It’s no secret that crossovers, SUVs, and electric vehicles are on top of Volkswagen’s to-do list. Apparently, there’s no such thing as too many SUVs for the German automaker because a new report indicates that VW is working on creating a new model that will compete against the Land Rover Defender. Tentatively called the “T-Rug,” the new SUV will sit on the same MEB platform that Volkswagen uses to underpin its lineup of I.D. electric vehicles. Just as important, the T-Rug will be offered in both three- and five-door body styles. The new SUV is due to come out in 2022.

What the Hell is a Volkswagen T-Rug?

Nobody should be surprised by this. The auto world has gone stir crazy on SUVs, and Volkswagen is right up there among the most prominent brands to go all-in on the segment. As it is, the German automaker possesses a rich lineup of these high-riding vehicles, beginning with the cutesy T-Cross and going all the way up to full-sized behemoths like the Touareg and Atlas. Now, if this report from Germany’s Auto Bild is accurate, Volkswagen’s making room for one more SUV called the “T-Rug.”

Weird name notwithstanding, the Auto Bild report claims that the T-Rug will be offered in three- and five-door body styles. It’s worth mentioning, too, that the T-Rug’s main competitor will be the Land Rover Defender. On that end, spy shots of the new Defender first surfaced back in October, and while we didn’t learn a lot about what to expect from the returning SUV, we did notice that Land Rover was testing short- and long-wheelbase versions of the Defender test mule. It’s possible, then, that if Volkswagen wants the T-Rug to compete against the Defender, it’s possible that it could do so in similar body styles.

Beyond that observation, there’s not much to go on with regards to details surrounding the T-Rug. For starters, it’s too early to tell if Volkswagen is as serious about the T-Rug as Auto Bild claims it is. The German automaker has a full lineup of SUVs and electric vehicles that are scheduled to debut this year. Those models will take priority over the T-Rug.

Once Volkswagen crosses those t’s and dots those i’s, we’ll probably know more about the T-Rug and what Volkswagen’s plan for the model is going to be. Until then, put this on the back burner because Volkswagen has bigger and far more important fish to fry.

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Auto Bild

Read our full review on the 2017 Volkswagen I.D. Crozz II Concept.

Read our full speculative review on the 2019 Volkswagen T-Cross.

Read our full review on the 2018 Volkswagen Touareg.

Read our full review on the 2018 Volkswagen Atlas.