2023 Volkswagen Amarok
| Fuel Efficiency | 7.1 - 9.9 / 100km |
|---|---|
| ANCAP Rating | 5-star |
| Warranty | 5 years |
| Fuel Efficiency | 7.1 - 9.9 / 100km |
|---|---|
| ANCAP Rating | 5-star |
| Warranty | 5 years |
About the Volkswagen Amarok
As one of Volkswagen’s most popular models in Australia, the Amarok has long been a solid performer not only for VW, but in the dual-cab ute segment in general. More recently it has cemented its place as the performance ute of choice, being the only V6 diesel dual-cab available.
By now you’ll probably be aware that the new 2023 Volkswagen Amarok shares a platform with the latest Ford Ranger and in addition to that, Volkswagen has had sizeable involvement in the development program from the very outset.
Throughout the Amarok's development, Volkswagen had over 20 engineers in Australia alongside the local Ranger team to design and engineer the Amarok to suit Volkswagen’s tastes.
Please note the data under CURRENT DEALS refers to the outgoing model.
Video Review
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2023 Volkswagen Amarok (inc. 0-100km/h & off-road) review
The all-new Amarok has finally landed in Australia! Paul Maric gets behind the wheel of the 2023 Volkswagen Amarok Aventura V6 to see if it's any good following our international launch review.
Volkswagen Amarok Photo Gallery
Volkswagen Amarok Price
2023 Volkswagen Amarok Core
- 2.0 TDI405 4Motion manual: $50,990
- 2.0 TDI405 4Motion six-speed auto: $52,990
2023 Volkswagen Amarok Life 2.0 TDI500 4Motion 10-speed auto: $56,990
2023 Volkswagen Amarok Style
- 2.0 TDI500 4Motion 10-speed auto: $66,990
- 3.0 TDI600 4Motion 10-speed auto: $70,990
2023 Volkswagen Amarok Panamericana 3.0 TDI600 10-speed auto: $75,990
- 2023 Volkswagen Amarok Aventura
- 3.0 TDI600 4Motion 10-speed auto: $79,990
- 2.3 TSI452 4Motion 10-speed auto: $79,990
Volkswagen appears to be throwing the feature book at the premium models and offering a greater mix of standard equipment at the lower end. It’ll likely result in a commensurate asking price.
The brand has progressively been building up the cost of the Amarok with special editions, the most recent example of which is the Amarok W580SE, priced from $86,990 before on-roads.
For reference, the Ford Ranger starts at $36,180 plus on-road costs in its most affordable guise, climbing to $76,990 for the Platinum V6. The twin-turbo V6 Raptor is more again, at $86,790.
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Volkswagen Amarok Range Guide
Standard equipment on the Amarok Core includes:
- Exterior
- 17-inch alloy wheels
- Electric folding mirrors
- LED headlights
- Tow bar with trailer brake controller
- Locking tailgate
- Mud flaps
- Cargo bed lighting and tie-downs
- Interior
- Fabric seats
- Vinyl floors
- Single-zone air-conditioning
- 10-inch portrait touchscreen
- Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
- Digital radio
- Wireless phone charging
Moving to the Amarok Life brings:
- Exterior
- Body-colour bumpers, mirrors, door handles
- LED fog lights
- Heated side mirrors with puddle lamps
- Locking wheel nuts
- Remote locking tailgate
- Interior
- Unique seat trim
- Six-speaker stereo
- Privacy glass
- Leather-wrapped shifter, steering wheel
- Carpet flooring and mats
- Auto-dimming rear mirror
- Other
- Electronic park brake
- Front tow hooks
- Rain-sensing wipers
- Automatic headlights
Moving to the Amarok Style adds:
- Exterior
- 18-inch alloy wheels
- Chrome rear bumper, steps
- Matrix LED headlights
- Tub liner
- Stainless steel sports bar
- Insulated windshield
- Keyless entry
- Interior
- ArtVelour seat trim
- Power driver’s seat
- Heated front seats
- 12-inch vertical touchscreen infotainment system
- 12-inch digital instrument cluster
- Dual-zone climate control
- Ambient lighting
- Other
- 360-degree camera
- Alarm system
- Hands-free park assist
The Amarok Aventura brings:
- Exterior
- Chrome bumpers, mirror, handles
- Rear sailplane
- Electric roller cover
- Interior
- Leather seats (Savona)
- Leather-trimmed dashboard
The Amarok PanAmericana adds:
- Exterior
- 18-inch alloy wheels
- All-terrain tyres
- Black bumpers, mirrors, door handles
- LED tail lights
- Black sports bar and steps
- Soft tonneau cover
- Roof rails
- Spray-in tub liner
- Interior
- Leather seats
- Leather-trimmed dash, doors
- Eight-speaker sound system
- Black headliner
- Powered passenger seat
Volkswagen Amarok Variants
Interior
Fit and finish, along with build quality appears to be pretty good. We did notice the rear air vent housing to be a little loose when pulled while moving the air vents in the second row. Outside of that, everything felt above board and what you’d expect from a premium dual-cab ute.
