Update: Volkswagen Amarok Review.
Volkswagen’s new Amarok Ute will be taking on the market leading Toyota HiLux, Volkswagen will try to match their pricing as close as possible as well as engine options.
Toyota’s HiLux has been the benchmark used when Volkswagen designed the Amarok, but was thought the pricing of the VW would be higher. Toyota manufactures the Hilux in Thailand which has a free trade agreement with Australia
Amarok will be available in 4×2, 4×4 and 4MOTION which will be on-sale in the second half of 2010. The final specifications haven’t been confirmed yet but it is expected to be offered in base level workhorse version and a more lifestyle focused model.
Pricing for the base model is most likely going to be in the mid $30,000 range and make its way up to the low $50,000 for the better equipped 4×4 model.
The Amarok with 4MOTION gives Volkswagen a unique Ute, giving buyers the option of an all wheel drive without the low-range system in the more capable 4×4 version.
Available in single and bi-turbo diesel engines, the 118kW petrol engine arrives early 2011 and will most likely be offered in the single cab range.
What’s yet to be confirmed is what transmissions will be available, a seven speed dual clutch (DSG) is available in the Transporter and would be suitable for the Amarok.
Volkswagens decision to buy into Suzuki could be a bonus for Amarok production, the company has been looking at plants in the South East Asian area where the Ute could be made if the Argentinean factory can’t keep up with demand.
I think the 4motion is a bit of a waste. If you wanna Four wheel drive, you might aswell get low range.
I don`t agree AWD is brilliant. Once you have had it you will always have it. It has no advantage on a race track [ unless its wet], but how many race tracks do you drive on every day?
Talk about blind brand loyalty – check this; Hilux outsells the next most popular 4×4 ute by 3 to 1, yet it costs heaps more, has less equipment, has the lowest towing capacity in the class, the worst ride, doesn’t have the best warranty and all the recalls it’s had expose the myth of “unbreakable”.
Given the above, you pay more for less with Hilux. What’s missing is value.
Yet look at the sales figures, go figure…
True that
You’re not wrong about the ride. Had a ride in one earlier in the year, was shocked at how uncomfortable it was.
“HERE HERE” from the gallery.hilux is the fleet king,thats all.vw would do better to take aim at all hilux’s rivals…
if i were in the market for this kind of vechile this would be my first preference the interior looks great and actually looks like a car.
Looks great. Hope they give it ample grunt.
looks better then the hilux
That ain’t hard. Toyota for all their wealth seem unable or unwilling to bring us anything that looks good and it’s been like that for at least a decade.
haha yeah i guess but i guess they proved us wrong with the ft-86, well at least i think it’s f in amazing
Firstly going off the head line, I got myself some pop corn and saddled up thinking this may be a comparo of the 2 vehicles ability rated against each other.
Sadly not :(
VW is right to bench mark against the Hilux in terms of sales volume, but to match them on engine specs doesnt say much.
Hiluxs range of motors are out gunned left right and centre.
Really cant wait for the reviews of this thing. For once a 4X4 ute that isnt designed by the japs.
This might actually be a nice ride.
I hold hope that either the Amarok or T6 aussie designed ute will break the typical Jap ute mould
Where did you get this info.I read this all on CarSales
It was probably an official press release from VW, that is why it would be identical to carsales and other sites.
If some one has been copying you for the past few decades then what do you do? COPY, PASTE, EDIT, SAVE, MAKE. Exactly what I see here from Volkswagen, in a good way that is, I mean they just rebadged the HiLux in the 80s and 90s to sell to the German market. As I said before, if Volkswagen get the good elements from the HiLux and put in into the Amarok then I am quite sure that people will prefer this over many other offerings, I certainly would!
Cost of ownership will always be in the mind of business/fleet operators. VW has a reputation for higher than average parts and service and this wont go unoticed with buyers.
And a quasi LEMON status brand, PLENTY of *issues* with vw lack of quality, which is a bit of a shame seeing its always the most expensive in its segment
For such a huge company to make such unreliable vehicles is a joke. After working at a dealer I would NEVER buy one….
Not built for Australian conditions.
The hilux’s ride so hard because they are meant to carry weight and work…not just be used as a daily driver like so many people use them for.
@dan
<<For such a huge company to make such unreliable vehicles is a joke. After working <<at a dealer I would NEVER buy one….Not built for Australian conditions.
A M E N!
I would/nt have one either, plenty of reports from owners here on C/A having lots of grief.
