MALAGA, SPAIN – In South Africa we may not consider Volkswagen as a prominent player in the four-wheel drive market segment. That has been changing recently, and is set to change in an even more dramatic fashion in the near future. February saw VWSA have its best month yet in terms of Amarok sales with a total of 817 units sold that month – a number that is also likely to climb in the near future.
During its 4Motion launch in Spain, Volkswagen made it quite clear that it is committed to enlarging its all-wheel drive range with some exciting new offerings. After all, Volkswagen claims that one in five cars sold in Europe is a 4Motion model. Here are some short reviews of the 4Motion vehicles we were able to drive on the launch and those that will, in the case of the Amarok, make its way to South Africa.
Amarok 4Motion 8-Speed auto double-cab
Until now, Volkswagen has only offered the Amarok double cab with a six-speed manual transmission, but as of the fourth quarter of this year, this will change. An eight-speed automatic transmission will join the line-up. This is not a DSG transmission, but a simpler torque converter unit. According to Volkswagen the torque converter transmission is better suited to the likely towing duties that Amarok owners will demand of their cars while its simpler mechanicals will make it easier to work on than the more complicated dual-clutch transmission.
This isn’t the only significant change. In an SA market that is dominated by 3,0-litre turbodiesel engines (that in some cases develop less power and torque than VW’s 2,0-litre TDI), the Wolfsburg based company has upped the 2,0-litre TDI’s power output by 12 kW to 132 kW while torque is up 20 N.m to 420 N.m.
Even with the extra power, the eight gear ratios help the Amarok realise an impressive claimed fuel consumption figure of 8,0 litres per 100 km.
This eight-speed transmission not only proved capable when tackling the mountain roads outside Malaga, but also during the obstacle and off-road course VW had set out for us. This course featured a combination of steep inclines, sharp declines, tight turns and several cross-axle challenges. Being an eight-speed auto, Volkswagen hasn’t included a transfer case with low-range. Something to frown upon? Actually not. Leaving the transmission in D, we were able to finish the course with relative ease. As with most automatic transmissions, you have the option to shift the gearlever horizontally and select gears yourself should you, for instance, want to leave the gearbox in a specific gear.
Steep downhill sections required activating the off-road function, which activates the hill-descent control. A useful function, but regular off-roaders will be happy to know that you can deactivate the system at the press of a button. There is also a rear differential lock that can be used for trickier conditions.
During this brief stint behind the wheel, the updated engine and automatic transmission clearly showed what it could achieve. The concept of a double cab bakkie with a full eight ratios might seem like an unconventional idea for now, but it gives a higher level of comfort, better fuel consumption on the open road and usability once you head off-road.
Those of you wondering if Volkswagen will ever offer a larger engine for its pick-up will be pleased to know that the company is working on a bigger capacity engine, but it is not yet clear if it will be a petrol or turbodiesel derivative.
Crafter 4Motion
In South Africa we are rarely challenged by heavy snowfalls or extreme wet conditions. The same can’t be said of Europe. But, we do have a huge interest in off-road commercial vehicles and certain local industries (think telecommunications and electrical) face specific off-road challenges on a daily basis. That is where the Crafter 4Motion fits in. Our time behind the wheel was unfortunately limited, but there no doubting this vehicle’s off-road ability. Firstly you sit quite high, which offers a proper view of the front of the vehicle and the two corners. This means you are in the perfect spot to place the front wheels.
Volkswagen approached Austrian company Achleitner to develop the all-wheel drive 4Motion system for the Crafter. Achleitner is a leader in the development of all-wheel drive vehicles and systems and according to Volkswagen this firm has the expertise to turn the Crafter into a extremely capable off-road vehicle.
The result is a four-wheel drive system that has up to three differential locks. These include a centre lock, followed by one on the rear and one on the front axle. All three locks and the low-range transmission are activated by simply pressing buttons situated to the left of the steering wheel.
Using low-range and the manual gearbox the Crafter felt like it could go anywhere, and we didn’t even use the diff locks. A spokesperson for VWSA confirmed that the firm is currently considering the Crafter 4Motion for local consumption.
Specifications:*
Model: Volkswagen Amarok 2,0 BiTDI 4Motion
Engine: 2,0-litre, four-cylinder turbodiesel
Power: 132 kW at 4 000 r/min
Torque: 420 N.m at 1 750 r/min
0-100 km/h: 10,9 seconds
Fuel consumption: from 8,0 l/100 km
CO2: 211 g/km
Top speed: 179 km/h
Price: To be confirmed
Service plan: 5 year/90 000 km
Service intervals: 15 000 km
* Manufacturer’s figures.