Tall, white Americana . . . Volkswagen Amarok, that is

Lifestyle and entertainment editor Jenni Mortimer took the family away for a weekend in the new Volkswagen Amarok PanAmericana V6; but how did the pair become star-crossed lovers?

As the mother of a 4-yearold, who works in an inner-city office and carries nothing more in her car than some reusable grocery bags, an ample supply of baby wipes and enough crumbs to survive a short famine, you wouldn’t think I would need much more than my current mid-size SUV.

But when I drove the new Volkswagen Amarok PanAmericana V6, I felt cooler than Cool Runnings and, much like the iconic 1993 movie, I saw pride, I saw power. I saw a badass mother who didn’t take no crap out of nobody.

The Amarok is sleek around the edges and refined whereas some utility vehicles tend to skimp on detail. It’s fully equipped with hands-free charging, an absolutely massive touchscreen control panel, sexy semi-concealed interior door handles (yes, they’re equally sexy in the Ranger), and a fully electric interior operation system.

Possibly the ultimate parental bonus comes in the form of the massive backseat which fits the biggest of child booster seats with enough room that even the most excited little legs don’t kick the seat in front of them like a JetStar economy flight to Wellington.

As far as accessibility goes, getting a toddler in and out of a standard car isn’t always posturefriendly, but the Amarok was high enough that the car seat was directly set at my arm’s reach, making loading, unloading and Isofix installing an absolute dream.

Testing the Amarok’s longer distance pros and cons, I headed away for a weekend in Mangawhai. For such a large vehicle, the Amarok handled like an absolute dream and was easy to negotiate around tight corners; even parallel parking was a breeze with its sensors and cameras, even letting you know when you’re at risk of a crash.

Back in Auckland, a trip to Bunnings saw the tray loaded with stone pavers — which I was genuinely terrified would destroy the back — but didn’t leave a mark due to the textured and scratchproof tray. I don’t have the technical term for the material the tray was made out of, but it’s so durable it could well be Auckland’s answer to the great pothole dilemma.

And as for existing potholes, thanks to the dodgy Mangawhai Tavern car park, I tested those too, and it navigated them in such a manner that it earned legend status. Because while this truck is sexy to look at — and it is sexy — it’s also incredibly fit for purpose and incredibly hardwearing.

When I returned the truck after three lovely days, I felt genuinely sad. A tiny part of me I didn’t know existed had been ignited by its V6 engine, high frame and the looks on the road I got from people genuinely questioning “Why is that woman in a hot pink anorak listening to the Wiggles driving that huge truck?” Because while I know I don’t NEED the Amarok, I was left genuinely wanting it — buying a Lotto ticket and hoping that much like the star-crossed lovers we are, we would find our way back to each other. Some day.

So yes, the Amarok might just be the perfect vehicle for highoctane parents, who want a little luxury and maybe to feel alive again as they hold that leather steering wheel and enjoy the stares as they recite word-forword the lyrics to Fruit Salad, Yummy Yummy — and who wouldn’t want that?