LISTEN: Is VW Amarok better off by getting into bed with Ford Ranger?

Volkswagen and the Blue Oval became the latest two carmakers to collaborate on a project when the new VW Amarok joined the latest generation Ford Ranger on the assembly line in Silverton last year.

While the VW Amarok range has no doubt become more comprehensive since joining Ford, it has also lost its niche. The Amarok can no longer boast to be the fastest production bakkie in Mzansi. That title – quite ironically – now belongs to the Ford Ranger Raptor.

ALSO READ: New Ford Ranger Raptor murders VW Amarok and Hilux GR-Sport

Listen to Pitstop podcast

In this week’s edition of the Pitstop podcast, Jaco van der Merwe and Mark Jones discuss the evolution of the VW Amarok. Where it found itself in the past and where it is now on the South African bakkie landscape.

The first-generation Amarok was renowned for its 3.0-litre V6 turbodiesel engine. In its first state of tune, it produced 165 kW of power and 550 Nm of torque. A 0 to 100km/h time of 8.67 seconds helped this bakkie shoot to the top of timing charts. At that stage in 2017, it was the fastest production bakkie The Citizen Motoring had tested.

Four years later, this VW Amarok’s mill was up tuned to deliver 190 kW of power and 580 Nm of torque. And it did not disappoint against the clock. A sprint time of 8.14 seconds reaffirmed its position as Mzansi’s undisputed king of bakkies.

ALSO READ: VW Amarok pips V6 Ford Ranger to sibling rivalry bragging rights

New VW Amarok slower

The new generation Amarok features the same 3.0-litre V6 turbodiesel engine that serves on the top-end Ford Ranger. The mill punches out 184 kW/600 Nm and is mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission.

In Aventura guise, the VW Amarok ran a 0 to 100 km/h sprint time of 9.36 seconds. It was slightly slower than its Ford Ranger V6 Wildtrak production sibling, which did it in 9.29 seconds.

But in PanAmericana guise, the VW Amarok pipped the Ford Ranger V6 by clocking a 9.13. This is almost a full second slower than its predecessor. And more than two seconds slower than the Ford Ranger Raptor’s time of 6.90 seconds.