While South African's are no stranger to the Volkswagen Amarok range, the German automaker recently added two powerful 190 kW derivatives to the line-up. While in terms of styling, the new model remains very similar to the model it replaces, some new features come fitted as standard.
The Amarok is offered in a total of four derivatives, two comes fitted with a 2.0-litre, bi-turbocharged, 4-cylinder diesel motor while the other two models are powered by a 3.0-litre, turbocharged, V6 diesel engine.
Styling
The most recent addition to the Volkswagen Amarok range retains the chrome accents and familiar design cues of the model it replaces. However, upon closer inspection, you will find Bi-Xenon headlights complemented by LED daylight running lights. Further down the side, you will find blacked-out B-pillars and if you opted for the Extreme trim package, 20-inch alloy wheels feature where usually you will find 18-inch variants as standard.
The Extreme trim also results in a rubberised load bed as well as an Extreme branded body-coloured sports bar at the back of the cabin to match the Atlantic Blue, Iridium Grey, Mojave Beige and Candy White paint finishes.
Safety
The new addition to the Amarok range comes fitted with ABS and EBD as well as ESP as standard. Customers can also expect hill descent control, hill start assist and a rearview camera. In the event of an accident, the front occupants are kept safe by the front and side airbags, while at the rear Volkswagen has installed ISOFIX for child seats.
The Extreme variants see their standard safety features bolstered with the fitment of Automatic Post-Collision Braking System and Electronic Trailer Stabilisation.
Performance
As pointed out earlier, there are only two engine options available in the Amarok range. The new V6 is the star of the show with its 190 kW, 200 kW for 10 seconds when the overboost function is engaged, and 580 Nm of torque. This makes it one of the quickest pickups in the market, also one of the most powerful. Let us compare them side by side.
| Volkswagen Amarok 3.0 V6 TDI 4Motion | Volkswagen Amarok 2.0BiTDI 4Motion | |
| Engine | 3.0-litre, turbocharged, V6 diesel | 2.0-litre, bi-turbocharged, 4-cylinder diesel |
| Transmission | 8-speed automatic | 8-speed automatic |
| Power | 190 kW (Overboost: 200 kW for 10 seconds) | 132 kW |
| Torque | 580 Nm | 420 Nm |
| 0-100 km/h | 7.6s | 11.3s |
| Top speed | 207 km/h | 179 km/h |
| Fuel consumption | 9.5 L / 100 km | 8.5 L / 100 km |
| CO2 emission | 250 g/km | 224 g/ km |
*This table was compiled with information sourced from www.duoporta.co.za
