“Who would have thought that a ute – any ute – could come with an eight-speed auto and score five stars for safety? Enter Volkswagen’s mega-successful Amarok ute, which ticks both of these boxes and more.
VALUE
Prices for the Amarok start with the single cab-chassis from $24,490. Our test vehicle, the Amarok TDI420 dual-cab is priced from $45,990 with the tub-tray.
That’s a fair bit of brass for what is still the entry trim level (beneath Trendline, Highline and Ultimate), but this one is targeted at tradies who are looking for something that is functional and hard wearing.
As such, the bumpers, door hands and outside mirrors are unpainted and have tough textured black surfaces. Inside the seats are cloth and the floors are covered with washable vinyl.
It rides on 16-inch steel wheels and comes standard with a full-size spare. Loading up the Amarok in the dark is made easier with the inclusion of lighting in the load area.
DESIGN
It’s almost 5.2 metres long and just over 2.2 metres wide including the mirrors. The Amarok’s weight just sneaks under the two tonne mark.
In terms of off-road use it has 192mm of ground clearance and has a wading depth of 500mm.
All 4WD models come with Bluetooth mobile phone connectivity, cruise control and a leather covered multi-function steering wheel as standard. The rear bench seat also has a storage compartment underneath it.
TECHNOLOGY
The 2.0-litre four-cylinder twin-turbo diesel puts out 132kW and 420Nm with drive delivered to all four wheels through the 4MOTION all-wheel drive system.
Top gear in the 8-speed automatic is configured for overdrive, reducing engine speed and saving fuel – while the low first gear is designed for off-road use and towing.
Heavy duty suspension is standard, but you can opt for comfort springs at no extra charge.
SAFETY
The Amarok gets five stars from ANCAP and comes with six airbags, plus electronic stability control, anti-lock brakes, electronic brake distribution, electronic differential lock, hill hold, brake assist, traction control and hill descent assistance.
What it doesn’t get is a rear view camera or parking sensors front or back, however the sensors are available as an option.
THE TRAY
The tray is 1555mm long, 1620mm at its widest point and 508mm deep (with 1222mm between the wheel arches).
The Amarok is the first – and so far only – ute in its class with a load area that can handle a Euro pallet sideways (1200 x 800mm), while the single cab version is capable of carrying two. It has four tiedowns and can carry a payload of up to 1055kg safely. A tray liner is optional.
It can also tow a three tonne boat, trailer or horse float, with 300kg of downball weight.
DRIVING
This ute impresses both on and off the road with its fit and finish, smooth power delivery and torquey, effortless performance from the twin-turbodiesel.
It’s quick off the mark, has excellent mid-range acceleration and feels relaxed at freeway speeds.
Because of the wide spread of gears VW claims the auto is just as capable off road as the manual version, without the need for additional reduction gearing.
The lack of low range should be a limiting factor, but we can confirm the ute is confident off road, with the provision of hill descent control for steeper sections. Turning traction off and locking the differential also provides plenty of traction with good grip from the tyres.
But it feels like it could do with a bit more ground clearance and as such is good for light to medium duty only.
Fuel consumption is rated at 8.3L/100km but we were getting 9.6 after several hundred kilometres.
The “Off-Road Mode” button can be selected up to a vehicle speed of 130km/h.
In this mode, the electronic stability program, electronic differential locks, anti-slip system, and ABS are all tuned for challenging off-road conditions. Hill Descent Control is also available up to a speed of 30km/h.
The trip computer is fully featured and the car’s speed can be displayed digitally.