The Volkswagen Amarok was just given a mid-life refresher earlier this year. Now, the Europe-only Volkswagen pickup has gone on sale in the UK with four variants to choose from. Also available at the launch is a special edition Aventura trim, to which only 240 examples will be made.
Exterior wise, the Amarok gets a revised front bumper, radiator grille, front fog lamps, LED third brake light and new alloy wheels. The interior now comes with an all-new dash panel design and Volkswagen’s MIB touchscreen infotainment system. Optional extras include navigation, Guide & Inform, Car-Net and App-Connect systems.
Safety equipment for the Amarok include four airbags, Electronic Stabilisation Programme (ESP), Automatic Post-Collision Braking System, Park Pilot and a rear-view camera.
For the exclusive Aventura edition, it adds on 19-inch alloys wrapped in 255/55 profile tyres, arch extensions, matte black Drabed coating for the cargo bed, “Discover Media” infotainment system, ParkPilot automatic parking system, front and rear parking sensors as well as a reversing camera. The Amarok Aventura also gets a unique Ravenna Blue Metallic paint finish.
New to the Amarok is a 3.0-litre V6 turbodiesel making it the only six-cylinder model in its segment. In its highest tune, the turbodiesel outputs 221 hp and 550 Nm of torque channelled through a conventional eight-speed automatic gearbox. This allows the Amarok to be capable of a century sprint time of 8.0 seconds and a top speed of 192km/h. The engine also comes with an over boost function that pumps the engine output to 237 hp. The same engine also comes in a lower 201 hp tune (paired to the eight-speed automatic), as well as a 161 hp manual variant to come in 2017.
For automatic variants, it features a permanent 4MOTION four-wheel drive system while the manual variants get a selectable 4MOTION four-wheel drive system. Additionally, customers can opt for a mechanical rear-axle differential lock for added off-roading capabilities.
In the UK, prices for the Amarok begins from £32,493.00 (RM181k) for the entry automatic model to £39,381.00 (RM220k) for the range topping limited edition Aventura.
With luxury brands trying to get a hand in the pickup segment (such as the Mercedes X-Class) and the growing demand for luxury pickups, the Volkswagen Amarok may be an interesting proposition to the Malaysian market. What do you think, dear readers? Should Volkswagen Passenger Cars Malaysia (VPCM) toy with the idea of introducing the Amarok here?
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