The second-generation VW Amarok is a classy, upmarket alternative to the best-selling Ford Ranger
The Volkswagen Amarok looks and feels a little more upmarket than the closely related Ford Ranger, both inside and out, but that’s not enough for it to surpass our reigning Pick-up of the Year. It might feel more like a car to drive than ever, and it’s still capable of serving as a workhorse, but the Amarok’s lineup is more limited than its closest rivals. It’s also more expensive to buy, though that might just be the price you pay to have a classy and desirable truck like this.
About the Volkswagen Amarok
Family hatchbacks and SUVs are Volkswagen’s bread and butter, but the German giant has an extensive range of commercial offerings, including all-electric panel vans, enormous campervans, and a pick-up truck: the Amarok.
The original Amarok arrived in the UK in 2012, was updated in 2016 and remained in production until 2020. Its successor was unveiled in 2022, with a bold new look, lots of tech and more than a few components shared with the latest Ford Ranger.
That’s because the second-generation Amarok and Ranger are products of the ongoing cooperation between VW and Ford – the same partnership which allowed the Blue Oval to use the VW ID.4’s MEB platform for its new Explorer SUV. It’s a similar story with the two pick-ups, as the Amarok and Ranger use the same engines, suspension, transmissions and electronics, though you’d never tell by looking at them because of their strikingly different designs.
The Toyota Hilux is more versatile still, offering buyers the choice of Single, Extra and Double Cab bodies. The Hilux is a lot older than the Amarok however, which is clear once you take a seat inside and start to play with the technology. The only pick-up trucks on sale in the UK now are the Isuzu D-Max, SsangYong Musso and all-electric Maxus T90EV. Of course, you can still buy second hand examples of the Nissan Navara, Mercedes X-Class and Mitsubishi L200.
The Amarok lineup consists of the four specifications: Life, Style, PanAmericana and Aventura. The Amarok Life is the only model powered exclusively by a 2.0-litre four-cylinder diesel engine, which can be paired with either a six-speed manual gearbox or a 10-speed automatic transmission. Style-spec models are available with either the four-pot or a 3.0-litre V6, both mated to the Ford-scoured 10-speed auto. Meanwhile PanAmericana and Aventura-spec trucks only feature a 3.0-litre V6 diesel under the bonnet, and a 10-speed auto. Every model gets 4MOTION four-wheel drive as standard.
Volkswagen Amarok
The Amarok Life starts from just over £34,000 (excluding VAT) and comes with cloth upholstery, vinyl flooring, 17-inch alloy wheels, eight-inch digital driver’s display and a 10-inch portrait infotainment touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Safety kit includes lane assist, front and rear parking sensors, a reversing camera, adaptive cruise control and road sign recognition.
Style trim ups the starting price to about £42,500 (ex.VAT), but in return you get microfleece upholstery, 18-inch diamond-cut alloys, electric front seats, carpets, larger 12-inch instrument display and central touchscreen, matrix LED headlights, a 360-degree parking camera system, park assist with rear traffic alert, wireless smartphone charging, tyre pressure monitors and a roll hoop for the load bed.
The Amarok PanAmericana, which starts from over £47,000 (ex.VAT), has a much more rugged look, with black alloy wheels and exterior trim, silver roof rails and an X-themed grille design. Inside is full leather trim and a Harman Kardon sound system, while a rear diff lock and under-body guard boost its off-road ability.
Finally, sitting at the very top of the range, is the Amarok Aventura. With prices for the range-topper starting at a whisper over £48,000 (ex.VAT), the price bump from the PanAmericana is relatively small. For the extra money you get 21-inch wheels as standard, softer leather upholstery inside, a heated steering wheel and more chrome and silver trim than other models in the lineup. However, one important detail of the Aventura model lacks the all-important one-tonne payload needed to qualify as a commercial vehicle, meaning the PanAmericana is the highest-spec model that’s charged the flat rate of Benefit-in-Kind tax for LCVs.
Reliability and safety
Industry experts Euro NCAP describe the latest Amarok and Ranger as ‘corporate twins with identical structure and safety equipment’, which is why some tests were carried out on both and they share the same rating. The Amarok boasts Euro NCAP’s maximum five-star overall safety rating, and received 84 per cent score for adult occupant protection and safety assistance technology, plus 90 per cent in the child occupant protection category.
We did find interior quality was patchy in places on our test truck though, particularly the upper glovebox and dash top vents. There are also no physical climate controls in the Amarok, like you get in the Ranger. You do get a bank of toggle switches that offer handy shortcuts, but full climate controls are still within the touchscreen, along with all the off-road drive modes.
Speaking of which, the base Amarok Life is fitted with a 10-inch portrait-oriented touchscreen and eight-inch digital driver’s display, while the rest of the lineup features two 12-inch displays. The Amarok we drove used the larger displays, and being a Ford-sourced unit the Amarok’s central touchscreen is much better to use than those in other VWs we’ve tested recently.
It runs VW’s own software and graphics, but wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are both standard-fit on all Amaroks, in case you’re not a fan of the built-in infotainment or navigation. Meanwhile the 12-inch Digital Cockpit display is fully customisable and can show power distribution and off-road info.
There’s a decent of storage throughout the cabin thanks to deep door bins, a twin glovebox and a another cubby underneath the armrest. The rubberised tray ahead of the gear selector is where you can place a smartphone to charge it up.
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