Storage space is good with two cup holders in the centre console, a slot for wireless phone charging, along with USB-C, 12V and USB-A connectivity. There’s also an additional USB-A port adjacent to the AEB equipment for the installation of a dash camera.
Two glove boxes come standard across the range, but the interior misses out on the cup holders beneath the air vents found on Toyota HiLux, Isuzu D-Max and some Ranger specifications.
Thankfully the steering wheel doesn’t use the haptic touch elements we’ve seen in some Volkswagen products. Instead it uses physical buttons with a slight flat bottom profile. It was strange to see a number of blank buttons on the wheel, even on the top-spec Aventura – perhaps they’re reserved for future features.
Moving to the second row, there’s now finally room for adults. The previous-generation Amarok had plenty of width to accommodate burly adults, but knee and leg room was very cramped.
Thanks to the Ranger’s increased wheelbase, you can now comfortably accommodate a tall adult in the second row behind the tall driver or front passenger.There’s also ample toe and head room.
While there are no USB outlets for charging devices, you will find a 230V power outlet (150W), along with a 12V outlet. There are also air vents, along with a centre armrest with two cup holders.
The second row’s seat base lifts to reveal a small storage area, along with a storage nook for the jack and other emergency safety equipment. The rear seats offer ISOFIX anchors on the outboard positions, along with two top-tether points. There’s no room to store items behind the seat back in the second row.
Exterior
The Volkswagen Amarok has a very distinctive exterior design that was worked on by teams both in Australia and Germany.
Volkswagen Amarok Colours
While options and pricing haven’t been confirmed yet, we know the Amarok will be available in eight exterior colours including one colour unique to VW.
- Frozen White
- Agate Black metallic
- Blue Lightning metallic
- Carbonised Grey metallic
- Lucid Red metallic
- Moondust Silver metallic
- Diffused Silver metallic
- Moroccan Blue metallic (unique to Volkswagen)
How it Drives
Australia’s line up will initially kick off with three of the five variants, before the final two arrive mid-2023.
Arriving first will be the Amarok Style (formerly known as the Highline), the PanAmericana (formerly the Canyon) and finally, the Aventura.
All three variants will be available with a 3.0-litre V6 turbo-diesel shared with the Ford Ranger; optional on the Style, and standard on both the PanAmericana and Aventura.
The Style will come standard with a 2.0-litre bi-turbo four-cylinder diesel, also shared with the Ford Ranger.
The Aventura will also offer a 2.3-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine as an option. This engine is unique to the Amarok and isn’t available with the Ranger locally; and is based on the same motor used in the likes of the Ford Focus ST hot hatch and Mustang High Performance pony car.
All three launch engines are mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission, with the V6 diesel and four-cylinder petrol driven through a permanent all-wheel drive system.
2.0-litre 4cyl turbo-diesel (Amarok)
- 125kW of power
- 405Nm of torque
- 6-speed manual or 6-speed automatic
2.0-litre 4cyl bi-turbo diesel (Life, Style)
- 154kW of power
- 500Nm of torque
- 10-speed automatic transmission
3.0-litre V6 turbo-diesel (Style, PanAmericana, Aventura)
- 184kW of power
- 600Nm of torque
- 10-speed automatic transmission
2.3-litre 4cyl turbo petrol (Aventura)
- 222kW of power
- 452Nm of torque
- 10-speed automatic transmission
Volkswagen Amarok Safety Rating
The all-new Volkswagen Amarok hasn’t been crash tested yet, but given it shares a platform with the Ford Ranger, it’s likely to share the same results.
The Ford Ranger received a five star ANCAP crash rating, with the Amarok coming with the following safety items.
