Missing Volkswagen Amarok Core safety tech on wish list for next year

Australian buyers of the new Volkswagen Amarok Core will need to wait at least another six months before the vehicles are equipped with critical crash-avoidance technology that is standard on even the cheapest Isuzu D-Max 'traffic controller' ute priced from $29,990.

The Volkswagen Amarok Core has the same five-star safety rating and occupant protection as the rest of the range, however it lacks rear cross-traffic alert and blind-zone warning – two important crash-avoidance technologies that are standard on utes that cost $20,000 less than the VW.

Drive understands Volkswagen Australia pleaded with head office in Germany to ensure the complete suite of advanced safety was "democratised" across every model in the Amarok range – as is increasingly the industry norm – but the request fell on deaf ears amid a lack of understanding around the high importance placed on such technology by fleets and families.

When asked how long it would take to equip the Volkswagen Amarok Core with blind zone warning and rear cross-traffic alert, the product manager for Volkswagen Australia commercial vehicles, Ben Triebels, said:

"It's something we've taken on board and we've looked at. We're looking at what we're doing for Model Year 2024 upgrades, so we're putting it all together and hopefully we'll see some movement in that area."