If you want a no-brainer vehicle you still gota buy Made In Japn
Cheers
F-0
Japn? Where is that? Anywhere near JAPAN?
Hehe…millions of these supposedly unreliable Volkswagens out there. In fact, they are so unreliable, they’re chasing down Toyota as global numero uno brand.
I once had a brand new Camry that was unreliable, which the Jap fan boys can’t explain to me. Among other things, it did its head gasket at 45,000 kms, just like others in the fleet…not built for Australian conditions, I guess…
Simple Explanation: Aussie built Camry, typical aussie made car!!
Too right!!
I drove Hiluxes, and Landcruiser in rough conditions in Africa (senegal).
We also had a bt-50, which was compeltly unsuitable, it’s too soft suspension was too city-focused…
Hence it broke down a lot… And was out of service heaps, waiting for parts!
Among Landcruisers Troopies and Hiluxes in the Bush, the BT-50 is a hair dresser’s ute!!
I am disgusted with all the people bagging this VAG product!
This Amarok makes a great Ladies ute!
Can you option it with a plastic flower for the dash like the New Beetle?
Yeah and they’ll throw in some drag queens so you feel right at home Hungy boy
Reveal your real fears…oh, you just have. Sorry.
Bring on the “People car” I say.
I have owned a Prado for 5 years. You ask about Toyota parts pricing? Ever had amajor service done on a Toyota 4×4? Better get a new Credit card, Toyota parts are NOT cheap.
Where is Toyota styling going? Has their quality realy improved over the past 10 years. Toyota have just had their first year loss, ever!! The giant will need to do some serious homework to stay on top.
VW just purchased 49% of Porche! They also own Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, SEAT, Škoda and Scania.
Guess who has the $$ to design a decent UTE.
Bear in mind that Volkswagen parts and servicing aren’t exactly cheap either.
Yes it is relatively expensive but at least they don’t reel customers in with fixed price servicing then set the servicing at 7500km.
Agree, but Toyota is not as great as they pretend to be..you can only hang on to a legagcy that long
My second car is a VW, parts are on par with Toyota, VW quality is miles ahead, beter quality part for the same price?
I find it hard to pay $72K (New prado) for a car to find it’s the same as it was 10 years ago, while othe manufacturers have moved miles ahead
I have a friend who wants to buy a Hilux next year, I need to tell him to hold off until the Amarok arrives. Might have to take him out in my Golf TDi and remind him the Amarok will have 80 more NM than my car, should be enough to persuade him to wait.
This report states there is no low range in the 4 Motion, but I believe this report is false.
Other sites I have read refer to low range in this car.
the switchable 4X4 variant has low range… it is also called 4Motion but is a red Tdi logo on the rear…
Now, get me a live axle rear like the Defender 130 and disk brakes (euro spec to come do you think?) and we are getting serious about redefining the ute segment
This will be a good city only ute.
I dont see any problem in selling them, as lots of people are paying $60k for top-of-the-range loaded -HiLux.
VW just does not have the firepower with dealerships and backup anywhere in this big brown land like BIG-T[tm.F-0] has.
Maybe one-day they will, but this will take DECADES before i see anything changing
If you want to travel outback it HAS to be Toyota or Nissan at a squeeze, SIMPLE-AS-THAT and end-of-story.
Cheers
F-0
PS/ Does it have a bench seat and LPG option?
Or Ford or Holden.
Or VW Transporter 4Motion
Is it me or did they flog the wheels of a VZ SS and add big rubber for this?
It’s you thinking all five spoke alloys look the same, but you can see for yourself when they release the Amarok and park your VZ SS next to it, two different five spoke wheels.
seeing as this has been designed primarily for south america it will stand up to australian conditions more than other VWs
mtd, have you recently compared servicing costs with Japanese brands like Subaru, Mazda, Honda? I know these other brands don’t make a utillity but if you use them as a comparison then Volkswagen is competively priced for a German brand. So I think the servicing costs for the Amarok would be SLIGHTLY higher than Toyota’s, Nissan’s and Mitsubishi’s. But aggreed, Volkswagen need plentty more dealerships/service centres in regional Australia.
Did anyone read the fine print on the Amarok?. City car? not likely as they will not have an Automatic as an option for a considerable period of time. Flat bed? maybe in the future. 2 litre diesel work Ute? Uhmmm that 2 Litre is going to be pretty stressed hauling around a considerable load. Pricing? needs to be cheaper than the Hilux. Body styles and options? looks limited and that is where the Hilux excels.
