Walkinshaw version of new Volkswagen Amarok coming, but two years away

A flagship performance 'hero' version of the new Volkswagen Amarok – developed in partnership with the Walkinshaw Automotive Group, the former parent company of Holden Special Vehicles – is under development but still at least two years away from local showrooms.

A new program is in the works following the success of original Walkinshaw edition – the Volkswagen Amarok W580 – which was originally sold in 'S' guise as a road-biased ute, and then in 'X' guise with an off-road focus.

A Volkswagen Australia spokesperson told Drive the Walkinshaw Automotive Group will soon have an opportunity to assess the new-generation Volkswagen Amarok, a twin to the new-generation Ford Ranger.

“They will get a car and work on a proof of concept,” a Volkswagen Australia spokesman told Drive. “We are starting with a much higher base now ... (with) a much richer feature set.”

Volkswagen Australia head of commercial vehicles, Ryan Davies, told Drive another enhanced Amarok is likely, after the success of the first two factory-backed Walkinshaw Amarok models.

“We’re still talking to Walkinshaw, and we’re both keen to continue with the new generation,” said Mr Davies. “Now we’ve launched the new car, let’s get back together and bring it to reality, the desire is there on both sides.” 

While enthusiasm remains high for a Walkinshaw-enhanced Volkswagen Amarok, it will take time to get it showroom-ready. 

“These programs typically take up to two years,” said Mr Davies. “Sometimes even longer, but we’re concentrating on the launch of the new car right now, and then we will move on from there.”

Two modified versions of the old Volkswagen Amarok found immediate favour with Australian buyers, with the road-focused W580S and the off-road enhanced W580X appealing to different customers in the booming ute segment. 

“We originally went down the 'S' path, and that’s where we sold the most volume,” said Mr Davies. “The 'X' route is a lot more common across all manufacturers and even the aftermarket, but the 'S' path leverages that Walkinshaw experience.”

While the original Volkswagen Amarok W580S was more popular than the W580X that followed, in the meantime Volkswagen is offering an off-road-focused package from launch with the PanAmericana model (pictured above).

It comes with 18-inch alloy wheels, all-terrain tyres, and off-road focused suspension.