WATCH: New VW bakkie as solid as Amarok

The South African bakkie landscape is about to get very interesting with the arrival of the new Volkswagen Amarok in the new year.

VW is taking a giant leap forward with its next generation bakkie, not only in terms of improving on the outgoing Amarok, but also in an attempt to grab more market share in the overall bakkie segment.

Watch Amarok from up close

The outgoing Amarok largely revolves around the niche 190 kW V6 offering, which makes up 90% of total monthly sales but which dwarfs in comparison to the big boys Toyota, Ford and Isuzu. The new version is set to change all that by setting off to be a serious role player across the entire spectrum.

The new Amarok V6 will again lay claim to be the fastest production double cab in Mzansi. The line structure will offer a choice of five trim levels and for the first time since 2015 include single cabs.

And because its will be produced locally alongside the new Ranger at the Ford Assembly Plant in Silverton, pricing is set to be more competitive against Mzansi-built rivals than was the case when it was imported from Argentina.

Opening act

The Citizen Motoring got to sample the new Amarok in Cape Town last week during its first international media drive and were impressed by both the styling and the ride quality.

Customers itching to get their hands on the bakkie will have to be patient until early in 2023 when pricing and final specifications are expected around its local launch.

The new Amarok will be offered in five trim levels. A base model called Amarok, followed by the mid-spec Life and Style grades which slot in below the top-of-the-range Aventura and PanAmericana pair.

The flagship duo are separated by styling from the Aventura, a more flashy and city-orientated offering, and the PanAmericana, a more rugged-looking option for regular off-roading.

Four different diesel engines will be available; a 2.0-litre single turbo in two states of tune (110kW/350Nm and 125kW/405Nm), 2.0-litre biturbo (155kW/500Nm) and 3.0-litre V6 turbo (184kW/600Nm). Transmission will range from five-speed manual to 10-speed automatic, which will send the drive to either the front or to all four wheels.

New drive and suspension systems include six different driving modes, electric brake booster, electronic differential lock and electromechanical power steering.

Other improvements see the Amarok’s wading depth go up to 800 mm from 500 mm, its maximum towing capacity up from 3 300 kg to 3 500 kg, its roof load increase to 350 kg and the tailgate integrated into the central locking system.

ALSO READ: WATCH: New Ford Ranger production kicks-off at Silverton

Amarok vs Ranger

While the new Amarok should be judged on how it’s improved on its aged predecessor, the reality is that it can’t avoid comparisons to the Ford Ranger as long as it shares a platform and production line with it.

This is something VW was well aware of right throughout the development process and did very well to differentiate the new Amarok from the Ranger in terms of look and feel.

On the outside, the grille design is typical Volkswagen that blends in perfectly with the German carmaker’s SUV offerings.

They did an even better job on the inside where lots of effort and budget were poured into making it “100% Volkswagen”.

While the general cabin layout and dimensions might be similar to that of the Ranger and new Everest, little changes go a long way into transforming into something that is much more VW than Ford.

These include the material and patterns of the seats and soft-touch finishes, the font and layout of the infotainment system and the buttons below it, the pattern of the air vents and a Harman Kardon sound system on top-end offerings.

Safety is another area where the new Amarok features serious improvements over its predecessor. It gains no less than 20 new system such as dynamic lights assist, intelligent speed assist, blind spot detection for trailer and rear traffic alert.

Refined drive

Standard features across the entire range include LED headlights, electric folding side mirrors, multifunction steering wheel, 10.1-inch vertical infotainment system and 8-inch digital instrument cluster.

We spend most of the launch drive behind the wheel of the Aventura and PanAmericana, both in V6 guise, while we tackled the off-road section in a Style biturbo derivative.

Where the outgoing V6 Amarok can almost be described as a bit of a brute, the new V6 engine is very refined. In fact, along with the impressive suspension and elegant interior it delivers such a plush ride that you often need a reminder you are actually sitting in a bakkie and not a high-end SUV.