Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles has announced that the second-generation Amarok will officially go on sale in South Africa on March 18, 2023. This new bakkie range is proudly built in South Africa and will be available in a single and double cab, with five different trim lines: Amarok, Life, Style, PanAmericana and Aventura. The new Amarok has a long wheelbase, which enhances proportions and off-road qualities, and comes with an impressive premium interior with intuitive digital and analogue controls. The exterior of the Amarok is also new, with a charismatic front section, straight and very upright bonnet, and bars running horizontally across the radiator grille with concisely integrated LED headlights.
The second-generation Amarok is 96 mm longer than its predecessor and has a wheelbase of 3 270 mm, which represents an increase of 173 mm. This provides more room, especially on the double cab’s second row of seats, and improves off-road capability thanks to better approach and departure angles. The new Amarok is also enhanced by much greater wading depth which has increased to 800 mm (previously it was 500 mm). The Amarok is available in a range of engine options, with four turbocharged diesel engines and power output levels ranging from 110 to 184kW.
The new Amarok has ample room in the loading bay for payloads of up to 1.16 tonnes, with enough room for a Euro pallet loaded in sideways. Cargo in the load bed can also be secured using an electrically operated roll cover. The new Amarok also has an impressive maximum towing capacity of over 3 tonnes and a new range of wheel options (starting from 16-inch up to 21-inch). The bakkie will, depending on the derivative, also be sold with ex-factory all-terrain tyres for 17 and 18-inch alloy wheels.
The new Amarok’s interior has a high-quality functional appearance, with intuitive controls, digital cockpit, and tablet-style infotainment display. The spectrum of display units is made up of digital 8.0-inch or 12-inch instruments and a modern touchscreen in tablet format for the infotainment system ranging from 10-inch to 12-inch. The Amarok also has new driver assistance systems that make driving more effortless.
Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles sold over 830 000 units of the first-generation Amarok globally. The outgoing Amarok was launched in South Africa in 2010 and has sold 42 450 units in the local market to date. Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles is proud that the new Amarok range, which consists of the single and double cab derivatives, will be built in South Africa, thus supporting the local economy. The Amarok has always been an important vehicle for Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, and this new range is sure to continue that legacy.
All Amarok versions with a power output of 154kW and above will come standard with the new 10-speed automatic gearbox served via a shift-by-wire system. The new 10-speed gearbox replaces the 8-speed automatic transmission of the predecessor model. In addition, there will also be 5-and 6-speed manual gearboxes as well as a 6-speed automatic gearbox.
2.0 TDI 110kW. The four-cylinder engine with a 5-speed manual transmission produces 110kW of power with maximum torque of 350Nm. The top speed is 170km/h. Fuel consumption is 6.9 litres/100km.
2.0 TDI 125kW. The four-cylinder engine with a 6-speed manual transmission produces 125kW of power with maximum torque of 405Nm. The top speed is 180km/h. Fuel consumption on the 2.0 TDI 125kW is 6.9 litres/100km. Fuel consumption on the 2.0 TDI 125kW with 4MOTION is 7.1 litres/100km and 7.7 litres/100km on the 2.0 TDI 6-speed automatic with 4MOTION.
2.0 BiTDI 154kW 4MOTION. This four-cylinder engine with a 10-speed automatic transmission produces 154kW of power with maximum torque of 500Nm. The top speed is 180km/h. Fuel consumption is 7.5 litres/100km.
3.0 TDI V6 184kW 4MOTION. The six-cylinder engine with a 10-speed automatic transmission produces 184kW of power with maximum torque of 600Nm. The top speed is 180km/h. Fuel consumption is 8.4 litres/100km.
Recommended Retail Price (VAT and emissions tax included):
| Amarok 2.0 TDI 110kW 5-speed manual | R599 000 |
| Amarok 2.0 TDI 125kW 6-speed manual | R650 500 |
| Amarok 2.0 TDI 125kW 4MOTION 6-speed manual | R721 500 |
| Amarok Life 2.0 TDI 125kW 6-speed manual | R683 500 |
| Amarok Life 2.0 TDI 125kW 4MOTION 6-speed manual | R738 000 |
| Amarok Life 2.0 TDI 125kW 4MOTION 6-speed auto | R760 000 |
| Amarok Life 2.0 BiTDI 154kW 4MOTION 10-speed auto | R825 500 |
| Amarok Style 2.0 BiTDI 154kW 4MOTION 10-speed auto | R900 000 |
| Amarok Style 2.0 BiTDI 154kW 4MOTION 10-speed auto (Comfort Package) | R919 500 |
| Amarok Style 3.0 TDI V6 184kW 4MOTION 10-speed auto | R966 000 |
| Amarok Style 3.0 TDI V6 184kW 4MOTION 10-speed auto (Comfort Package) | R985 500 |
| Amarok PanAmericana 2.0 BiTDI 154kW 4MOTION 10-speed auto | R987 000 |
| Amarok PanAmericana 2.0 BiTDI 154kW 4MOTION 10-speed auto (Comfort Package) | R1 017 000 |
| Amarok PanAmericana 3.0 TDI V6 184kW 4MOTION 10-speed auto | R1 053 000 |
| Amarok PanAmericana 3.0 TDI V6 184kW 4MOTION 10-speed auto (Comfort Package) | R1 083 000 |
| Amarok Aventura 3.0 TDI V6 184kW 4MOTION 10-speed auto | R1 105 000 |
The new Volkswagen Amarok now comes standard with a 4-year/ 120 000km warranty, a 5-year/ 100 000km EasyDrive Maintenance Plan and a 6-year anti-corrosion warranty. The service interval is 15 000km.
