The Volkswagen Amarok is a mid-size bakkie by Volkswagen Group’s Commercial Vehicles division, which concept of the car was first mulled in the year 2005, and the car was first previewed in the year 2008, disguised as a Search and Rescue (SAR) vehicle. On the public platform the VW Amarak fights it out with brands such as the Nissan Navara, Mitsubishi Triton and Toyota Hilux, which speaks volumes on what type of a car it is, standing on the same platform with the afore brands names on the market. It truly is a genius innovation, designed by one of the most trusted car maker Volkswagen.

The Amarok range consists of single cab and double cab, combined with either rear-wheel drive or 4motion four-wheel drive, and is powered by Turbocharged Direct Injection (TDI) diesel engines. The first Amarok was first released to the public market in Argentina in the presence of the then President of Argentina in the year 2009. The brand name Amarok was formulated by Interbrand, a branding agency and its name was revealed in 2009 and its name is taken to mean Wolf. It is also taken to relate to the Romanic phrase “he loves stones”. The mid-size bakkie is powered by a range of Turbocharged Direct Injection (TDI) common rail diesel engines, and Fuel Stratified Injection (FSI) petrol engine, with a FlexFuel option for other markets.

The Amarok has three drive concepts: rear wheel drive, Shiftable 4Motion and Permanent 4Motion. The Shiftable all wheel drive system can shift drive between the axles whereas the permanent full time all wheel drive system distributes power through a Torque Sensing (Torsen) differential with a 40:60 ratio between the front and rear axles. Modern variants in the double cab range includes the 2.0 TDI Trendline 4x2, the 2.0 TDI Trendline 4Motion, 2.0 BiTDI Highline 4x2

The Volkswagen Amarok engine range consists of two 2.0L Turbocharged Direct Injection (TDI) common rail diesel engines which is taken from Golf, Jetta and Tiguan. The entry level 2.0 TDI does 90kW power, capable of delivering a maximum torque of 340Nm from 200 rpm. At the top of the product line is the 2.0 BiTDI which does 120kW and is capable of delivering 400Nm from 1500 rpm. Combine fuel consumption is estimated at 7.6 liters per 100km on the 4Motion. A 5-speed manual transmission is common across all double cab models, while the suspension is spelt by the double wishbone and spring dampers on the front axle across all double cabs.

Volkswagen provides all the necessary passive and active security features for the mid-size bakkie and these include ABS system, Traction Control System, Electronic Differential Lock, Electronic Brake-force Distribution and mechanical locking differential on the rear; across all model variants. The broad safety and security portfolio includes the driver and passenger airbag, front passenger airbag deactivation system, the front head/ thorax side airbags on the two upper brands. The bakkie also offers sound security, courtesy of the engine immobilizer, remote controlled central locking, anti-theft alarm and backup horn, unbreakable steering lock and lockable glove compartment. Comfort inside the bakkie is provided by various features and functions that include the height adjustable front seats, the folding 3-seater rear bench seat and storage drawers under the front seats. Other common features across the four bakkies are the front and rear fog-lights, additional engine and transmission guard. A 3 year/ 100,000 km manufacturer warranty is available, together with the 5 year/ 90,000km service plan and a 6 year anti-corrosion warranty. The Amarok bakkie is one of the most high tech bakkies to be offered on the market today and the added advantage of bearing the name Volkswagen on its chassis, makes it even more appealing to anyone searching for a bakkie that performs exceptionally well and still does justice to style, elegance and the status call.