The new VW Amarok's front end looks very different to that of the Ford Ranger. Picture: Mark Jones
The VW Amarok has enjoyed a small but fiercely loyal fan base since it was launched back in 2010.
It has always been seen as a bakkie that was never a true single cab workhorse in South Africa. Nor a butch bakkie to climb the sides of a mountain in the middle of nowhere.
The VW Amarok was the business casual of double cab offerings. Always a bit happier in Sandton than in Brakpan, especially in V6 TDI guise.
Enter 2023 and the VW Amarok is made alongside the Ford Ranger in Silverton. And it gets all its vital organs straight from the Ford Ranger.
While the collaboration enables VW to offer a far larger range of Amarok workhorses and double cabs, the lingering question remains. Will Volkswagen be able to count on that original support from its loyal fan base? Will it be able to pull off that legendary V6 TDI business casual thing with the heart of a Ford beating beneath its neatly pressed shirt?
Before I get to the important road test numbers in terms of engine outputs and performance that I am alluding to, a few observations are in order. I think it is worth noting that VW have done a pretty good job in differentiating the Amarok from the Ranger’s Ford truck exterior. The VW Amarok PanAmericana The Citizen Motoring sampled received the thumbs up from everybody, with most being happy to recognised it as a VW product.
Despite some nice VW touches on the switchgear and digital cluster displaying familiar VW graphics, it’s just that little bit harder to escape the similarities. Many parts are being shared as is, but if you don’t drive a Ranger one day and an Amarok the next, like we do, then you might not notice or care too much about this.
ALSO READ: New VW Amarok cheaper, but still SA’s most expensive bakkie
Where the VW diehards might start caring though is when it comes to bragging rights out on the road. The original 3.0 V6 TDI Amarok produced 165 kW and 550 Nm. It became our quickest double cab tested in 2017 with a 0 to 100 km/h time of 8.67 seconds.
Nothing came close, until the Germans decided that this was not enough power and torque for a double cab. And then they gave us the uprated VW Amarok 3.0 V6 TDI that offered 190 kW and 580 Nm. As expected, in 2021 this bakkie went top of the charts with a time of 8.14 seconds.
There was a fair amount of trepidation around the place when the new 184 kW/600 Nm 3.0 V6 Ford Ranger, despite making a mere 6 kW less but 50 Nm more, only hit 100 km/h in 9.29 seconds. Any betting man would now know that the new V6 Amarok was not going to outperform the old ones in a straight-line. And it didn’t.
The range-topping VW Amarok Aventura with its huge 21-inch wheels went fractional slower and hit this benchmark time in 9.36 seconds. The PanAmericana followed with its Ranger-matching 18-inch wheels went a fraction faster in a time of 9.13 seconds.
The new step-siblings are microseconds apart at any tested speed or distance marker. But it is clear they are no match for their previous generation German powered models.
ALSO READ: New Ford Ranger Raptor murders VW Amarok and Hilux GR-Sport
Now before you join the bandwagon and blame the “underpowered” Ford engine for this issue, you need to check the comparative test box below.
You will see exactly why there is nothing wrong with the power and torque being delivered by this new engine. The problem is all about weight.
These new luxury double cab VW Amarok offerings are now some 400 kg heavier than they were before. The bottom line is that you can’t move the extra metal around at the same pace with similar power.
With that contentious topic finally settled, we can wrap it up. The VW Amarok PanAmericana comes in at the top end of the market at R1 053 000. But this double cab offers you a high level of specification for your money.
Highlights include the black painted 18-inch Amadora alloy wheels, IQ.Light LED headlights, area view 360° camera, Harmon Kardon sound system, Cricket leather seats and comprehensive safety package.
The price also includes a four-year/ 120 000km warranty and five-year/ 100 000 km maintenance plan.
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