Ford and Volkswagen Will Team Up For A Pickup Truck

It's the hottest news since Toyota unveiled the all-new Supra and confirmed (what people should have really known) that they were platform sharing with BMW. According to Go Auto, at the recent Detroit Auto Show, Ford and Volkswagen confirmed that they are going to be working together on a new LCV, or Light Commercial Vehicle - which is just internal speak for a pickup truck.

There's no prize in guessing which of these companies benefits more from the partnership: Ford has the experience when it comes to these particular units, and the Amarok hasn't exactly been present in a lot of markets. That being said, there are big benefits for both companies in terms of technology sharing and achieving economies of scale, as well as better positioning for Volkswagen to export within the ASEAN region.

Those who are a little more power hungry may also be excited to know that there's a 3.0-litre V6 diesel variant of the Amarok, which utterly dwarfs the Ranger Raptor's 2.0-litre turbodiesel inline 4 engine. It's not altogether likely that this strange collaboration between these two major players will yield an even more powerful Ranger, but one can't deny the potential benefits here. The Amarok will also be given room to grow and improve, as it's been put on the back burner like most of Volkswagen's non-core products since the scandals.

Ford, of course, is no stranger to this kind of arrangement. Their long standing relationship with Mazda in the past yielded some of the best Rangers and BT-50s, and this new collaboration gives them a chance to show the world just how much they've learned and grown. The alliance with Volkswagen may eventually extend beyond merely pickup trucks, especially as consumers demand more and more technology from their passenger cars, and splitting the bill can help both manufacturers immensely.