Volkswagen Reportedly Planning ‘More Rugged’ Vehicles, Like New SUVs and Pickup Trucks, for AmericaRoad & TrackEmmet WhiteThu, September 10, 2026 at 6:12 PM UTCAdd us on GoogleVW Reportedly Planning More 'Rugged Vehicles' Larry Chen Larry@larrychenphoto.comVolkswagen's Supervisory Board approved its Future Plan 2030 on Thursday, September 3, initiating a multi-year process to reduce the German automaker's model portfolio by 50 percent and slash 50,000 jobs. But not all the news to come out of the proceedings sounds quite so grim. In fact, reported details of Volkswagen's new portfolio plans suggest its planned changes could be quite the improvement to its North American market offerings.Part of its future North American strategy, according to Volkswagen Passenger Cars CEO Thomas Schäfer, is Marco Schubert, who will replace Kjell Gruner as CEO of Volkswagen Group of America on October 1. A core part of VW's cost-optimizing plan includes achieving an operating margin of nine percent by 2030, and Schäfer said the North American market is critical to this effort. As a result, Schäfer and Schubert are planning a dedicated strategy that may add new body styles to the U.S. market.ELIJAH NOUVELAGE - Getty Images"In line with its "In China, for China" and "In Europe, for Europe" strategies, Volkswagen will also pursue a dedicated North America strategy. As part of this approach, the brand will explore opportunities in the highly popular body-on-frame B-segment, including robust SUVs and pick-up trucks, as a potential component of Volkswagen's future product portfolio," Schäfer said on September 3.AdvertisementAdvertisementNow, news of a U.S.-focused pickup truck isn't exactly fresh. Reuters reported that the German automaker was planning a mid-size pickup model for production in the U.S. in August. Volkswagen currently produces a pickup for the European, Australian, African, and Latin American markets known as the Amarok, but a North American-market truck could be a clean-sheet model if it is indeed aimed specifically at this continent's buyers.Perhaps more interestingly, Schäfer's statement hints at a body-on-frame SUV joining the Volkswagen portfolio. If recent concepts from Hyundai and Mitsubishi are any indication, the rugged body-on-frame market is about to swarm with competition, so it's not too surprising Volkswagen might be looking for its own slice of the pie. That said, no details about any VW-branded BOF SUV have yet to be revealed.Volkswagen CEO Thomas Schäfer.Simon Hofmann - Getty ImagesOf course, Schäfer could be referencing its South Carolina-based subsidiary, Scout Motors, which revealed two new concepts last week known as the Scout Mountainside and "Trail-Ready" Traveler. Initial deliveries of Scout's Traveler SUV and Tera pickup aren't expected to start until 2028, but Volkswagen leadership appears to see the brand's planned direction as promising, nonetheless.Furthering the evidence for new SUVs or a potential pickup that could save Volkswagen's bacon here in the U.S. is a new report from WardsAuto, which cites a internal resolution document that was reportedly given to the Volkswagen AG board last week as saying VW intends to refocus on the American market with a "clear focus" on "rugged vehicles" such as trucks and sport-utility vehicles. Models and derivatives aimed specifically at North America will, allegedly, also receive higher priority at the company. (Road & Track has reached out to Volkswagen for more information about this report; we'll update this story if we receive additional details.)AdvertisementAdvertisementWardsAuto also adds that Volkswagen is apparently considering bringing the Cupra Stateside once again. The Spanish brand was initially slated for arrival on U.S. shores by 2030, but that plan was indefinitely delayed last year. Now, as Volkswagen plans to phase out the Seat brand by 2029, a renewed focus on Cupra to replace it could finally bring new models to North American shores.You Might Also LikeIf You Can Only Own One Car, Make It One of TheseThese Are the Most Popular Cars by State