Volkswagen Tukan with a single cab is spotted in tests alongside the Fiat Strada

The single-cab Volkswagen Tukan was spotted in tests in the interior of São Paulo, and the record brings a revealing detail: the camouflaged prototype was accompanied by Fiat Strada units, used by the automaker as a parameter for dynamic development and load capacity. The choice of benchmark confirms the target of the pickup that the German brand launches in 2027 in place of the veteran Saveiro.

Unlike Saveiro, still built on the old architecture of Gol, Tukan was born from a new project. The entry-level version, aimed at fleet use and heavy day-to-day services, was designed to fight on an equal footing in the segment that the Strada dominates — Fiat’s pickup has been the best-selling vehicle in the country for five years. According to Quatro Rodas, Tukan will abandon the torsion axle rear suspension in favor of the rigid axle and leaf spring set, a solution identical to that of the Italian rival.

The mechanical change represents a direct exchange: operational capacity and resistance are gained in severe use, but the dynamic behavior tends to worsen when the bucket runs empty in urban centers. It is the same calculation made by practically all work pickup trucks sold in Brazil.

Produced in São José dos Pinhais (PR), in the same factory that assembles the T-Cross, the pickup is built on the MQB Hybrid platform, an evolution of the MQB-A0 base that will allow Tukan to receive electrified powertrains.

Under the hood of the work-oriented versions, the manufacturer is studying to apply the 1.6 16V engine of simple design, associated with the manual transmission. In intermediate configurations, the bet falls on the 1.0 170 TSI turbo flex, with up to 116 hp and 16,8 kgfm, combined with a six-speed automatic transmission. The top-of-the-line finishes should debut the 1.5 TSI flex with a 48 V mild hybrid system (MHEV), a package that seeks to reduce consumption and deliver extra power in restarts – and that would put Tukan face to face with the more equipped versions of Chevrolet Montana and Fiat Toro.

Visually, Tukan mixes elements of the brand’s SUVs. The front features a high-cut hood and grille integrated into the headlights, inspired by Nivus and Tera, while the side adopts a high waistline to convey a feeling of larger size. At the rear, the taillights gain an “E” shaped light signature, joined by a horizontal strip at the top of the bucket lid, and the model name appears stamped in bas-relief on the cargo compartment plate — a solution inherited from the second generation of the Amarok sold abroad.

Inside, the pickup should inherit the connectivity and safety standard of Volkswagen’s current line, with a multimedia center and driver assistance package in the most expensive variants. In commercial single-cab versions, the focus is on the cost of maintenance and the strength of the panel and upholstery materials.

The name Tukan was officially confirmed by Volkswagen in February, during an event at the CBF headquarters in Rio de Janeiro. It is a reference to the toucan, within the brand’s strategy of baptizing releases with names linked to the Brazilian fauna. Before hitting the hammer, the automaker had registered alternatives with the INPI such as Acron, Airon, Arena and Tagro.

The official launch is scheduled for 2027, the year in which Saveiro completes 45 years in the market. Volkswagen is expected to work with a sliced revelation, in public appearances over the next few months, and the discourse is of a range capable of serving from rural producers who need cargo to urban consumers who use the pickup on the weekend.