DRIVING IMPRESSION
Now that the Mercedes-Benz X350d’s existence has ended, Volkswagen remains the last diesel V6 standing. We drive the big Amarok before its replacement is (hopefully) released by the end of next year.
The Volkswagen Amarok was launched on 6 May 2010 at the Nampo Harvest Day in Bothaville. In terms of sales, it was never a runaway success, but it nevertheless made headlines and changed the bakkie industry irrevocably when the “small” turbocharged 2 ℓ engine landed.
The existing Amarok has been around for quite some time now. In April last year, it was announced that its replacement, the secondgeneration Amarok, would be built on local soil at Ford’s Silverton plant in Pretoria. Ford and Volkswagen will soon share a common platform, and “our” Amarok will be exported to more than a hundred countries.
In anticipation of the new Amarok, we drive the latest 190 kW model – launched earlier this year – for one last time.
Inside and out
The Volkswagen Amarok reveals its age on the inside with rock-hard yet durable plastic panels – a feature that was quite appropriate 11 years ago. These days, however, bakkie door panels are upholstered for a more luxurious feel.
The Amarok’s instrumentation was super modern a decade ago, and although that’s no longer true, it still looks classy in an oldschool way. The sound system even has a CD player for the die-hards still relying on this all but obsolete music medium.
We like the 12 V power socket at the base of the centre console for a two-way radio, and a second power point near the windshield for a GPS. There are also USB ports for phones, and the pockets in the doors are large enough for 1 ℓ water bottles. There isn’t a lot of room in the cubby hole, though – plus the manual takes up half the space.
The front seats are exceedingly comfy – in the seven days and 1 800 km we tested the Amarok, there was not a single day that we felt pins and needles.
It’s a different story at the back: only smallish people will find it comfortable; there’s limited legroom and you sit up straight. There’s also no air conditioning at the
In anticipation of the new Amarok, we drive the latest 190 kW model – launched earlier this year – for one last time
back, and passengers have to be content with the air eventually arriving from the very front, just like in the olden days. And then, there are no airbags for the rear passengers either – which is unacceptable these days in luxury bakkies. There are, at least, Isofix anchor points for baby seats.
Another oddity about the back seat is that you need two people to flip the backrest
– two loops on the farthest corners of the backrest have to be pulled simultaniously. The jack and reflective triangle are stored behind the backrest, and there’s little room for anything bigger.
Externally, the Amarok still looks great, especially for a design that’s already 11 years old, and we believe the Amarok will still look good in another 11 years. That’s, of course, thanks to Walter de Silva’s classic approach – he was the head designer at Volkswagen that oversaw the Amarok.
The Amarok’s load bin can take a standard pallet (800 x 1 200 mm), thanks to an inner measurement of 1 210 mm between the rear wheel arches. To the best of our knowledge, this is the only bakkie that can accomplish this task – not that your average Amarok owner will be carting pallets around.
How’s the drive?
Don’t let anyone tell you the Volkswagen Amarok is as comfy as a sedan, because the Amarok definitely has the characteristics of a bakkie. Yes, it’s silky smoothe on a highway – better than most other bakkies – but on a corrugated gravel road with almost nothing in the load bin, it definitely feels less planted than an SUV. We’re not saying it’s dangerous, since all bakkies feel a bit “loose” on a dirt road if they’re empty. The leaf springs on the rear axle can also cause it to bounce when the road gets bumpy, as we discovered on our way to the Gamkaskloof (read about that trip on page 32), but that is typical of a bakkie.
The Amarok’s full-time four-wheel drive – with a 60/40 torque distributor in the middle differential – gives peace of mind. On the muddy back roads of the Western Cape’s Overberg district, we never once worried about losing control.
Australia’s Amarok, the Core V6, is the only version in the world to get low-range gears. Here in South Africa, we only got Volkswagen’s 4Motion system, which requires very little input from the driver when it comes to 4x4 driving. You do have control of a rear diff lock, and there is a button next to the gear lever marked “Off Road”. With the push of this button, the hill descent control will prevent the Amarok from running away with you, and the ABS will adapt to the loose surface so it can come to a quicker stop than it would otherwise do.
The competitors
V engines with an uneven number of firing pistons on each side (such as the 1 + 2, 2 + 1 of a V6) tend to vibrate more than those with an equal number of sparked pistons (V8) or inline engines, but the vibrations is barely noticeable in the Amarok – and completely absent once you’re up to speed.
The V6 Amarok’s closest competitors when it comes to engine capacity, four-wheel drive, automatic gears, and trim levels are the Isuzu D-Max 300, Ford Ranger 3.2, and Toyota Hilux 2.8. Toyota also has a V6 model, but it’s a 4 ℓ petrol engine, and, therefore, not comparable.
At 3 198 cc, the Ranger has the largest engine capacity, in a straight five engine that lies longitudinally under the bonnet, and the Hilux is the smallest with 2,755 cc in a straight four that lies transversely.
The Amarok kicks out the most power and torque – 190 kW and 580 Nm respectively – compared to the runner-up, the Ranger’s
147 kW and 470 Nm. The Amarok also has an “overboost” function that increases the power to 200 kW for 10 seconds.
The competitors all have six-speed auto boxes and the Amarok has eight. The Amarok has the highest top speed (207 km/h), but it’s also the thirstiest, with a fuel consumption of 9,5 ℓ/100 km – we can confirm that figure.
And will it fit in your garage? The Amarok is the shortest amongst its competitors at
5 254 mm. It’s even shorter than the D-Max, and 10 cm shorter than the Ranger. Its ground clearance of 237 mm is equivalent to that of the Ranger and higher than the D-Max’s 220 mm. However, the D-Max can load 945 kg, compared to the Amarok’s load capacity of 838 kg. The Amarok’s wading depth is the weakest amongst its competitors – only 500 mm – while the Ranger boasts 800 mm.
The Amarok was way more posh than its competitors back in the day, but that’s no longer necessarily the case.
Yes, it can take a heavier load than a Hilux and can even gobble up a standard freight pallet, which the others can’t do, but nobody will make the claim that a VW Amarok is a workhorse.
The lack of legroom and the absence of airbags for the rear passengers are concerning, and the lack of low-range gears is unacceptable if you’re an off-road enthusiast. However, it remains a wonderful vehicle for the average South African looking for a comfortable and luxurious holiday bakkie. The purchase price is a bit eyewatering, but that’s just the curse that people with good taste have long ago had to accept.