Bigger engines, more technology and safety not to mention the added capability; the new Amarok looks better than ever, but how much can you expect to pay?
The all-new Volkswagen Amarok has finally broken cover and while the bulk of the technical details are now known, there still remains the key question of price. Here’s why we think the Amarok will land from the mid-$40,000s and end up around $80,000.
A turbulent global economy and the chaotic state of the manufacturing supply chain has seen prices on new cars skyrocket in recent months, but there are still some clear signs that hint at what the second-generation Amarok will cost in Australia.
Australian pricing for the closely-related T6.2 Ford Ranger has already been released to the public and with the Amarok built in the same South African factory with broadly the same engines, platform and other interior components, these figures will provide a useful guide.
Ford has confirmed it will offer the new-gen Ranger from $35,930 before on-road costs in work-site-ready XL 4×2 single cab-chassis guise, all the way through to the high-performance Ranger Raptor at $85,490.
However with the premium focus of the new Amarok, and the confirmation that the Raptor’s 292kW twin-turbo-petrol V6 is not bound for the Volkswagen, it’s more likely the Amarok will sport a narrower range of generally highly-specified models, though with no direct Ranger Raptor equivalent.
The continuation of the Amarok’s premium focus is visible in the use of more expensive materials inside. This includes genuine leather on the dash and door-tops in the high-end Panamericana and Aventura grades – along with the standard inclusion of a digital driver’s display on Amarok models in most markets.
The outgoing first-generation Amarok is available from $45,890 (before on-road costs) for TDI400 Core while the TDI580 Adventura commanded $73,990.
Of course, Walkinshaw-tunned W580X commands a bit extra at $77,390 but we aren’t expecting to see a new version of the W-Series utes based on the second-generation ute for some time.
Volkswagen has confirmed that it will offer five grades globally; with a base grade, known simply as the ‘Amarok’, confirmed alongside the Life and Style while the PanAmericana and Aventura share the top-stop as the flagships of the range.
While overseas markets will score cheaper models with rear-wheel-drive and less powerful engines, the 154kW twin-turbo-diesel mated to a 10-speed automatic and selectable four-wheel-drive will likely serve as the Amarok’s entry-level drivetrain.
With this in mind, an entry-level Amarok is likely to start just under $50,000 in cab-chassis guise with a fairly-basic cloth-appointed interior, but, the leather-trimmed Amarok PanAmericana and Aventura grades are expected to charge considerably more, getting closer to the $80,000 range.
This will leave room for more expensive models, such as the W-Series variants, to follow suit, however, all upper trim Amarok models are likely to be expensive enough to put them within striking distance of full-size American utes like the Ram 1500 and Chevrolet Silverado.
Volkswagen’s official pricing details will be released towards the end of this year ahead of the second-generation Amarok’s launch in January 2023.
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