The VWVolkswagen AG

 

 

The VW pick-up Amarok ( first generation ) has been around since 2010. During this time, more than 830,000 of these vehicles have been sold in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Africa, North Asia, and South & Central America. 

However, after 10 years, in 2020, VW ended the production of the pickup for the European market, which was a bitter pill for European fans. Well, after a long dry spell, the time has come, the second generation of the VW Amarok is in the starting blocks, and according to the manufacturer, "everything is new".

The new VW Amarok will be launched with a four-door double cab (DoubleCab) and a two-door single cab. Customers can choose from five equipment variants: "Amarok", "Life", and "Style", as well as the top versions "PanAmericana" (off-road styling) and "Aventura" (exclusive styling).

As early as 2019, Volkswagen announced a collaboration with Ford in the commercial vehicle sector. Among other things, the joint production of the Ford Ranger and VW Amarok on a shared platform was communicated. So it is clear that the newly launched Amarok will be based on Ford's new pick-up Ranger.

Now that both manufacturers have finally presented their upcoming pick-up models to us, it's time for a closer look: How much Ranger is there in the new Amarok? Both pickup models will be produced in parallel at Ford's Silverton plant in South Africa for Europe, the Middle East, New Zealand, Australia, and Africa.

 

 

The Design

The DesignVolkswagen AG

 

 

In terms of appearance, the vehicles differ significantly from each other. In fact, the new Amarok even slightly picks up the style of its predecessor, which is particularly evident in the design of the wheel arches with their straight top lines / semicircular wheel arches.

Only the roof section, windows, and details such as door handles and exterior mirrors were taken over from Ford. For everything else, VW seems to have clearly gone its own way. For example, the doors and rear section (particularly lights and tailgate) were designed completely differently. The front of the vehicle features the brand-typical characteristic lights and chrome crossbars of the SUV family.

With an overall length of 5.35 meters, the new Amarok is around 10 cm longer than its predecessor. Its wheel arch has also grown to 3.27 meters, which corresponds to an increase of 17.3 cm, and benefits the rear footwell of the crew cab. 

Since the wheelbase grew significantly more than the overall length, the body overhangs were shortened accordingly. The result is crisper proportions, improved departure angle, but naturally worse ramp angle. In addition, the new VW pick-up also shines with an increased wading depth, which has been increased from 500 to a full 800 mm.

The new Amarok generation is also slightly higher in terms of vehicle height. With a height of up to 1.88 meters, it is now around five centimeters taller than its older brother. Completely contrary to the pick-up trend, the new load donkey from VW has been reduced by 34 mm in vehicle width and thus comes to a maximum of only 1.91 meters.

As before, the loading area between the wheel arches offers enough space for a pallet loaded crosswise and even two in the SingleCab version. The load can be lashed using eyelets, each of which can be loaded with up to 500 kilograms. While its maximum payload is 1.16 tons, its maximum trailer load is specified as up to 3.5 tons.

 

 

The Interior

The InteriorVolkswagen AG

 

 

In the interior, too, the new Amarok pick-up clearly presents itself as a Volkswagen and thus distances itself from the new Ranger. Only the dominant vertical touchscreen in the center console, which measures between 10 and 12 inches depending on the equipment, and the shape of the automatic selector lever, show strong similarities.

Included with a digital cockpit behind the steering wheel (with an 8 to 12-inch display), Volkswagen offers up to 20 assistance systems that make an efficient contribution to relieving the driver. The driver has a total of six different driving modes, which provide active support both on and off-road.

In addition, VW offers its customers pretty much every convenience frills, paired with high-quality materials such as leather and aluminum and, of course, great workmanship.

 

 

The Power

The PowerVolkswagen AG

 

 

The new VW Amarok pick-up starts with five different engines (all from the Ford shelf), which are individually tuned to the markets of the world. These are four turbo diesel engines (TDI) and one turbo gasoline engine (TSI).

 

The new Amarok engine range overview:

  • 2.0-liter four-cylinder TDI with 110 kW/150 hp (basic engine for the African market)
  • 2.0-liter four-cylinder TDI with 125 kW/170 hp (for many markets around the world)
  • 2.0-liter four-cylinder TDI and bi-turbocharger with 150 kW/204 hp or 154 kW/209 hp (depending on market)
  • 3.0 liter V6 TDI with 177 kW/241 hp or 184 kW/250 hp (market dependent)
  • 2.3-liter turbo gas engine TSI with 222 kW/302 hp (for the gasoline-only markets)

 

Only three of the five engines are intended for the American market. Starting with the 2.0-liter turbo diesel with 170 hp as the base version. Above that is the Biturbo four-cylinder with 204 hp and ends with the top engine, the 3.0-liter V6 TDI with 241 hp.

A 10-speed automatic (with shift-by-wire) is used for the first time in the Amarok II, which is installed as standard from an output of 209 hp and has been used by Ford for some time. In addition, there will be combinations with a 6-speed automatic and manual transmissions with 5 and 6 speeds, depending on the market.

While a rear-wheel drive variant is also planned for some markets, the new Amarok in the United States of America will only be available with an all-wheel drive ( 4MOTION ). You can choose between a permanent and a switchable all-wheel drive.

 

 

Resources

 

 

 

Tankut Basar

Tankut Basar is an ARA (American Rally Assoc.) Racing Driver and an FIA Bronze Category License Holder. His passion for driving began with karting like most racers. He started racing internationally at the age of 22. Tankut loves everything car-related and will keep enjoying the drive until the end. 

 

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