There are reports that we might be getting an Audi Pickup Truck. This news comes as a surprise, as the German automaker isn’t well known for making pickup trucks. That kind of game is usually reserved for the North American market and several Asian companies. Nevertheless, there are indications that there might be more to this than just a rumor. We all know that Audi is part of a bigger alliance with Volkswagen. And as it turns out, Volkswagen has a pickup truck of its own. Not a brand-new name, Amarok, is a well-built pickup that checks a lot of boxes.
It was made with help of Ford and was based on their Ranger truck. It would make perfect sense if Audi was about to drop a pickup, to do something similar to Amarok. Perhaps more sophisticated and modernized. We all know how electric vehicles are all the hype nowadays. So it would make sense if they were building one, to make it electric right off the bat. Architecture could be borrowed but styling and exterior are up to Audi to make it a reality. Let’s see what the Audi Pickup truck would look like if it was made today.
Audi Pickup Truck Interior
The Audi Pickup Truck is an empty plate as of now. But one thing is for sure, other Audi vehicles will serve as proxies or as inspiration for the cabin. The German automaker is well known for its luxurious and stylish design interior. Hence the heftier price for most of those vehicles. But they all look amazing, so you know what you get when you get the Audi badge. The upholstery material is probably going to be leather.
Contrast stitching should be present with multiple colors. Also heated and ventilated seats should be available. Considering that this is Audi, we can also expect the messaging feature. Infotainment system with at least 13 inches in size. All the connectivity you can think of. An electric dashboard is possible and a lot of safety technology is to be in the mix. The most probable proxy for this might be the Q7 Audi.
Exterior Design
The outside of the Audi Pickup truck is also under the veil of mystery. We can suspect that it resembles Amarok or Ranger. So expect a tall ride height with a big front fascia. Big four circles on the front with a huge air intake mesh. Except if it’s electric, then the whole engine department will be turned into a storage unit. We expect this to be a full four-door pickup.
Wheels will probably be no less than 20-21 inch rims. Probably lightweight to shave some weight off and improve power to weight ratio. On the other hand, Audi might go a different path and make a modern never seen design. We all remember what Tesla did with Cybertruck. Who is to say that something similar won’t happen again?
Engine Specs
If a lot is going to be borrowed from Amarok, then we can expect several engines on offer. Most of the engines are powerful and offer a lot of torque. We get a 2.0-liter diesel with 148 horsepower. It comes with a five-speed manual gearbox and is offered mostly in African markets. But we see no problem with it rolling in other markets. There is a 167-horsepower version of the same 2.0 engine with six-speed manual transmission or six-speed automatic. It has an all-wheel drive available. There is twin-turbo diesel on offer.
It makes 200 horsepower and has four-wheel drive. But you can disconnect the drive to the front wheels for some better fuel economy. It has a six-speed auto or 10-speed automatic made by Ford. There is also a 3.0-liter V6 that has 246 horsepower and 440 pound-feet of torque. This is paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive. A smaller 2.3-liter EcoBoost engine is a possibility. The same one powers the Ford Bronco SUV. This has 298 horsepower and 333 pound-feet of torque with 10-speed automatic and all-wheel drive.
But if they are making a brand-new pickup why not make it fully electric immediately? This future proves the vehicle and saves money on gas in the long run. We all noticed how expensive gasoline is becoming. So it would make perfect sense to prefer a battery pack to a gas-guzzling engine. A battery pack with at least 200kWh is preferable. This increases range and gives it a lot of power. With this many batteries, we can count at least 350-400 miles of range on a single charge. This is better than most competitors on the market. And is sure to give them an edge over them. It will be interesting to see whether Audi goes down this road and electrifies their Audi Pickup Truck.
Fuel Economy
It is difficult to talk about fuel consumption since we don’t know which path Audi will choose. If it’s a fully electric truck we don’t believe the range will be less than 300 miles. This is the bare minimum for a single charge nowadays. If they choose a gas-guzzling engine then we can expect something similar to Amarok. Which is 36.2 mpg combined.
Audi Pickup Truck Price and Release Date
The date of this project is still unknown. We can expect the Audi Pickup Truck to drop later in 2023 if it is taken from the drawing board to the production track. The price is unknown at this moment. Knowing Audi, the price won’t be on the cheap side.
They do include a lot of luxury and amazing technology with all their vehicles. We reckon this will continue with the Audi Pickup Truck. Estimates are around $60000, but this is in no way an official announcement. Still waiting for that one.