German manufacturer Volkswagen has recently taken the covers off its all-new Tukan pickup truck, with the reveal happening in Brazil. This is the replacement for the long-running Saveiro, and it made its first public appearance at the Barretos Rodeo Festival in São Paulo state.
Volkswagen revealed the pickup truck in both its single-cab and double-cab body styles, and they are expected to go on sale in early 2027. The new truck will not only be larger than its predecessor but also more modern, and it has the Fiat Strada in its sights as its main rival.
The Chevrolet Montana will also be one of its targets, as it looks to try to fill a gap between compact and midsize pickup trucks. While this does sound very exciting, if you are in the United States and were intrigued by the new Tukan, then you are sadly out of luck.
With the truck being built in Brazil for their own market, Volkswagen is not bringing the Tukan to the United States. That won’t come as too much of a surprise, but given what we know about it and its compact size, it’s a truck that many Americans may wish they could get.
The Volkswagen Tukan Is Larger Than Its Predecessor
The new truck is a size upgrade compared to the Saveiro, which is bowing out of the market after over four decades. But in the Tukan, VW has an excellent-looking replacement that offers a slight size increase over its predecessor. The single-cab body style version has a sizable pickup bed, with more of its focus on cargo hauling.
Meanwhile, the double-cab model will have more of a focus on those who use a pickup truck as a daily driver. It will have an automatic transmission and a turbocharged engine, and VW will try to expand the appeal of the truck to those on the fence about using it as an everyday vehicle. Visually, the new truck follows the trend that recent Volkswagen launches have done so.
That means the truck has slim headlights with a horizontal strip. The bumpers have rugged elements and are quite bulky, and they help to show off the width of the pickup truck. At the rear, we can see an E-shaped lighting signature for the taillights, which are also connected by a light bar that runs across the entire width of the tailgate. It certainly gives the new pickup truck a robust feel.
What Is Under the Hood of the Volkswagen Tukan?
Under the hood, the German manufacturer is keeping things under wraps for a little bit longer. However, a variety of powertrains are expected to power the pickup truck. Entry-level versions are set to have the naturally aspirated 1.6-liter MSI engine with a manual transmission. The mid-range models, meanwhile, should get the 1.0-liter TSI flex-fuel engine and a six-speed automatic transmission, potentially even the eight-speed we’ve seen in the new T-Cross.
For those seeking the top-of-the-line model, the truck should debut the new 1.5-liter TSI Evo2 engine with its 48-volt mild-hybrid system in Brazil. If it proves a hit, Volkswagen is considering using this mild-hybrid powertrain in some of the other vehicles it sells to the Brazilian market. Production of the Tukan’s predecessor, the Saveiro, will end in the last quarter of 2026, allowing for an easy transition to its replacement.