VW names pickup Amarok
June 5, 2009 by David Twomey
Volkswagen’s move into the utility market is certainly no ‘wolf in sheep’s clothing’ although it will be named Amarok, which means ‘wolf’ in the Inuit language.
In August the Amarok will become the first pickup by a European volume manufacturer when it is unveiled in South America.
The South American launch is set for early 2010, with the Amarok coming to Europe in the northern hemisphere summer.
With the Amarok, Volkswagen is seeking to enter global pickup markets dominated for the most part by Japanese manufacturers.
Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles already presented an impressive concept truck at last year’s IAA Commercial Vehicles, providing a taste of the brand’s new fourth model.
The Amarok will be produced in Argentina at Volkswagen’s “Pacheco” plant near Buenos Aires.
VW says the name Amarok comes from the language of the Inuit, who live in northern Canada and Greenland, and means wolf.
The Inuit, one of the Eskimo peoples, regard the wolf as the king of the wilderness, an impressive figure due its strength, robustness, endurance and superiority.
This name also means “he loves stones” in the Romance languages, which are spoken in the major markets in Brazil and Argentina.
In these markets, pickups are highly in demand as recreational and commercial vehicles due to their versatility. The Amarok’s reliability and suitability for off-road driving will make it a very attractive proposition.
“This name fits to a tee the characteristics of our pickup, which will set new standards in its class. We took great care selecting this name, which can be used globally.
“The Amarok is meant to invoke positive associations in all relevant international markets and make a more convincing argument than its established competitors right from the start,” says Stephan Schaller, CEO of the brand Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles.
VW says the Amarok is the first pickup of this kind from a European manufacturer and the sixth model from the Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles brand.
It follows the Caddy, Transporter (or Multivan) and Crafter as well as the Saveiro and T2, both of which are available exclusively in South America, is a significant component in the Volkswagen Group’s growth strategy and opens a new segment for Volkswagen.
Developed from scratch, the Amarok will be launched as a double-cab pickup. The Amarok is set be launched first in South America and Central America in 2010, followed by Russia and Europe as well as Africa and Australia.
Print it: 
Looks good,tuff and modern with out being too round and bubble like(Triton)and with a tuff name Amarok,like its saying I AM A ROCK.
Bloody hell, I didn’t think VW could pull off a truck, but there you go, it looks good. As Phill said, looks tough yet modern. Be interesting to see how well it works when its released.
what a flash looking hunk of junk. Nothing European is reliable. You can’t go past the good old Japanese……. sorry bad day….. i feel better now. I have an awesome nome for the drivers of the Amarok….. I-am-a-co*k… done now. ta
although i hate toyota i dont think this will be enough to even make the Hilux take a second glance.
“Amarok” is also the name of an MP3 player that runs on Linux. Clearly VW isn’t worried about confused nerds wandering into their showrooms and asking “Is it compatible with my iPod?”
It’s very close to “Anorak” and joins a long list of cars whose names can be massaged into something derisory, like the TuRD Aurion. Their makers should have thought a little harder.
I drive an anorak.
Yo G Man,
1.3 million current generation Yaris hatchbacks and sedans recalled.
130,000+ Land Cruisers (78, 79, 100 & 105 series) along with the LX470 recalled.
259,119 Camry sedans recalled in China.
39,100 stainless steel exhaust tip retention clamps recalled in USA.
31,000 CX-9 models built between 2007 and 2009 recalled in USA.
7,100 2009 MAZDA3 units are being recalled for an ECU reflash.
435,400 vehicles globally to fix faulty electronic wires and brake lamps… Nissan.
240,000 Nissan trucks in 20 cold weather US states recalled.
Subaru recalls: something new every week by the looks of things.
Now G Man, I presume the ‘G’ is short for Gelada, I’m not posting Japanese recall notices to say that the European brands aren’t also effect by recalls; but more so to rebuff your claim that the Jap’s a more reliable.
I had the latest gen MX-5, less than 30,000kms on the clock, fully serviced by mazda dealer in line with warranty… it dropped a bearing which required the engine to be replaced, following which their was an error with the electrics which required the ECU to be replaced (all under warranty thankfully) – subsequently, I sold the Mazda and bought a Golf… 90,000kms on the clock and not one hick-up!
here we go… someone has had a bad experience with one jap car and one trouble free euro and then come to the conclusion that jap cars are not as reliable as euros.
if there is anything that jap cars can be credited with (on the whole) is that they are “generally” more reliable than vehicles from any other region. One trouble free golf does not change that.
Cuts both ways I believe.
Same ancillary bits fail in most cars at about the same age/klms these days.
Latest MX5 WOW! I would have forgiven it.
Well this is going to make every competitor a bit redundant. Who would buy a Hilux, Navara, Ranger, Colorado or Triton when they could have this? It will be tough, have a good quality interior, dive like a Touareg (presumably) and have nice strong diesel engines. I’m sure it will be safe as well, something that not all the listed competitors can boast.
VAG share more components etc between their cars then the other major manufacturers..
Therefore; the next step is for Porsche Audi or Lamborghini to release a Luxury High Performance AWD Pick-Up using the body from either the Porsche GT-3 the Audi R8 or the Gallardo they could even use the Veyrons W-16
I mean they’ve made the world’s fastest sprts car the worlds fastest Wagon why not the worlds fastest Pick-Up?
