Volkswagen Amarok

The cabin layout of the Volkswagen Amarok also looks quite different from that of the Ford Ranger, though there is a sense of inspiration from the latter in the form of the centre console design. The cabin of the Volkswagen Amarok has been given an all-black theme with contrast silver accents, with cricket leather seats in PanAmericana and Savona leather seats in Aventura.

The Volkswagen Amarok is high on tech and appeal with the pickup having a 12.3-inch full-TFT virtual cockpit display behind the three-spoke multi-functional steering wheel and a portrait-styled 12-inch touchscreen infotainment system in the centre console. The screen in the middle of the dashboard serves as a window for the infotainment and dual-zone climate control settings, along with the 8-speaker audio system.

The cabin of the Volkswagen Amarok is also equipped with top-class features like wireless charging, 10-way powered front seats, electronic parking brake, cupholders and storage spaces everywhere. The fit and finish levels are excellent, which further amplifies it as a strongly-built SUV.

The Volkswagen Amarok shares nothing with the Ford Ranger with which it shares its platform and mechanicals, and has a completely different personality when it comes to exterior design. The second-generation Volkswagen Amarok became sleeker and bolder at the same time, compared to the previous-generation model, giving it a more prominent road presence and premium appeal.

At the front, the Volkswagen Amarok has a wide stance, with a rectangular grille in the middle flanked by trapezoidal headlamp clusters. The grille here features chrome strips for its upper and lower edges, while the headlamps here have “IQ.Light” Matrix LED illumination. The front bumper has a unique X-themed satin silver garnish across its width, which also features the pickup’s name in the middle while merging with the trapezoidal silver skid plate in the middle of the front bumper. The LED fog lamps are nestled within large rectangular housings on the corners.

The Volkswagen Amarok looks rugged and has a towering stance, much like its donor vehicle, the Ford Ranger. The pickup is being offered with a choice of alloy wheels across its variant lineup – 17-inch Combra silver alloys in Comfortline, 18-inch Amadora machined alloys in Highline, 18-inch Amadora black alloys in PanAmericana and 20-inch Bendigo machined alloys in Aventura.

The Volkswagen Amarok also comes with a removable trail hitch and load compartment cover with the black bumper in the rear in other variants and the body-coloured bumper in Aventura, with all variants having chrome-garnished styling elements for the rear bumper. Also common to all the variants are C-shaped vertical LED tail lamps beside the edges of the deck lid. Even the side steps get chrome garnish in the Aventura variant.

The Volkswagen Amarok is being offered with a 4MOTION four-wheel drive system as standard, which along with the differential lock on offer, makes the pickup a thoroughly enjoyable and potent vehicle in off-road driving conditions. However, the stiff suspension setup translates to bouncy ride quality at times at higher speeds.

Powering the Volkswagen Amarok is the same combination of the 2.3-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine and a 10-speed automatic transmission, which also powers the Ford Ranger in many of the markets. Here, the engine produces a maximum power output of 302 PS and a maximum torque output of 452 Nm.

The Volkswagen Amarok, in its range-topping variants, is loaded with modern safety features and driving aids, like seven airbags, ABS with EBD, hill start assist, hill descent control, electronic stability control, park assist including parking distance control, front and rear traffic alert, adaptive cruise control with stop and go functions, autonomous emergency braking, front assist with pedestrian and cyclist detection and more.

The Volkswagen Amarok shares all the positive attributes of the Ford Ranger, such as durable chassis, powerful powertrain and rugged underpinnings, while also having all the positives of modern Volkswagens like feature-rich cabin and impeccable build quality.