The compact pickup segment has never caught on in the United States as it has in other parts of the world. Americans just tend to prefer larger trucks, even if they're midsize rigs such as the Toyota Tacoma. However, in South America, tiny pickups are a much bigger part of the market.A perfect example of the intriguing trucks from South America is the upcoming Volkswagen Tukan from Brazil. The offering is the first pickup to ride on VW's highly capable MQB platform. The family of underpinnings has been around for over a decade, supporting vehicles including some iterations of the Golf, versions of the Audi TT, and more from the brands under the Volkswagen umbrella. The Tukan Is Ready To Take Flight VolkswagenFor now, VW is still only teasing the Tukan, but the company is already showing quite a bit. The automaker says that the final production bodywork is underneath the camouflage. Currently, the vehicle wears a multi-colored wrap with design motifs inspired by Brazilian culture. The elements include the country's flag, a Carnival mask, a soccer ball, a palm tree, and more. According to VW, the layout "incorporates elements present in Brazilian collective memory and cultural symbols in a mosaic created especially for this moment.""As a premise, the choice of visual language we would follow should also be part of the camouflage's function itself. The challenge, then, was to hide well a car that we want everyone to see."- José Carlos Pavone, head of design for Volkswagen in the Americas What We Know About The Tukan VolkswagenVW is still keeping quiet about the Tukan's powertrain but is revealing other aspects about the truck. For example, the rear suspension consists of a rigid axle and leaf springs. While the layout is common in pickups, it's unusual for a vehicle on the MQB platform. These underpinnings can support a wide variety of powerplants, transmissions, and can handle front- or all-wheel-drive configurations.The truck's design features a blunt front end with rectangular grille inlets. There's a four-door cab and a comparatively small cargo bed. It's not clear whether other configurations would be available. The roof rack flows into the style bar in the bed. VW is also touting that the Tukan is its first product in Brazil to have the model name prominently stamped on the rear bodywork. It's a styling touch that's becoming increasingly common on a variety of vehicles, such as the Tacoma and Ford Ranger.VolkswagenVW designed, planned, and developed the Tukan in Brazil to make sure the vehicle can stand up to the country's unique challenges. Production will take place at the brand's factory in São José dos Pinhais.The Tukan in the Brazil camo will make its first public appearance at the Brazilian men's national team's announcement ceremony for the upcoming World Cup. The squad's canary mascot will ride in the cargo bed.VW plans to put the truck into production in 2027, but is rolling out the marketing offensive ahead of its launch. Being an official sponsor of the Brazilian team puts a lot of eyes on the new model in a country where soccer is such a significant part of the culture. Given such a focused development for Brazil, don't expect this little VW pickup in the US.