VW’s Amarok will now be produced in Mzansi and the Wolfsburg manufacturer has hinted at its next bakkie
The current Amarok was VWs first foray into the lucrative bakkie market and it gradually focused on the double cab segment in Mzansi with no single cab sold at this time in our local market. It was the first company to introduce small capacity turbo engines in the segment (2.0 Turbo & Bi-Turbo models) and was also the first to bring the V6 3.0 Turbo engines into popularity locally. With the Extreme package, VW was now targeting the lifestyle, family and business buyer with one package but now time has come to launch a new model.
Developed in conjunction with the Americans, the New Amarok will be produced in Mzansi and sold to the world. Worries that it might be copy of the Americans have been dealt with as VW showed a sneak peak of how the new Amarok will look like inside and out. The sneak show a design that looks good, and is highly capable: the new Amarok not only has a completely new appearance inside and out, but in future also has even more extensive equipment on board, which is useful not only when being utilised as work tools. The front continues the LED theme as seen on recent VWs with a strip running on the front grille whilst on the side one will clearly see the Amarok DNA flared wheel arches in a square design. The “cape” rollover bar is also retained hinting at the top of the line model. There is likely going to be single, extra and double cab models with even low spec models for the commercial market.
The inside shows the tech fest as expected with a large touchscreen dominating the dash whilst the digital instrument cluster is now available. The shabby gear-lever will now be wire connected and will likely feature the design as seen in the latest Golf 8. Now in its third generation, the new vehicle has significantly more driver assist systems and knows how to impress customers in terms of connectivity. The Amarok will from 2022 thus be featuring innovations that have not been seen before in this segment. And it will still, of course, not be deterred by any rough terrain.
In the southern hemisphere the vehicle –the only one to date with V6-cylinder diesel engines as drive system to make a name for itself in pick-ups’ so-called B segment –is still going strong. In Europe it will again be possible to order the Amarok as a new vehicle from late 2022.