Volkswagen rolls-out 2023 models headed by Golf R and Amarok

Having come off of a busy 2022, Volkswagen has divulged details of the line-up of models it will officially debut in South Africa throughout the course of 2023.

First quarter

Spanning all but the third quarter, the first quarter will see the long awaited availability of the new Golf R which, despite debuting towards the end of 2022 with the Tiguan R, never had its sticker price announced despite the confirmation of its specification sheet.

The expected final generation Golf R not to come with any sort of electrification, the uncertainty of the most powerful R’s price tag hasn’t filtered to down its output figures, which stand at 235kW/400Nm fed to all four wheels through a seven-speed DSG gearbox.

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Given the recently adjusted R1 014 900 asking price of the Tiguan R, which launched with a price of R999 9000, speculation is that the R will kick-off around the R900 000 mark.

Launching in the same quarter, the now locally-made all-new Amarok will finally become available after its global unveiling on local soil last year.

While exact specification remains a mystery, what is known that the twin of the Ford Ranger will be available as both double cab and single cab. The range will consist of five trim levels; base, Life, Style, the luxury focused Aventura and the off-road flavoured PanAmericana.

Unlike in Australia, the South African market range will be diesel exclusive and, therefore, without the 222kW/452Nm 2.3 EcoBoost engine that has, reportedly, attracted more than expected signatures Down Under.

As with the Ranger, assembly of the Amarok’s engines will take place at the Blue Oval’s Struandale Plant in Port Elizabeth, now Gqeberha, and consist of the 2.0-litre single turbo Panther unit in two states of tune; 110kW/350Nm and 125kW/405Nm, the 2.0-litre bi-turbo Panther rated at 155kW500Nm and the 3.0-litre Lion turbodiesel V6 that delivers 184kW/600Nm.

Transmissions will consist of a five-speed or six-speed manual, a six-speed automatic and the recalibrated General Motors co-developed ten-speed automatic the V6 will have as standard.

A choice of part-time four-wheel-drive and permanent all-wheel-drive will feature, with a workhorse-based single cab following at a later stage after being dropped on the original Amarok six years ago.

Rounding the quarter off, the ever-popular Volkswagen Polo Vivo GT will benefit from a series of unspecified upgrades, its first since making landfall in 2017.

Second quarter

The second quarter of 2023 will commence with the long awaited debut of the oil-burning Tiguan TDI, whose already confirmed specifications comprise outputs of 130kW/380Nm delivered to all four wheels through a seven-speed DSG.

Outputs unique to South Africa, the TDI will slot-in below the flagship Tiguan 2.0 TSI in R-Line trim level only with pricing from R794 800.

The quarter rounds off with the equally long delayed introduction of the entry-level T-Cross Trendline that fell victim to the pandemic back in 2020.

Indefinitely cancelled at the time, the Trendline, projected to have had a starting price below R300 000, is now likely to start the T-Cross range off at R350 000 as the current range entry point, the 70 kW 1.0 TSI Comfortline, retails from R393 400.

While the combination of this model’s power outputs and five-speed manual are set to be retained as standard, expect the Trendline do without some of the Comfortline’s features in order to keep pricing down.

Fourth quarter

Ending the year off, the fourth quarter will see the debut of the TSI engine Polo Sedan that bowed in September last year, powered by the stalwart normally aspirated 1.6-litre petrol engine.

While it remains to be seen whether this unit will continue or fall away completely, what shouldn’t be expected is the newer 1.5 TSI Evo engine that powers the Virtus in India from where the Polo Sedan is once again sourced from.

Expect, therefore, either the older 110kW/250Nm 1.4 TSI that powers the Virtus in South America or the 1.0 TSI both the T-Cross and Polo utilise in 85kW/175Nm form.

Finishing the year off, the Touareg receives its first mid-life update since bowing in 2018, with sales, like those of the Polo Sedan TSI, only expected to start in early 2024.

Spied earlier this month by motor1.com undergoing testing with very little camouflage, the adaptions are mostly cosmetic as no images of the interior have yet been seen.

The same applies to the choice of engines, though South African models are likely to continue with the 3.0 TDI V6 and omit the plug-in hybrid Tiguan R that currently heads the range in Europe.