to tow a 33ft Cardinal 5 ver, comes in at roughly 21,000lbs. Where a Superduty would be going at 70mph up an incline, the IVECO would be doing 50mph. So people install a LPG injection unit,which chemically supercharges the engine. Not only does the IVECO keep up the SuperDuty, it also increases it's fuel economy.

Those LPG injection systems look pretty nifty. But actually I don't mind travelling up hill at lower speeds so that's not what I'd want the extra HP for. It's fighting the all-day headwinds (sometimes longer) in the prairies that drives me nuts, especially with that 64 sq ft sail behind me. Figure I need at least 300hp to do that comfortably. And I don't think the "all day" part would work well with an LPG boosted engine. The engine's just not designed for that boosted HP full-time.

And anyway, I'm done modding my trucks, suspension, engine whatever. It's fun, but you can end up spending more than if you just bought the right truck in the first place. At least now at least, I *think* I know what I need. It has been a learning experience ... 😉

[Atlee]

A real truck or a pretend one like Honda tried?

[John___Angela]

sky_free wrote:

BurbMan wrote:


Friend bought a Tourag...very nicely appointed, drives great....but the dealer gets $200 for an oil change and "routine service", making me wonder if the design and engineering principles are the same even if the vehicle is better....designed to assemble cheaply, not repair cheaply.

I'll never own another one that's for sure.

I have a 2012 Touareg TDI with 80,000 miles on it. Oil changes are running about $129. It takes 9-quarts of synthetic, so it's going to be a little more than a small engine that takes regular oil. Fuel filters at 40,000 mile intervals run about $100. I find it pretty inexpensive to maintain. The interesting thing is that other than those 2 things there isn't much to service. We are still on the original brakes and it does not require transmission service. I had the brake fluid and coolant flushed at 80K and that's it.

If you want expensive service to complain about, buy an Audi 🙂

We use synthetic in our little smart car diesels. 3 litres or so. Not expensive to change yourself and you have to use an oil extractor as there is no drain plug. Once a year. Every second year we bring it to Mercedes though and they do all the filters as required plus a bunch of other little things. Pricey though. A B service is upwards of 200 bucks by the time light bulbs, filters, taxes etc etc are in there. It's only once every couple years. I should probably do it myself and save a 100 bucks. If we tow much we change the oil a little earlier but we don't normally tow more than 300 to 400 km per year.

[sky_free]

BurbMan wrote:


Friend bought a Tourag...very nicely appointed, drives great....but the dealer gets $200 for an oil change and "routine service", making me wonder if the design and engineering principles are the same even if the vehicle is better....designed to assemble cheaply, not repair cheaply.

I'll never own another one that's for sure.

I have a 2012 Touareg TDI with 80,000 miles on it. Oil changes are running about $129. It takes 9-quarts of synthetic, so it's going to be a little more than a small engine that takes regular oil. Fuel filters at 40,000 mile intervals run about $100. I find it pretty inexpensive to maintain. The interesting thing is that other than those 2 things there isn't much to service. We are still on the original brakes and it does not require transmission service. I had the brake fluid and coolant flushed at 80K and that's it.

If you want expensive service to complain about, buy an Audi 🙂

[RobertRyan]

Actually it is the Ford Transit,the Transit Connect is the mini Van
A fellow here uses an IVECO Daily 65c with 3 litre Diesel to tow a 33ft Cardinal 5 ver, comes in at roughly 21,000lbs. Where a Superduty would be going at 70mph up an incline, the IVECO would be doing 50mph. So people install a LPG injection unit,which chemically supercharges the engine. Not only does the IVECO keep up the SuperDuty, it also increases it's fuel economy.

[brulaz]

RobertRyan wrote:

brulaz wrote:


...

Yeah. But it does seem like payload is more important than tow capacity outside of USA+Canada. They have a better balance IMHO. And nobody seems to mind lower HPs even if it means tow/hauling at lower speeds up the grades.

If Amarok (and other "world" trucks) can have a 1900# payload, why can't the RAM EcoD? Makes no sense to me ...

The weird thing is they are not much slower upgrades, So I do not have the answer
Mazda BT 50 towing average boat

Well, yeah. But ~200HP of that I5 diesel will only get you so far. Can't deny physics (well, I don't anyway). Looks like the same diesel we see in Ford's Transit Connect here.

Still that Mazda/Ford BT-50 is an awesome little pickup. Like the other "world" pickups that we can't get here, it has high payload (2900# in one config) and good tow capacity (7700#).
https://www.mazda.com.au/cars/bt-50-4x4-freestyle-cab/price-and-specification/