Standard safety features across the range include:
- 9 airbags
- Autonomous emergency braking (AEB)
- Lane departure warning
- Lane keep assist
- Blind-spot assist
- Rear cross-traffic alert (pickup only)
- Road edge detection
- Trailer Coverage
- Reversing camera
- Rear parking sensors
Other safety equipment such as front parking sensors, adaptive cruise control with stop/go, surround-view camera, and fully-autonomous parking assist are available on higher trim levels.
Volkswagen Amarok Options
We expect a great selection of accessories to be available for the new Amarok. Some pictures of what may be available in the Australian market is below:
Volkswagen Amarok Warranty
All new Volkswagen vehicles come with a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty.
As a reference, the current Amarok has 12-month/20,000km service intervals, though final details for the Australian market are still to be confirmed.
Stay tuned for an update on service intervals and pricing for the new Amarok.
Volkswagen Amarok Fuel Economy
Depending on the variant, view the 2023 VOLKSWAGEN AMAROK fuel usage below.
All Highway, City, and Combined figures below are litres per 100km
| Variant | Series | Style | Fuel Type | Highway | City | Combined | E10? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CORE TDI405 4MOTION | NF MY23 | DUAL CAB UTILITY | DIESEL | - | - | 7.1 | - |
| CORE TDI405 4MOTION | NF MY23 | DUAL CAB UTILITY | DIESEL | - | - | 8.0 | - |
| LIFE TDI500 4MOTION | NF MY23 | DUAL CAB UTILITY | DIESEL | - | - | 7.2 | - |
| STYLE TDI500 4MOTION | NF MY23 | DUAL CAB UTILITY | DIESEL | - | - | 7.2 | - |
| STYLE TDI600 4MOTION | NF MY23 | DUAL CAB UTILITY | DIESEL | - | - | 8.4 | - |
| PANAMERICANA TDI600 4MOTION | NF MY23 | DUAL CAB UTILITY | DIESEL | - | - | 8.4 | - |
| AVENTURA TDI600 4MOTION | NF MY23 | DUAL CAB UTILITY | DIESEL | - | - | 8.4 | - |
| AVENTURA TSI452 4MOTION | NF MY23 | DUAL CAB UTILITY | UNLEADED PETROL | - | - | 9.9 | - |
Volkswagen Amarok Dimensions
The new Volkswagen Amarok measures 5350mm long, up 96mm on the previous model. It has a 3270mm wheelbase, and is 1910mm wide and and 1888mm tall.
Braked towing capacity is up to 3500kg and there’s a 6500kg gross combined mass. Payload is up to 1200kg depending on model.
Fording depth has increased from 500 to 800mm and thanks to the now-shorter overhangs, the front angle of approach figure is now 29 degrees, the departure angle is 21 degrees, and the ramp angle is 21 degrees.
The 2023 VOLKSWAGEN AMAROK measures 5350mm long, 1910mm wide and 1886mm tall, with a 3270mm tall wheelbase.
The 2023 VOLKSWAGEN AMAROK has a braked towing capacity of 3500kg and an unbraked towing capacity of 750kg.
Volkswagen Amarok Market Fit
The Volkswagen Amarok is categorised as a Pick Up or Cab Chassis 4X4 and has a price range of $50,990 to $79,990. There are currently 7 other options in the Pick Up or Cab Chassis 4X4 segment, those that fit within a similar price range include:
Should you buy the Volkswagen Amarok
We initially thought it’d be much the same as the Ranger. But, it’s quite clear that both teams worked together to develop the core ingredients for the product, but then split to tackle the implementation separately.
Volkswagen has a much wider band of driveability and where Ford has leant on comfort and cushiness, Volkswagen has leant far further into sportiness and variability between different models.
For the driver that wants a sharper ute that can be punted through corners but still do load carrying and towing, it feels like the Amarok is now the head-and-shoulders leader in the segment.
Competitor Analysis
Frequently Asked Questions
237mm maximum ground clearance
The new Volkswagen Amarok has an approach angle of 30 degrees
The new Volkswagen Amarok has a departure angle of 26 degrees
The new Volkswagen Amarok has a ramp angle of 21 degrees
Wading depth of the new Amarok is 800mm, while front and rear tracks are 1620mm and 1650mm respectively.
The new Volkswagen Amarok has a turning circle of 12.93m
The entire Amarok range will tow up to 3500kg with a braked trailer. Data on payloads is a little thin on the ground ahead of the launch, but we understand there is a maximum payload of 1190kg (likely for the entry-level model) and a GCM of 6500kg.
The Amarok’s tray measures 1625mm long, 1227mm between the wheel arches and 529mm deep.
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