How many new VW Amaroks have been sold in South Africa

Customer deliveries of the second-generation VW Amarok kicked off on 18 March and the bakkie has now enjoyed a full month and a half on local roads.

The VW proved to be a popular option for buyers last month and raked in a total of 339 sales. The month before, it registered an even more impressive 401 sales.

This means 740 Amaroks have found new owners in South Africa since the order books opened at the end of February, give or take a handful of units as the old one wasn’t completely off the market yet in March.

This is much higher than the 109 combined units the previous model moved in January and February.

The outstanding performance over the last two months guaranteed it the eighth spot out of the 15 best-selling bakkies in March and an even better seventh place in April, trumping other favourites such as the GWM P-Series and Nissan Navara which usually have lower price tags and used to sit comfortably far above the old VW.

The improved numbers can likely be attributed to a wider selection of models than the outgoing generation – 12 specifications vs 8 specifications – as well as a lower starting price of R599,000, compared to the R794,200 from before.

The excitement of an all-new product naturally also plays a role, but this alone rarely results in such a rapid increase in customer uptake.

Amarok specifications

The new Amarok can be yours in base, Life, Style, PanAmericana, and Aventura equipment levels, with a variety of four turbo-diesel motors on offer throughout the range depending on the chosen model.

The specifications of these powertrains are as follows:

The base TDI comes with a five-speed manual gearbox exclusively, the 125kW mates with either a six-speed manual or automatic transmission, and the Bi-TDI and V6 are only shipped with a 10-speed auto-box.

The entire Amarok line-up is now also capable of hauling loads of up to 1.19 tonnes in the rear box as well as tow a maximum of 3,500kg, while boasting a maximum water wading depth of 800mm.

Across the range, the high-rider sports LED headlights, a multifunction steering wheel, an 8.0-inch digital cockpit, a 10-inch central touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, rear parking sensors, a rear-view camera, and cruise control.

With the Life nameplate, buyers can expect additional niceties such as a leather steering wheel, an electronic parking brake, front parking sensors, a power tailgate lock, as well as 17-inch “Combra” wheels on the 125kW variant, and front-seat heating and 18-inch Amadora rims on the 154kW one.

The Style’s offerings continue with keyless entry and start, dual-zone climate control, wireless charging, Savona leather upholstery, heated front seats, ambient lighting, a 12-inch digital driver’s cluster, a 12-inch infotainment screen, high-beam assist, a multi-collision brake system, autonomous emergency braking, and lane assist.

For a little visual flair, this model also gets a tubular chrome styling bar, side steps, and either 18-inch Amadora or 20-inch Bendigo alloys.

The Aventura and PanAmericana are presented as the range-toppers, the former being the city crawler and the latter the off-road-focused 4×4.

Both feature the IQ.Light LED headlights, LED tail lights, a Harmon Kardon stereo, the Discover Media navigation system, “Cricket” leather seats, rear cross-traffic alert, park assist, front assist with autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control with traffic jam assist, a 360-degree camera, driver fatigue detection, evasive steering assist, blind-spot monitoring, and either black 18-inch Amadora or 20-inch Bendigo wheels.

The PanAmericana is set apart by a black tubular styling bar, silver roof rails, a load box bed liner, metal underbody protection, and improved suspension as standard.

The Aventura, on the other hand, brings a body-colour sports bar, an electric roller cover for the load bed, premium carpet floor mats, 21-inch Varberg rims, and chrome finishes for the mirrors, door handles, and side steps.