|
The task of Volkswagen’s new Amarok TDI 400 dual cab ute in Australia is a bit like that of the boy with the wheelbarrow: It has the job in front of it. Australia is one of the world’s largest markets for this type of vehicle. Hence the presence of Toyota HiLux, Nissan Navara, Mitsubishi Triton, Ford Ranger, Mazda BT-50, Isuzu D-Max, Holden Colorado, Land Rover Defender and cheaper offerings from Great Wall, SsangYong and Mahindra. Choice is rampant with prices starting with tradies specials from $25,990.
Where Amarok will fit into the puzzle is yet to be seen. Our test vehicle was the top-of-the-line Amarok Ultimate. Ultimate comes with the standard 2.0 litre twin-turbo diesel engine linked to a six speed manual transmission and featuring selectable 4Motion AWD. In this choice there is an dual range offering, although our test vehicle did not come with that option. There’s also a 4Motion permanent AWD version. Either Ultimate variants will set you back $58,490 plus on roads, almost $5000 more than the SR5 HiLux. Pricing for the entry-level Amarok TDI 400 starts at $43,990 just below the asking price of the entry level HiLux. No auto transmission is available - yet.
Amarok currently - there are more variations on the way - comes with four models, 2.0 litre TDI 400, 2.0 litre Trendline, 2.0 Highline and 2.0 Ultimate, all using the same turbo-diesel powerplant. A petrol engine and an automatic transmission, not DSG, are expected to become available next year along with a two-door single cab version. This tells us VW is serious about these commercial/sports-oriented vehicles and will be here for the long haul.
BODY STYLE
At 5181mm in length for the TDI 400 and 5254 mm for the Trendline, Highline and Ultimate the Amarok is no shrinking violet. With large VW grille and tail-gate badging along with the
the wheel centre hubs VW is keen to let all road users know there’s a new kid on the block. In design Amarok bears some similarity to market leader HiLux, but with a stronger road presence. Being the hero model the Ultimate has large chrome sports bars, side steps, leather seats and 19 inch alloy wheels giving it the sports ute image, popular with younger buyers.
POWERTRAIN
Amarok continues the trend to smaller engines by using a twin-turbo four cylinder diesel sourced from the T5 VW commercial line-up. This 1968 cc engine develops 120 kW of power at 4000 rpm and 400 Nm of torque between 1500 - 2500 rpm. It uses common rail direct injection and is force-fed by in-line turbo-chargers. VW claim a combined fuel consumption of 7.9 litres/100 km which is class-leading. The engine is linked to a six speed manual transmission only, with the lack of an auto shifter to have some impact on sales.
Our test vehicle came with the selectable 4Motion AWD system. To engage AWD you simply push a button next to the gear lever and there’s also an `off-road’ button that engages the rear differential lock for off-road work.
SAFETY
Being a VW you expect safety to take a high priority, and Amarok is no exception. There are driver and passenger front airbags along with head/thorax airbags, not common in this segment. The head restrains are height-adjustable and there are three-point safety belts for all five seats. Amarok boasts ESP with brake assist standard.
INTERIOR DESIGN
In a word functional. VW have not tried to re-invent the wheel and have obviously taken the best of the segment - HiLux, Navara, Triton and D-Max - when designing the cabin. While VW it not new to utes, it is new to this segment. We liked the handy tray atop the dash complete with it own 12V outlet, ideal for after-market sat/nav or mobile `phone charging. The instrument layout is simple and there’s large storage spaces in all doors. The Trendline, Highline and Ultimate also come with four roof-mounted grab handles as well as grab handles on the A and B pillars to make entry as easy as possible for back and front seat passengers. The audio and aircon controls are large and easy to use, but there are no remote controls for media on the steering wheel, or lights for the vanity mirrors in the sunshades, something we would have expected on a vehicle costing around $58,000. The windows and external mirrors are powered. The driver’s pew has height adjustment with ample headroom.
The rear seat is a little upright as dual cab utes tend to have, but is quite comfortable. Leg room could be an issue if the front seat passengers are on the tall side, but shoulder and head room are good. The doors have good storage and the two cup holders are housed atop the drive-shaft tunnel - between the feet of the centre seat passenger. The space between the seat and the back of the cabin is minimal.
