What makes the new VW Amarok better than the old one

The next-generation VW Amarok is one of South Africa’s most-anticipated upcoming car releases, as evidenced by the country’s vehicle search data over the past year.

The new bakkie is scheduled to go on sale in the local market in the first quarter of 2023, and will be built right here at the Ford Silverton Assembly Plant in Gauteng.

The local pricing of the new model has yet to be revealed, and will be confirmed closer to the launch date, said the company.

A more skilled 4×4

VW’s new bakkie was co-designed in partnership with Ford, and as a result, the Amarok and next-generation Ranger will share the same base architecture.

This means VW’s bakkie is now 96mm longer than before at 5,350mm, and its wheelbase has increased by 173mm to reach 3,268mm.

It also results in shorter overhangs, leading to an “improved approach and departure angle” over the previous iteration’s 29.5 and 23.6 degrees, respectively, though the manufacturer has not provided specific figures.

The off-roader’s water wading depth has also increased from 500mm to 800mm.

Looking at the model line-up, the new bakkie will be sold in five trim levels – as opposed to the two interior specifications of the outgoing generation.

The new trims assume a new naming scheme, the entry-level model simply dubbed “Amarok,” going on to the Life and Style, and at the top sits the Aventura which is aimed at urban driving alongside the PanAmericana which is specified to be for serious off-roading, said VW.

The base specification is fitted with a 2.0-litre turbocharged diesel powertrain that provides 110kW, compared to the previous entry-level model which produced 132kW.

The mid-range Life and Style, meanwhile, have a 2.0-litre, bi-turbo diesel configuration with 150kW, 18kW more than the equivalent previous-generation models.

Headlining the bakkie series are then the Aventura and PanAmericana, powered by a Ford-built 3.0-litre, V6 diesel engine generating 184kW, which is 6kW less than the old V6.

The company further confirmed that the South African market will receive the 10-speed automatic gearbox as standard in all the new variants, whereas the previous bakkie had eight-speed auto and six-speed manual options.

To achieve the enhanced 4×4 capabilities, the new Amarok sits on a part-time 4Motion system meaning owners will be able to select between rear-wheel and four-wheel drive, with the exception of the entry-level unit which is rear-wheel-drive only.

Another notable change is that the bakkie now comes with five driving modes as opposed to one from before, namely Normal, Eco, Dirt, Sand, and Snow – and selecting one of the off-road-oriented modes will automatically put it in 4×4 mode and engage low range.

Interesting to note, the previous model originally did not ship with a low-ratio gearbox as low-speed driving was handled by VW’s full-time 4Motion system.

As for its towing capacity, the VW can now take 3.5 tonnes, 200kg more than the old model, and it can accommodate an additional 160kg in the rear tray for a total of 1.16 tonnes.

Next-generation tech

Both generations of the Amarok come with fabric upholstery, front and rear park distance control, cruise control, dual-zone climate control, and a leather-wrapped multifunction steering wheel on each model.

On top of this, the newer generation sports LED headlights and daytime running lights, a digital cockpit, a rearview camera, and a tablet-style infotainment screen which varies from 10 to 12-inches, depending on the trim, which now supports wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Starting from the Style designation upwards, buyers can also expect keyless entry and start and Savona leather seats with electronic adjustment, while the top-spec models are additionally equipped with Matrix LED headlights, a Harman Kardon sound system, front and side cameras, and ambient lighting.

As is customary for next-generation vehicles, a variety of new drivers aids were also confirmed to be coming including park assist, lane assist, trailer assist, rear traffic alert, lane change assist, blind-spot detection, dynamic headlights, area view, intelligent speed assist, adaptive cruise control, and collision detection with automatic braking.

At launch, VW said the new bakkie will only be available as a double-cab, but that it is investigating the feasibility of a single-cab style. At the end of its life cycle, the old Amarok was only offered in double-cab guise, too, though when it was first launched single-cab variants were on offer.