VOLKSWAGEN AMAROK DC 3,0 V6 TDI EXTREME AT

IT’S often evident there’s a clear hierarchy on our roads and that it’s largely linked to vehicle size.

The December holidays again led me to appreciate the sheer scale of the Amarok. Had I been driving, for example, a small hatchback, I’m sure some fellow road users and taxis would have executed daring and rather dangerous moves in my vicinity but I noticed that, in the Amarok (or potentially any other bakkie or large car), all I needed to do was hold my line to deter others from executing cheeky manoeuvres. A vehicle such as the Amarok certainly imbues a sense of safety but it’s a pity not all road users feel quite so secure.

Over the holidays, the Amarok proved the perfect companion for various tasks I needed to perform round the house. Having a handy load bay means not having to worry about soiling the interior of a passenger car when loading garden rubble, for example. On this Amarok, however, ultimate prac- ticality is hamstrung slightly: the lockable bay cover opens only to a point. That said, it is handy being able to leave things in the load bay without a fear of items getting nicked.

Throughout its tenure, the Amarok’s comfort and the performance on offer have been hugely impressive and I rarely wish I’m behind the wheel of something smaller and more manageable.

It was flawlessly reliable, too, until a few days before its first service, when one of the fuses linked to the electronic motors for the driver’s seat blew. This was duly fixed during the service and the seat operation returned to normal. However, it appears the new fuse has blown, too, as the driver’s seat will no longer slide on its runners.

Thankfully, because I’m generally the only person driving the Amarok, it hasn’t proved an annoyance. I’ll have it seen to by the local Volkswagen dealership and report back.