Down in South America, The VW Saveiro Surf Concept showed face for the 2014 Sao Paulo motor show. With its raised suspension and cargo bed rails, the slightly upgraded, sporty truck is ready for a day on the beach or on the trail. Yes, this is South American sporty.
The VW Saveiro Surf Concept is a Gol-based trucklet (that’s not a typo, and not to be confused with the Golf) is akin to the El Camino pickups offered in the mid 1970’s in North America. It is a pretty popular segment in that market. Those buyers don’t need the gargantuan full-size pickups that we have. Instead, they like smaller, front-wheel drive trucks with less options.
For the Saveiro Surf fuel efficiency is king. It is powered by a 1.6L producing 104 HP mated to a 5-speed manual transmission that can also run exclusively on ethanol. This powertrain will likely get the trucklet upwards of 30-40 mpg equivalent based on comparable VW models.
The VW Saveiro Surf Concept takes the Gol hatchback and adds a bed rear end to it. It is not to be confused with VW’s Amarok which is a much larger truck. The smaller trucklet uses the current VW design with the GTI-style honeycomb, LED-equipped headlights and some chrome trimming for the premium look.
With that base, the VW Saveiro Concept added “rugged” elements like black plastic wheel arch extensions to protect the body from dirt spray and a wave decal along the sides (tying in the surf concept name). Lastly, the VW Saveiro Concept adds a set of 15-inch alloy wheels to handle the different off-road terrain.
This setup is a far cry from what American’s think of off-road vehicles like the Ford Raptor. Yet, it serves a purpose in South America and will likely get lots of attention from that audience.
The Sao Paulo motor show takes place on Thursday, October 30 and Friday, October 31 in Brazil.
No Comments yet