A Limited introduction is not the way to go if you want to make an impact straight away. It also does not tke into account how your considerable opposition is going to react.Strangely we are supposed to be a main market for the Amarok.
The Amarok will be as successful as the Crafter..not very.
So you lot are plagiarists now?!
I work now in a VW service department, Just came from working in a Toyota one.
The difference between the two are not the volmue of problems per vehicle but the type of problems. For Hilux it’s mandatory for you to have an airbag clock-spring fail and the clutch to shudder. For VW its the AC and the mechatronics (actuates the DSG).
Costs are similar as is build quality.
I say…You choose what you like at the time of and no matter what goes wrong, the grass is always greener in the other brand.
Toyota has been the best seller in SA for quite a while. It is reliable and for some the good resale value accounts for alot. That said; The Amarok will be reliable and VW’s have good resale value in SA. 4×4 lovers enjoy travelling to the Namib desert for some fun in the sun. Riding dunes however requires an engine that can rev high. The touareg has a problem concerning this(R5 model). The tip-tronic gearbox won’t even alow you to stay in one gear when high revs are required. It blips into the next gear and your stuck. If VW can undo this problem, give the Amarok a good ride hight and some low-down torque on its diesel engines it is sure to be a winner on the rough stuff. I have recently driven in a fortuner that shares genes with the Hilux. The turbo lag on the d4d model causes the driver to use the clutch to often resulting in a burnt clutch. A recent survey of best SUVs in SA showed that the Mitsubishi Pajero sport outgunned the Fortuner because the Pajero was dominant ofroad. Quoting even more: The 4L V6 engine ( also found in the Hilux ), Wait for it,….Has been questioned about its reliability. Debates about Hilux being unbrakeable can now surely end. Go ahead VW. Build the Amarok and give those Japs a run for there money
Just this: The recent survey of top ten best buys for 2010 has shown said that the 4L V6 engine in the Hilux/Fortuner has been questioned about its reliability. Oh yeah; I found a Hilux on the side of the road with an open bonnet( for obvious reasons ) returning from the holiday destination. Hiluxes aren’t unbreakable.
There’s two other aspects no-ones mentioned. Anyone tried to get 5 full size adults in a dual cab- it’s a joke- a bad joke. I’ve hung off buying a dual cab for a few years now- like 10 years cause the back seats are tooo small. I’m a big bloke- my 14 yr old boy is already 182 cm, my 10 yr old daughter is 175 cm an the 12 year old boy has size 12 feet. We’re big people- we need a full size cabin. Also look at the weight distribution over the back axle. The Hilux sucks- they all do. The Amarok ‘appears’ to be better in this regard. The back axle’s near the middle of the tub an the cabin is reported to be ‘full size’. I’m a tradie so the bus’s gotta work hard.
I came very close to buyin a ‘VW Transporter 4 motion Dual Cab’ an gettin the ‘Trakka’ guys to do their thing- that’s a $75k vehicle- BUT its a full size cab AND a full size tray (2.4 metre) but only 75% 4wd. I heard about the Amarok and so I’ve been waiting, waiting, waiting for two years now for the Amarok to land here.
Why dont we have a full size 4wd Dual cab with a full size tray (2.4 m)- vehicle, in this country? And NO I don’t want a F250- although it does meet the description.
Regardless, I have to comprimise my ideal vehicle. I just hope like hell THIS vehicle is a GOOD comprimise!!! On paper and ‘you-tube’ it looks pretty good.
I’ll be buyin the first one off the boat if that back seat fits my three kids comfortably. I need a dropside tray so anyone wanna buy a Amarok tub?
As far as I am conserend all the manufactures have lost the plot as far as the medium size 4×4 ute goes. These offerings from toyota, nissan mitsubishi and now VW are all aimed at the yupe market and are to low slung and prissy to be considered as serious replacements for the old hilux. I have owned several older hiluxs both petrol and desiel and while I will conceede that the power and economy of the new power plants far exceeds the old model, the new types just dont cut it as a knock about do anything, ready for any job vechicle.
…and yes the current Hilux is not unbreakable. Many previous owners are peaved that they did away with the leafspring fornt end. It is more a softroader than the previous model and it hasn’t been lost on people who stepped into the new vehicle.
There have also been transmission and engine issues with the new model.
There will be plenty of people buying the VW (provided it is competitive) due to the EURO link too.
more than 1 lunched motor due to injector probs i’ve heard.clutches,diffs,you name it…