Volkswagen Amarok Adventura
Not for the faint of heart or the blue of collar, the Amarok Aventura has a well-defined market – one which the top end Amarok has created for itself.
With the Aventura being the pride of the ute line-up from Volkswagen, the Amarok’s range is a very precise – kind of what Volkswagen stands for when you think about it.
With many other brands, having a range of utes with different specification levels is not unusual, but this is more of a nuisance than not as consumers can be paralysed with indecision, especially as manufacturers try to supply all things to all buyers.
Volkswagen has taken a different and very orderly approach, launching the four Amarok versions and inadvertently (maybe?) tailoring them to specific buyers.
In the case of the Aventura, we believe the specific buyer – in the fleet sense anyway – is upper-level management, business owners and senior staff.
Of course, we are speaking in generalities, but the Aventura is the ute with all the fruit, and some would suggest its ‘spec and comfort levels are too good for a working utility.
In saying this, we’re not taking anything away from the Aventura’s abilities. Quite the contrary in fact as we have seen what the Aventura can do off-road and someone at Volkswagen went a little left of centre by equipping the Aventura with the best of the off-road mechanicals.
The selectable 4MOTION system onboard the Aventura has the serious off-road mode functions of mud/ track deep sand/snow, but in an interesting dichotomy, the top-of-the-line Amarok comes with the 20-inch alloys so desirable as on-road show-stoppers, but not the sort of rims you’d want to subject to serious off-road work.
At one time, the appointment of the Aventura would suggest all show and little go, but we can attest to the Aventura’s ability so perhaps this adjusts our interpretation of who the Aventura is aimed at?
No, we still maintain the Aventura is well specified for the buyer who has made it to the top of their game. It just so happens that it has all the off-rad credentials of the Amaroks which are more commonly found as working utes.
Aventura’s rear tray for example, does not need to have that very stylish sail plane connecting the tray to the cab roof, but it does look good, sophisticated in fact.
The same can be said for the interior appointment which, in addition to a premium leather/suede trim and high-quality finishing elements, uses the expanded cabin space to provide comfortable and generous seating for five.
Almost as ethereal as eyebrows, built-in cabin space sends a subtle but pervasive message of premium quality carried throughout the interior.
In fact, every aspect of the Aventura is geared towards a vehicle delivered with sophisticated refinement at its heart, which segues nicely into the performance of the three-litre, V6 engine.
In keeping with the rest of the Aventura, the engine doesn’t deliver brutish power, nor does it come across as being overly stressed.
Mated to the 10-speed automatic, the engine delivers its power and torque smoothly and comfortably in every situation and is yet another demonstration of the eloquence inherent in the Amarok Aventura.
Drive-wise, the 20-inch tyres are the one area where the Aventura is a little weak. We prefer the slightly softer ride of the Life model with its 17s or maybe venturing up to an 18inch a la the Style or Panamericana.
The 20s just come across as being a little coarse, though there is no sacrifice in precision or handling – we suspect this comes down to the overall chassis excellence found throughout the Amarok range.
NZ Company Vehicle has always maintained the Amarok is the thinking driver’s ute, right from the first generation’s arrival in 2010. This continues today, with the Amarok’s evolution and range sophistication underscoring the intelligent ute’s appellation.
The Aventura is the quintessential demonstration of a premium utility vehicle bolstered by the excellence of the models arrayed below it. Does this justify its price? Most certainly.
Volkswagen’s pricing ladder for the Amarok, and particularly for the Aventura, is in keeping with what consumers could expect to pay, even when compared to other utes.
The pricing and comparatively compressed range of the Amarok, however, suggests careful consideration when it comes to Amarok selection.
Aventura historically has a devoted, dedicated and somewhat selective ‘fanbase’ and we see the new generation model with its focus on delivering sophistication in as many areas as possible, continuing this trend.