The VW Amarok Thread

2023 Volkswagen Amarok: More Details

Some more teasers and details of the new Volkswagen Amarok have been announced. Here’s what you can expect from the new bakkie.

The 2023 Volkswagen Amarok will be revealed in 2022 and the best news is it will be built right here in South Africa as well as Argentina. Previously, it was also assembled in Hanover, Germany.

If you were not aware, the all-new Volkswagen Amarok will be sharing a platform with the brand-new Ford Ranger that has just been revealed. We’re impressed by what the new Ranger offers based on what we’ve seen so far, so expectations are quite high for the Volkswagen version.

 
Volkswagen Amarok teased for the umpteenth time – it’s a looker

“Let’s give them many teasers.” was clearly the outcome of the a string of many marketing meetings had at Volkswagen AG leading up to the announcement of the all-new Volkswagen Amarok.

Well consider us sufficiently teased – VW has released yet another set of teaser images of the new bakkie, which will share many components with the highly-anticipated new Ford Ranger.

VW refers to these as “near-production sketches” and so while they might offer us a proper glimpse into the styling of the new bakkie, it’s not likely that design elements such as exaggerated fender arches and wispy-thin low-profile tyres will make it through to the final production model. Either way, it’s not likely, after all of these teasers, that there will be too many surprises once the final version of the new Amarok is unveiled which we can expect to take place mid-2022.

 
The Ford Ranger Raptor Reveals A Sneak Peek At The New Volkswagen Amarok

The shared platforms between the Ranger and Amarok could point to a tougher midsize truck from VW

The 2023 Ford Ranger Raptor is almost here, and it’s looking a lot like the Ranger’s stablemate, the Ford Everest. There’s another new model that’ll possibly share the Ranger’s appearance and platform. Not the Ford Maverick, but the new Volkswagen Amarok. VW is keeping a lid on the upcoming Amarok’s specs but has revealed early impressions of its midsize truck.

With this next generation, the Amarok will be a joint Ford and VW venture. We can now compare the early designs of the Amarok to those of the Ranger Raptor to get a sneak peek at the final design of the upcoming truck:

I’ll admit I was skeptical of the Ford and VW pairing, because I was afraid it would change the Amarok into something unrecognizable. The design that VW has teased is a big departure from the clean lines and simple bodywork of the previous truck. The new Amarok is bigger than before at about 5.35 meters, which is the same length as the current Ranger. Unless the new Ranger grew significantly, the two trucks are probably close in size.

 
No Raptor Version of New Amarok, Insists Ford

Wondering whether the upcoming new Volkswagen Amarok range will be topped by a Ranger Raptor-based flagship? Well, a Ford engineer says it’s not part of the deal…

Unless you’ve been living under a rather sizeable rock for some time, you’ll know the second-generation Volkswagen Amarok will be based on the new Ford Ranger and likewise built here in South Africa. But will the German firm’s new bakkie range include a Raptor-based performance model?

Ian Foston, T6 chief platform engineer, suggested to Drive the Raptor is entirely off the table.

“The deal was for a mid-size pick-up programme. The new Amarok is a fully differentiated sibling vehicle, however the arrangement is for the core models. Raptor for us is considered a separate sub-segment, and it’s not included in the sharing deal,” Foston told the Australian publication.

That would suggest the Blue Oval brand’s twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 EcoBoost petrol engine, which makes a whopping 292 kW and 583 Nm in the new Ranger Raptor, won’t find its way into the upcoming Amarok.

 
VW ‘Actively Looking At’ Electric Bakkie

The head of Volkswagen in North America says the idea of an electric bakkie represents the “chance of a lifetime”, confirming the German automaker is “actively looking at” creating such a vehicle.

A high-ranking Volkswagen executive has confirmed the company is “actively” considering the option of building an all-electric bakkie, suggesting the segment is ripe for “some new ideas”.

Volkswagen Group of America CEO Scott Keogh told Business Insider a battery-powered pick-up is “something we’re actively looking at”, but added there was “nothing to actually report now”.

In the United States, Ford offers an all-electric F-150 dubbed the Lightning, while Chevrolet is poised to launch a battery-powered Silverado. Keogh’s comments suggest VW wants a piece of that growing pie.

“I think it’s the chance of a lifetime in this segment because electrification gives you a reset moment. It gives you a chance to bring some, let’s say, alternatives and some new ideas into this great segment,” he explained.

“I think a buyer would historically say, ‘I buy F-150, I buy Ram, I buy Silverado’. Now they might be saying, ‘I’m going to buy an electric one’. That reset moment gives a competitive chance to come in, whether it’s Rivian or whether it’s us.”

 
Sorry Volks! Ford won’t be sharing Raptor tech with the Amarok, exec confirms

It’s common knowledge that the next-generation Volkswagen Amarok will be built by Ford, while sharing most of its DNA with the new Ranger. But many VW fans have also been wondering if there’s going to be a Raptor equivalent.

Sadly it appears that this won’t be happening.

According to CarsGuide, Ford Performance vehicle program director Ali Jammoul stated that Ford would not be sharing any of its Raptor technology with the Amarok.

“We want to protect Raptor. I am happy that this is Ford’s decision,” Jammoul told Australian media.

As a reminder, the new Ford Ranger Raptor is powered by a 3.0-litre V6 turbopetrol engine that produces 292kW and 583Nm, and just as importantly it comes with an updated version of the current Watt’s link rear suspension system complete with Fox Live Valve shocks.

