What is known as the Tarok in Brazil could follow the Tengo into production in Kariega.
More than a year since the last local half-ton bakkie, the Nissan NP200, bowed out, the segment could be resurrected by a small VW bakkie.
Key to this possibility is the double cab-only Volkswagen Tarok bakkie that will soon replace the Saveiro in South America. The Tarok will be built on the MQB A0 platform on which the Polo is manufactured on in Kariega.
This could see a small VW bakkie being the fourth model built at the Eastern Cape facility alongside the Polo, Polo Vivo and the Tengo compact SUV. The latter goes into production towards the end of next year.
While the Tengo remains the carmaker’s immediate priority, local VW boss Martina Biene recently told The Citizen Motoring that a bakkie is “the most viable” option going forward.
Small VW bakkie makes a Pitstop
In this week’s episode of the Pitstop podcast, we discuss the prospect of a small VW bakkie. And speculate what its specifications might be based on what we know of the Tengo thus far.
In the hey-day of the once-booming local half-ton segment, VW had a bakkie named the Caddy. The production sibling of the Golf Mk1/Citi Golf, the Caddy competed against the likes of the Ford Bantam, Mazda Rustler and Nissan 1400.
The bakkie was discontinued in the early 2000s, after which the Caddy moniker was adopted by VW’s multipurpose vehicle.
ALSO READ: New small VW bakkie looms large for South Africa
Renault Oroch stalls
Nissan NP200 production stopped at the manufacturer’s Rosslyn plant after a 16-year run.
Another half-tonner that was recently under consideration for South Africa, the Renault Oroch, did not get a stamp of approval. The Oroch was also only a double cab and shared a platform with the previous generation Renault Duster.
There has also been plenty of talk around a small bakkie from Toyota. It is set to go into production in Brazil in 2027, with its platform not confirmed yet.