DRIVING IMPRESSIONS
In overall terms the 2.0 litre turbo diesel performs well. On paper the torque of 400 Nm on tap from 1500 rpm looks good - and it is most of the time - but in the real world the vehicle suffers from not enough torque at the very low end. This means nervous take-offs in first gear. With no low-range transfer on this variant also rule out any semi-serious rock hopping off-road. To us it seems first gear is too low for on road work and too high for any serious off road. There is a reason for this that being the gearing is aimed at those towing. Once the vehicle is in second gear and above the issues simply float away. The Americans have a saying if you want grunt, build engines with large capacity. In other words large engines naturally develop high torque. We have driven VW commercials with this engine hooked up to a DSG transmission and they are a pure delight. We wonder if the envelop is being pushed a little too far with the Amarok. Significantly Amarok has the smallest capacity engine - with the best economy - in the dual cab turbo-diesel segment. Vehicles such as D-Max and Colorado run a 3.0 litre turbo diesel , as does Ranger and BT-50, plus HiLux. Most others run 2.5 litre turbo diesels. Also, the Amarok Ultimate tips the scales at more than 3 tonne. While we can rule out rock hopping for this variant, we would have no hesitation in tackling sand and muddy fire trails. Amarok handles well and cruising at 110 km/h the engine idles along at around 1800 rpm. With an 80 litre fuel tank and superb fuel consumption VW say you can get 1000 km from a fill up. After a week of running around, testing off-road, taking rubbish to the tip, and cruising to and from Brisbane, we have no reason to doubt it, with more than 340 kilometres under our belt we returned the Amarok just under 3/4 full. Nice.
MODEL RANGE/PRICING* VOLKSWAGEN AMAROK DUAL CAB UTE
TDI 400 2.0 litre manual $43,900
TDI 400 2.0 litre manual Trendline $47,990
TDI 400 2.0 litre manual Highline $52,990
TDI 400 2.0 litre manual Ultimate $58,490
(*Pricing does not include dealer or government charges)
FEATURES
ABS Brakes: standard
Air Conditioning: standard
Automatic Transmission: N/A
CD Player: standard
Central Locking: standard
Cruise Control: standard
Dual Front Airbags: standard
Front Side Airbags: standard
Stability Control: standard
Traction Control: standard
SPECIFICATIONS (TDI 400 Ultimate)
ENGINE:
Capacity: 1,968 litres
Configuration: in-line
Head Design: DOHC 16 valve
Compression Ratio: 16.5:1
Bore/Stroke: 81.0 mm x 95.5 mm
Maximum Power: 120 kW @ 4000 rpm
Maximum Torque: 400 Nm @ 1500 - 2500 rpm
DRIVELINE:
Driven Wheels: RWD/ AWD
Manual Transmission: 6 speed
Automatic Transmission: N/A
DIMENSIONS, WEIGHT AND CAPACITIES:
Length: 5254 mm
Wheelbase: 3095 mm
Width: 2228 mm (incl. mirrors)
Height: 1834 mm
Turning Circle: 12.95 metres
Kerb Mass: 3040 kg (2820 kg with permanent 4Motion)
Fuel Tank Capacity: 80 litres
Towing Ability: 2800 kg (kg with braked trailer)
CARGO AREA
Tailgate width: 1411 mm
Tailgate height: 508 mm
Load volume: 2.52 Cubic metres
Length: 1555 mm
Width at widest point: 1620mm
Width at wheel arch: 1222 mm
Height off ground: 780 mm
SUSPENSION AND BRAKES:
Front Suspension: transverse link, a-frame arm double wishbone
Rear Suspension: Rigid axle with leaf springs
Front Brakes: 303 mm disc
Rear Brakes: 295 mm drum
PERFORMANCE:
0-100 km/h Acceleration: N/A seconds
FUEL CONSUMPTION:
Type: diesel
Combined Cycle (ADR 81/01): 7.9 L/100km
GREEN VEHICLE GUIDE RATINGS:
Greenhouse Rating: 6/10
Air Pollution Rating: 5/10
STANDARD WARRANTY:
3 years/ unlimited km |
Print Article
Submit Feedback
Email This Article
