Germany: Hanover build of Volkswagen RPU Robust pick-up reportedly axed
By Glenn Brooks
7 July, 2008
Source: Automotive World
The Volkswagen brand is yet to confirm such reports, but various media, such as the US-based Autoblog.com portal state that supposed German production of a forthcoming pick-up has been axed.
The model, which has been tentatively called 'Robust', will nevertheless still be built at the OEM's Uitenhage facility in South Africa. The main production plant, however, will be the General Pacheco complex in Argentina, with up to 90,000 vehicles a year due to be sold locally and exported throughout Central and South America from the latter site from late 2008. Tata Motors and Fiat also plan to build a similarly-sized model in Argentina from late 2008, based on the Indian OEM's Xenon pick-up.
This rear- and all-wheel drive rival for the Toyota Hilux, Mitsubishi L200/Triton/Strada, Nissan Navara and Ford Ranger/Mazda BT-50 is in the final stages of development under the RPU ('Robust Pick Up') codename. Some sources say it will use the same name, 'Toro', as a former rebadged Hilux that Volkswagen sold in Europe in the 1980s, but this is not certain. European build of the RPU was to be at the OEM's Hanover plant, which builds the Transporter/Shuttle/Multivan light commercial and minivan series.
The vehicle's world premiere was expected to be at the Hanover IAA on 23 September, in concept form, at least. A spokesman for Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, while stating that there is no news one way or the other concerning build of a new pick-up at the Hanover plant, nevertheless told AutomotiveWorld.com that the concept's debut is still planned for the IAA. He added that sales of a production variant are expected in Europe "but most likely not until 2010", but there is also nothing official as yet on where these pick-ups will be sourced from.
At a dealer event timed to coincide with the October 2007 announcement of the investment for the vehicle at the General Pacheco manufacturing complex, Volkswagen Argentina displayed a large fabric poster that showed what appears to be the silhouette of the RPU.
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