Volkswagen Amarok
V6 provides VW with plenty of poke. We find out if that gives it an edge
MODELTESTED: Vwamarok 3.0 V6 TDI 204PS 4MOTION Highline auto PRICE: £38,123 ENGINE: 3.0-litre V6, 201bhp
WHEN the Volkswagen Amarok arrived in 2010, it raised the bar for car-like luxury in the pick-up truck sector. Like the X-class, it’s only offered with a five-seat double-cab body, but prices start from a slightly lower £30,455. Here we test the Highline model with VW’S 201bhp 3.0-litre V6 diesel.
Design & engineering
WHILE Mercedes turned to Nissan to get a head start in making its first double-cab pick-up, VW created the Amarok from scratch. Like its rivals here, it features bodyon-frame construction, and up front it has doublewishbone suspension, but there are traditional leaf springs at the rear. It’s an older-style layout, although it’s very much the norm in the pick-up truck class because of its ability to cope with heavy loads.
While a single-cab version of the Amarok is available in some countries, the UK range comprises exclusively double cabs. Like other VW models, the lines of the Amarok are simple and quite handsome, with its bluff front and boxy wheelarches. Highline models can be had with 19-inch alloys that fill them out nicely.
An update in 2016 saw the 2.0 TDI diesels replaced by a 3.0 V6 TDI in three power outputs (161bhp, 201bhp and 221bhp). A six-speed manual box with selectable 4MOTION four-wheel drive is offered at the bottom of the range, but the rest are permanent 4WD with an eight-speed automatic.
Inside, the Amarok will have a familiar appearance to anybody who has driven any VW product in the past decade. It doesn’t have the latest technology, but the kit it comes with is easy to use, and while the plastics are a little on the hard side, everything feels well built, if not quite up to the Mercedes in terms of quality.
Driving
UNTIL the Mercedes X 350 d arrives later this year, the Amarok is the only V6-powered double-cab pick-up truck on sale in the UK. It certainly adds to the driving experience, because it’s smoother, more powerful and more responsive than the four-cylinder engines found in its rivals here.
With 201bhp and 500Nm of torque, it’s a real powerhouse, and the Amarok walked all over its rivals in our acceleration tests. It managed 0-60mph in nine seconds flat, which was 2.4 seconds ahead of the X-class. That’s pretty impressive for a vehicle as big and bulky as this, and the Amarok will take other road users by surprise at the traffic lights. Fast but smooth shifts from the eight-speed auto helped it rattle through the gears, while having all that torque from 1,250rpm helped in-gear performance, too.
Cruising comfort is good, but there is a greater tendency for the Amarok’s rear end to bounce over bumps than in the X-class. Our car’s 19-inch wheels featured lower-profile rubber than the Mercedes’, so the ride felt more unsettled at lower speeds, too.
However, as soon as you put anything substantial in the load area, the back end of the Amarok settles down nicely, delivering the kind of smooth and comfortable ride for which a leaf-spring set-up is designed. If you’re planning on heading off the beaten track in the Amarok, we’d recommend upgrading to a set of off-road tyres. Summer rubber is fitted as standard to help fuel efficiency, and the limits of these tyres will stop you well before the truck’s 4MOTION system is overwhelmed.
Practicality
A TOWING capacity of 3.1 tonnes for the Amarok is pretty good for the class, but both the X-class and the Navara have it beaten, because they can both tow up to 3.5 tonnes. Still, the VW strikes back with a larger payload weight of 1,112kg, which is 58kg ahead of the Navara, and a floor area of 2.52 square metres.
The pick-up bed is set slightly lower than the X-class’s, too, with a floor height of 780mm, and the Amarok’s tailgate is slightly larger, making it easier to load up. However, all three trucks are capable of taking a 1,200mm by 800mm euro pallet between their wheelarches, so you’re not left wanting when it comes to carrying ability in any of these models.
Interior space is also good in the Volkswagen, although the rear seats are a touch more cramped than those in the X-class. But this is countered by a lower shoulder line for the windows, so occupants in the back seats won’t feel hemmed in.
Ownership
EURO NCAP tested the Amarok when it first arrived in 2010, and it earned four stars. In comparison, the X-class was awarded five stars in the more recent, tougher test, so the VW has fallen behind in the safety stakes. Of course, that doesn’t mean the pick-up is dangerous; it just lacks the latest safety technology.
You do get six airbags, stability control with trailer assist and post-collision braking, but autonomous braking, adaptive cruise and lane assist aren’t available and a tyre pressure monitor is £186 extra.
Running costs
AT £38,123, the Amarok Highline costs £2,797 less than the X 250 d Power; you can even go for the more powerful 221bhp version and still save nearly £2,200. Standard kit is slightly better, with leather and parking sensors included, plus VW charges less than Mercedes for accessories such as tonneau covers and tow bars.
While the Amarok’s quoted economy is poorer than the X 250 d’s, we achieved better returns in the VW on test (30.1mpg vs 28.3). Of course, this will vary depending on the type of driving you do and the loads you carry, but an 80-litre fuel tank helps the Volkswagen truck to go further between fills.
Testers’ notes
“VW currently offers the Amarok Dark Label edition. It’s based on the 201bhp model and gets exclusive wheels, metallic grey paint and more kit. At £41,423, it’s clearly designed to steal sales from the X 250 d.”