Volkswagen details Ranger-based next-gen Amarok

Wednesday, 27 April 2022

This is the new Amarok. Well, this is the new Amarok underneath about 20 kilos of camouflage.

Volkswagen has opened up a bit on the second-generation Amarok, divulging details on the chassis, powertrain options, and design.

As you’re probably aware, the new Amarok shares its platform with the upcoming Ford Ranger, which itself is a heavy rework of the existing T6 chassis. According to Lars Krause, head of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, the two companies collaborated more than simply sharing parts between each other.

Not much to see, but that tray will carry up to 1200kg, VW says.

“The new Amarok is a much better pick-up than if Volkswagen had done it alone. The same goes for Ford: without our input, the new Ranger wouldn’t be so good.

“The partnership has allowed us to pool our individual strengths. Beyond the business side of things, the product has benefited greatly,' he told international media recently.

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Changes compared to the old model include a 175mm increase to the wheelbase (3270mm total), and a 5350mm long overall body, a bump of 100mm. That means the front and rear overhands should be a bit shorter this time around, improving off-road abilities. VW confirmed the approach angle is better, at least, as well as the fording depth, expected to match the Ranger’s 800mm.

Volkswagen also claims a rather chunky 1200kg payload capacity, but doesn’t specify which variant this will apply to, and a roof-loading capacity of 350kg.

Under the bonnet will be a range of powertrains, including a V6 and a slew of turbo-fours. VW didn’t confirm anything beyond “one petrol and up to four different diesels with four to six cylinders and cubic capacity of 2.0 to 3.0 litres – optionally with rear-wheel drive, or on-demand or permanent all-wheel drive”, depending on the market.

It’s unclear from that statement if VW will swap any of Ford’s engines out for its own, but it probably will, considering how popular the outgoing diesel V6 was. Expect them all to be paired with either Ford’s ten-speed automatic or a six-speed auto.

As for electrification, that’s still an unknown. The Ranger platform supports mild hybrids, plug-in hybrids and fully electric powertrains, so we’d imagine at least one of those to debut before the end of the decade, if not all three.

It probably goes without saying, but Volkswagen will bring a range of styling tweaks to the new Amarok, compared to both the outgoing model and the Ranger. Peering through the camouflage, we can see the front end looks fairly typical of the Volkswagen fleet, with a thick grille, LED headlights, and new-look taillights. Volkswagen says 21-inch wheels with all-terrain tyres will also be available for the first time.

Inside will be more Ranger than Amarok, with the 10.1-inch to 12.1-inch infotainment set to use Ford’s Sync4 software. Alongside will be wider and more comfortable front seats and a large rear bench.

The new Amarok will debut in July – stay tuned.