NY LIVE: VW Tarok pickup concept

The company wants to "gauge market reaction" for an entry-level pickup, though the Tarok itself will not be coming to the US.

Volkswagen is bringing its Tarok pickup concept to the New York International Auto Show.

The Tarok already made its initial debut last year in Brazil and VW cautions that there are no plans to produce the vehicle for the US market.

The company is nonetheless showing it in New York to "gauge market reaction for a truly versatile and compact entry-level pickup."

Volkswagen chief Herbert Diess recently confirmed that the German automaker is considering collaborating with Ford to jointly develop vans and possibly a pickup.

"If the Ford relationship works out well, we would have an Amarok successor, which would be then appropriate for sales worldwide -- potentially as well for the United States," he said at the time.

The executive suggested VW still hasn't decided whether to pursue a traditional body-on-frame architecture or switch to a 'risky' unibody construction. In any case, the company appears serious about entering the highly competitive US pickup market.

Live photos by Brian Williams.