Earlier rumors indicated the pickup would be built in both Germany and Argentina. Now it appears production will take place in Argentina only, pointing to an emphasis on the South American market. VW plans to build around 90,000 pickups annually, which may or may not be called Robust.

Jalopnik Snap Judgment: A simple, well-engineered, economical, utilitarian pickup truck? Heresy! Everyone knows a real pickup must be equipped with a lift kit, an 8.0-liter V10 and hood stripes in order to be taken seriously. We're just glad VW will be keeping its terrorist-mobile south of the border, stick those damn terrorists South Americans with a stupid, practical truck, they deserve it.

The straw that broke the camel's back was apparently a study that showed there wasn't a market in Europe for a vehicle with a "huge loading space," which seems to totally miss the point. After all, most people in this country buy trucks absent any overriding need for any of the space features they offer. [Forbes]

VW Robust Spy Report

Volkswagen's new pickup has been photographed again, this time climbing mountains in Austria. Our latest look catches the truck with its grille-work exposed for the first time. While this truck prototype is still thoroughly covered, comparing this prototype with spy shots of the sixth-generation Golf reveals a real sense of the VW styling DNA that will be employed.

VW's new truck—equally rumored to be named Robust or Taro when it comes online in 2010—is scheduled to be produced in Argentina and Germany for global exportation. So will VW's new pickup reach the U.S. market? That is still an open question that has yet to be answered by VW management. This VW's size looks like it straddles the ground between the Ford Ranger and the F-150, so its reasonably-sized footprint makes sense in today's more fuel-conscious U.S. market. That fact makes a yes vote for the U.S. more likely, but probably still a bit of a long-shot.

VW's All-New Pickup Truck Caught! You've seen test mules, and blurry pictures from what seems like miles away - but here's a running prototype - and we're as close as one can possible get (at highway speeds) to the all-new pickup from Volkswagen. The mid-size truck - this one sporting a quad-cab - will be built in Hannover, Germany, as well Argentina, and has been referred to as the Robust. Sources say two-wheel-drive and "off-road capable" 4x4 versions will both be offered! The 2010 Robust will be a global product - but VW is still mum on their plans for U.S. sales.

Really, Volkswagen is hoping to build a utility vehicle that'll be able to compete with competitors with some off-road credibility like the Nissan Pathfinder. That level of full-size SUV will, when combined with this new pickup truck, be able to finally flesh out the VW team into a lineup with all the little bits and pieces needed to succeed in a global automotive environment. Still, given the brand's track record here in the US when it comes to profitability and sales, we're wondering if that level of brand expansion will give them the cojones they need to boost sales to a more "robust" level. Hah. We're so punny. Anyway, we shouldn't have to worry as we're not even sure the US will be a target market — we're hearing it's a little bit further South. Maybe they should call it the "Robusto." [AutoExpress]