Volkswagen has previously expressed interest in getting its own equivalent of the Raptor, and apparently some execs have requested this. However, Ford wants its halo performance model to itself and that’s perfectly understandable.

That’s not to say that there won’t be a hotter version of the next Volkswagen Amarok. CarsGuide previously reported that, as a backup plan, the company could again turn to Australian engineering firm Walkinshaw, which has already created the W580s and W580X versions of the current Amarok for the Aussie market. These vehicles feature modified suspension, all-terrain tyres and various design enhancements.

 
The Spirit of Amarok lives on with Volkswagen media challenge

It is no secret that there is a new Ranger based VW bakkie in the works but that hasn’t stopped the German brand from giving the current model the valediction it deserves. Our editor Damian Adams will be spending the next few days behind the wheel to get a real sense of the Spirit of Amarok.

Over the next few days, Damian will fly our flag high in the annual Spirit of Amarok competition which has been taking place since 2011. The amateur 4×4 precision driving championship has over 560 teams from Southern Africa, which translates into over 1,100 people converging on the Free State city of Bloemfontein over the next week.

Mark Handley, Head of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles added that: “The Spirit of Amarok championship has been taking place since 2011 and we’re incredibly proud of the growth of the competition. This competition creates the ideal environment where our customers can experience the capabilities of the Amarok.”

 
New VW Amarok: SA Launch Timing Confirmed

Though the second-generation Volkswagen Amarok has yet to be revealed, we now know when the German company’s local division plans to launch it in South Africa…

Volkswagen South Africa has quietly announced plans to launch the new Amarok bakkie locally in the first quarter of 2023.

Mark Handley, Head of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles at VW Group South Africa, confirmed the second-generation Amarok’s local launch timing when commenting on the start of the Spirit of Amarok competition, an amateur 4×4 precision driving championship that takes place in SA every year.

“This year’s competition is a fitting farewell to the current Amarok range, which has sold over 40 000 units since its launch in South Africa in 2010. From the first quarter of 2023, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles will launch the second-generation Amarok in the local market,” Handley said.

According to Ryan Davies (who was speaking to CarsGuide), Handley’s counterpart over in Australia, the reveal of the new Amarok will take place in July 2022. That global unveiling, of course, is set to take place right here in South Africa, with VW SA having on more than one occasion alluded to the world premiere as a locally hosted event.

 
2022 edition of Spirit of Amarok is a swansong before all-new bakkie arrives later this year

• The 2022 edition of the Spirit of Amarok challenge takes place in Bloemfontein.

• Amateur 4x4 off-roaders will put their skills to the test in the Amarok 3.0 TDI V6 4Motion.

• This year's event runs from 22 April to 27 June.

The 2022 edition of the Spirit of Amarok competition will be the swansong for the current Volkswagen Amarok bakkie. This year's competition, running from 22 April to 27 June, will be staged in Bloemfontein, and amateur off-roaders will again put their 4x4 precision driving to the test.

This year's event will see 560 teams (1 120 people) from South Africa, Namibia, and Botswana battle it out for bragging rights and taking home the coveted Wolf Trophy.

Mark Handley, Head of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, said: "The Spirit of Amarok championship has been taking place since 2011, and we're incredibly proud of the growth of the competition. This competition creates the ideal environment where our customers can experience the capabilities of the Amarok."

Wheels24 will be participating in the Spirit of Amarok Media Challenge, set to take place from 22-24 April at the Bloemfontein venue.

 
Volkswagen Amarok: electric version tipped for launch by 2025

Volkswagen engineers prefer prospect of an EV pick-up truck over a hybrid with a short electric-only range

Engineering is under way on an electric version of the upcoming second-generation Volkswagen Amarok.

The German car maker has teamed up with Ford for the zero-emission pick-up truck, which is tipped for possible production by the middle of the decade as a smaller and potentially more efficient alternative to the likes of the Tesla Cybertruck and Rivian R1T.

The partnership is an extension of the so-called Global Alliance, through which Volkswagen and Ford have developed more conventional petrol and diesel versions of the second-generation Amarok and fourth-generation Ford Ranger alongside each other in a program based at Ford Australia headquarters in Broadmeadows, Australia.

“We’re looking at a pure-electric version,” said Lars Krause, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicle board member responsible for marketing, giving new details of the new Amarok in Wolfsburg, Germany.

“It's still early, but it's something we're considering within the lifecycle.”

 
2022 Volkswagen Amarok: more details revealed for new pick-up

Pick-up truck, now twinned with new Ford Ranger, becomes even more capable

The second-generation Volkswagen Amarok has been redesigned from the ground up in an engineering programme aimed at giving the popular pick-up truck greater accommodation and load-carrying ability than its 12-year-old predecessor.

Set for UK sale before the end of the year, it has been developed in partnership with Ford and as such shares its chassis, suspension and drivetrains – as well as key elements of its body, interior and electrical architecture – with the new Ford Ranger.

Both trucks are based on the T6 ladder-frame chassis a box-section steel structure conceived by Ford but modified with input from Volkswagen, according to Lars Krause, marketing boss of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles (VWCV).

He said: “The new Amarok is a much better pick-up than if Volkswagen had done it alone. The same goes for Ford: without our input, the new Ranger wouldn’t be so good. The partnership has allowed us to pool our individual strengths. Beyond the business side of things, the product has benefited greatly.”

With more than 830,000 Amaroks sold to date, Krause revealed that VWCV is expecting big things from the truck, which was developed in Australia, Germany, the US and South Africa.


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