2023 Volkswagen Amarok is Ranger's German brother
Hello World! - Volkswagen Amarok
Say hello to the newest truck in town. The 2023 Volkswagen Amarok is here. The German car company has utilized Ford’s updated T6 platform which the new Ranger is based on. The all-new Amarok will be produced by Ford for Volkswagen beginning in September at their Silverton Factory in Pretoria, South Africa. There are similarities but let’s see where it starts and where it ends.
The Amarok will have four diesel engines and one gasoline variant. All powertrains will be turbo-charged. Some markets will start with the 2.0 TDi making 148 PS while others will be getting beefier petrol-burning versions that pump out 168 PS. The more expensive diesel-fueled pick-ups that will have a bi-turbo four-pot setup will either have a 201 PS or a 207 PS variant. The top diesel model will be rocking a 3.0-liter V6 making 238 PS while a top gas variant will have a 2.3-liter unit and will spit out 298 PS.
These higher engine variants will all be mated to a ten-speed automatic transmission while the lower ones will have a five or six-speed manual. Customers will choose between two 4motion set-ups which are selectable or permanent 4x4. Other regional variants may also get cheaper rear-wheel offerings. Based on the engine model, a towing capacity of up to 3500 kilograms will be provided.
Max payload has increased as well as the roof can also support 350 kilograms, enough for a four-person roof tent will be available as an official accessory. Aside from that, other accessories like a hard top cover for the cargo bed, a bull bar, and a snorkel will available when customers place their orders.
Available in single and double cab body styles, the pick-up will be 96 millimeters longer than the previous model. Along with a 173mm extension of the wheelbase, it will now measure 3270mm. This will have a better impact on off-road enthusiasts as overhangs have shortened. This will improve the approach and departure angles. The width decreased by 34mm while the height increased by10 mm. Volkswagen’s new truck will carry 17-inch wheels as standard but can be fitted up to 21-inch alloy wheels.
The VW Amarok will come in five different variants. These are the Amarok, Life, Style, the off-road-focused Panamericana, and lastly a luxurious Aventura model. Matrix headlights and a Harman Kardon will come standard with over 20 driver-assistance systems as well. For the infotainment, the truck will be using a modified version of Ford’s SYNC 4 on the 10 or 12-inch touchscreen.
Unlike the Ranger though, the Amarok will have toggle switches instead of just knobs and buttons for the climate controls. Alongside all of that, the instrument cluster will come in 8 inches for the base to mid models while the higher-end ones get a 12-inch version.
VW has been hyping up the Amarok for the past couple of months. They are looking to the truck to be well-received as the market they are aiming for wants their vehicles to start going anywhere they want. Will the Amarok fill in that market demand or will the Ford Ranger, its not-so-distant cousin, keep the hype at bay?