And at least it has a better quality and it just has a completely better interior then other utes!!!! Like the plastic Triton!
Unlike the plastic Triton* Lol.
Here we go again. Get a life people. We choose a car because we like it for one reason or another. We all have preference for performance, economy or whatever. No car is totally reliable and never will be. With cars and parts being made lighter with plastic compounds, things wont get better. Some of us have had experience with one manufacturer and some with many. Listen to the ones who have had many or try something different nexttime yourself. If you’re one of those who are one-eyed, then you have probably eaten the same cereal since you could pick up a spoon too. Good luck to you. Me? …. Oval VW Beetle, Holden, Falcon, Valiant, Mitsubishi Galant, Scorpion, Escort, Mazda Capella, VW Scirocco, Seat Cordoba, Audi 90 and …… Jetta TDi.
On topic, I would suggest that VW have put some knowledge into this ‘truck’ from their experience in the Dakar, as does Mitsubishi into the Pajero, Toyota, Nissan and all the others into their ‘trucks’. Sure … VW will probably struggle to get market share, but it’s an alternative. I say good luck to VW
Ditto from me, some people are so moronically myopic on this website to a point where they think reliability is the only way of determining if something is any good or not.
It looks Tonka tuff, will probably attract some macho tradesman to the brand. If it’s proves to be highly efficient and provides stump-pulling torque then it will soon get greditation from tradesman, farmers and the like.
Looks good, but does the base model get black bumpers like its competition traditionally does???
I have found the replacement vehicle for my trysty Jackaroo.
Now I don’t have to consider an inferior Jap ute; they all have abysmal safety, whereas the VW will be best in class by a country mile, the brakes will be best by a country mile, the handling will be the best by a country mile, it looks best by a country mile, it will have the best engine by a country mile (V6 diesel please).
Bring it on VW, just don’t make it too expensive.
Reckless,
I would have thought anything would be a step up in safety and handling from your old Isuzu.
But I do agree with your thoughts regarding the typical poor traits of Jap utes.
When I first heard of this project, I called it the mould breaker.
Im also holding high hopes for the new T6 Truck to also break the mould and give us a 4X4 ute that is actually nice to drive
i think it looks better then any jap pick up. just give it to top gear and let them try to destroy it like they did with the toyota hilux.
the inside looks abit blan! outside looks pretty ballsy tho.
This is the concept vehicle. I doubt many of the wilder aspects will make it to the production version.
Be that as it may if it crashes at 5 star NCAP (which it will) and it has a world class direct injection turbo diesel and a 6 spd and a push button 4wd system like the D-Max I don’t think how it can lose. The fact the interior will obviously be a cut above everyone else helps.
VW need to push the safety angle. I fear it will be closer to $40-$50k than down in the gutter at the $25-$33k end.
So Dlr1, can I enquire as to which highly desirable Japanese brand you’re employed by, as the Numero Uno Salesman? Perhaps this is a redundant question, given the lack of even a ‘desirable’ Japanese manufacturer for the marketplace.
When was the last time Toyota built anything with the slightest hint of sex appeal? The flaccid TRD tuned Aurion and Hilux models definitely fell (waaaaaaaaaayyyyyyy) short of the mark.
Tony,
you wont get any other 4 wheeling dual cab for 25K either.
you can easily roll out 65K for a Hilux with the bells and whistles.
40-50k is the going price for these sort of vehicles
So what’s going on now?are we playing “the price is right”?
We will find out how much it is when VW tell us how much it is.
Hey no patents! where are you? are we going a bit too quick for you ?
The brand new all plastic “Amok” – i go berserk :-)
Can we look outside the square and Give VW a go with this new Ute, I have two VW’s (Caddy & Tiguan)and they have been great to date and they have had there faults but nothing major, the Motors are unreal and the gear box in the Tiguan is second to none.
Take a look at the Hilux, its not a bad ute but its nothing special in its features and if you option it up you pay through the roof, then the Triton GLXR comes packed with every thing at 10K less and made in Japan not like Hilux “Made in Taiwan” so the theroy of good japanese quality does not stand here.
Then the ford and Mazda utes they are so out dated in trim levels its not funning and they are also made in Tawian lets not forget Nissian uts they are also made in Tawain and last of all the Dmax / Colarado well these are also getting old.
So lets bring on the VW and hope the others follow with new product.
beautiful double cab car
Amarok???? This name is taken already. It is the name of an open source music player. I guess the first come, first served. VW is supposed to respect others, not to still the name. Is there anyone on legal matters who could tell about this issue?
I’m a plumber and a single dad and i currently have 2 cars, a Nissan Navara for work and a FG Falcon for running the family around.
I don’t let the kids in the ute because it’s just so unsafe, like pretty much all the utes in Australia, no side airbags, no curtain airbags, no DSC, no EBD, no fulltime 4wd, no rigid passenger safety beams, no 5 star ratings.
It’s like carmakers assume that tradie’s lives and tradie’s families lives aren’t as important as everyone elses lives.
So i have a second car i really can’t afford, but my kids safety is something i won’t compromise on.
I hope this new Amrok is everything a VW usually is, safe, well built……i hope they price it well and send all the other ute makers broke, they’ve taken advantage of us for too long.
Oh and imagine this beast with the Touareg’s TDI V10 and adjustable air suspension!