It’s been just over a year since Volkswagen unveiled its Robust Pickup Concept just ahead of the 2008 IAA Show in Hannover, Germany, and it now appears that Volkswagen has stuck remarkably true to its original design brief to create a pick-up that is both tough and easy on the eye.
The production vehicle, which will initially be offered as a double-cab with a single cab model coming in 2011, retains the SAR-themed concept’s bold, angular lines and familial nose treatment, complete with headlamp elements that echo the lines of the radiator grille and those prominent brake lights.
The Amarok will initially be powered by a 2,0-liter TDI engine developing 120 kW and 400 N.m of torque. By the middle of next year, this engine will be followed by another four-cylinder TDI unit with 90 kW and 340 N.m of torque. The 90 kW engine consumes 7,6-litres/100 km, on average, when mated with a six-speed manual transmission and all-wheel drive, while a similarly-equipped 2,0 TDI will return 7,8-liters/100 km and emit 206 grams of carbon-dioxide per kilometer.
The Amarok sits on a ladder-frame chassis and is offered with a choice of full-time all-wheel drive, switchable all-wheel drive, and rear-wheel drive drivetrains. The switchable all-wheel drive system utilises a positive clutch which is activated by a push-button control, while the full time all-wheel drive system makes use of a torsen differential that apportions drive 60:40 between the front and rear wheels. All of these drivetrain options can be specified with an optional locking rear differential.
In its base specification, the Amarok will feature manual controls for windows, mirrors and door locks, black plastic moldings for the front bumper, door handles and mirrors, 16-inch steel wheels, height-adjustable front seats and a folding rear bench. The mid-level specification adds a CD player, cruise control, foglamps, 16-inch alloy wheels, electric windows, door locks and mirrors, as well as colour-coded door handles and bumpers. The Highline model sports a chrome exterior trim package, 17-inch alloy wheels, a prmium sound system and climate control.
Set to go into production at VW’s Pacheco plant in Buenos Aires, Argentina, the Amarok will go on sale in South America in early 2010 while the European launch is scheduled for the second half of 2010. We can expect to see double-cab models here in SA towards the end of 2010 and the single-cab version the following year, the former being distributed through both Volkswagen’s passenger vehicle outlets, while the more workman-like single-cab could be sold through the commercial vehicle network.