The world has just witnessed the new Volkswagen Amarok which was first introduced for the 2010 model year. The Amarok is a 2 or 4-door single/dual cab front-engine truck sold only in a few markets worldwide such as South America, Africa, and the Middle East. The 1st generation Amarok was also available in the Western markets, but VW decided to not offer it to Europe and the USA.
In this article, we are going to mention some of the more surprising facts about the VW Amarok which will include stuff you never heard of and stuff you typically wouldn’t expect to find in a VW truck. So, if you are interested in buying an Amarok, be sure to read this article as it may uncover stuff that could potentially serve as a dealbreaker.
The Most Powerful V6 Diesel Truck
The Volkswagen Amarok is one of the very few trucks you can buy with a V6 diesel engine, especially in the Australian market where V6 diesel engines were never really a thing. This V6 is also a fairly special one as it enables the Amarok to reach 60mph from a standstill in less than 8 seconds which is better than any other cars in its class.
The 3.0L diesel V6 turbocharged engine pushes out 452Nm of torque and its power is rated at 222kW (300hp) which is more than enough. Also, the best part is that the 3.0L turbodiesel in the new Amarok returns much better fuel economy than all the other similar cars in its class.
Quality Of the Interior
If you know your way around a VW, you are probably well aware that some VW interiors are almost as good as some Audi interiors. The new 2023 Amarok features a large portrait-style central screen which offers impressive response times and is relatively easy to use thanks to its size. The climate controls are integrated within the screen which isn’t ideal, but overall, it’s fairly self-explanatory.
The rest of the interior is covered with pleasant materials which can’t usually be seen in this class of the car. The dashboard is upright and the Amarok also gets the latest VW digital gauge cluster which makes the car look and feels really upmarket.
Residual Heating Function
Some cars out there come with a special “Rest” function in their A/C system and the VW Amarok is one of those cars. Imagine yourself leaving the car after spending some time in it, you press the “Rest” button, and the system will keep pumping all of the residual heat from the engine and the cooling system inside the car to keep the interior as warm as it can be.
This feature works for up to 30 minutes which means that when you walk back to the car, the car’s cabin will still be warm. This feature enables you to save fuel because you don’t have to ramp up the car’s cabin whenever you leave it for 30-60 minutes. Also, this will prevent the windscreen from frosting up for a while which should also aid in fuel economy.
It Can Tow a Lot
The VW Amarok can tow up to 8,000lbs in its maximum configuration which is a lot of weight for something that isn’t a full-size Heavy-Duty truck. The Ford Ranger is able to tow a bit less than that while the Toyota Tundra maxes out at 6300lbs which is significantly less than the VW Amarok.
This actually does not come as too big of a surprise for some as the VW Amarok is a fairly popular vehicle with camping enthusiasts which means that these can be seen in campsites all around the world.
The Loading Bed
The bed of the VW Amarok is the widest out of all of its competitors on the market which means that it is going to fit stuff other trucks won’t. For example, the VW bed width is perfect for the good old Euro palette, something most other trucks in this segment are too narrow to take. The bed itself is fairly large even for a small truck as it can rival those from the larger, large-to-medium truck segment.
A Permanent AWD System
It’s not often that a small truck comes with a permanent all-wheel-drive system from the factory, but the VW Amarok does. Most VW Amarok competitors use a so-called part-time AWD system also known as 4X4. This means that the Amarok is always going to be propelled by all four wheels while most of its competitors will not.
FAQ Section
What is Good About the VW Amarok?
There are quite a few pros to the new VW Amarok as it is a fairly nicely-packaged truck that can do many things. First of all, all of its engines are fairly frugal and aren’t the typical parts-sharing engines you’d find in something like entry-level Golf. Moreover, the new Amarok looks really good with advanced adaptive LEDs and lots of safety equipment, most of which is a rare sight to behold in this segment.
The bed is impressively large, it can tow a lot of weight, and its interior is well-equipped and fairly upmarket. The double cab configuration has more than enough space in all of its seats which means that the Amarok can happily transport four adults on a long-distance journey. It is also a fairly comfortable car on the road as it feels lighter than it is.
What is Bad About the VW Amarok?
The 1st generation of the VW Amarok proved to be a relatively problematic car in regards to its timing system, fuel lines, ignition system, and similar. The newer one is still too new to tell but many people are wary of buying one right now as no long-term or even short-term reliability results are out. Moreover, the Amarok isn’t a particularly cheap truck either, so much so that it makes sense if it bests all of its competitors.
The maintenance costs associated with a V6 Amarok are far from what most would expect when they hear the word VW and while it may have the design inspiration of the VW Touareg, the Touareg is a much more luxurious vehicle.
