Volkswagen Amarok Review (2023-present)

What is the Volkswagen Amarok Mk2?

The Volkswagen Amarok is a pickup truck that’s designed to compete with models including the Ford Ranger, Toyota Hilux and Isuzu D-Max. It used to have many more rivals than that, but due to emissions laws and various economic pressures, rivals such as the Nissan Navara, Mercedes X-Class and Mitsubishi L200 are no longer on sale. For this second generation model of the Amarok, Volkswagen and Ford have combined the talents and resources of their commercial vehicle divisions to maximise cost efficiencies, meaning that the Amarok is a close relation of the hugely popular Ranger.

Unlike the Ranger, the Amarok is only available in double-cab configuration. It’s also 96mm longer than its predecessor, with a wheelbase that’s been extended by 173mm to give more space in the crew cab.

The Amarok can tow up to 3,500kg when equipped with an automatic gearbox (3,400kg for the manual), and its load area is capable of holding a payload of up to 1,113kg.

How practical is it?

Clearly the Volkswagen Amarok is a vehicle built with commercial needs in mind. Its towing capacity of up to 3,500kg is excellent, as is the 6,500kg total permissible weight of vehicle and trailer. The payload capacity, meanwhile, is up to 1,113kg, and you can carry another 85kg of load on the roof of the cab when moving, rising to 350kg when the vehicle is stationary. The wading depth for this latest model is 800mm, up from 500mm in the previous generation Amarok.

That’s a lot of boxes ticked in terms of workhorse pickup credentials. But given the Amarok’s SUV-like interior, it might also be tempting to think of it as a viable alternative to a large family vehicle. And in terms of passenger space it could indeed fulfil that role. The rear seats will easily accommodate three adults, with headroom and legroom to spare, and unlike some pickups, the rear backrests aren’t so upright that they are uncomfortable over long distances.

There’s also generous amounts of room in the front seats, and plenty of adjustability in the driving position, meaning drivers of most sizes should be able to get comfortable. Interior storage is taken care of by a large bin under the armrest, two gloveboxes, a pair of cupholders, and a lidded compartment on top of the dash. It is strange, however, that in a vehicle this big, the doorbins won’t hold anything larger than the most compact of water bottles.

Where the Amarok – and indeed any pickup – becomes harder to justify as a family vehicle is in its luggage area. For while the load bed might be large enough to accommodate a sideways loaded Euro pallet, it’s very high off the ground (529mm to be precise), exposed to the elements, and generally just quite awkward to use.

What's it like to drive?

To state the obvious, the Amarok feels vast to drive. Even by the standards of a large SUV, this pickup feels appreciably taller, wider and less nimble from behind the wheel. That said, it is a very long way from being agricultural. In fact, its light steering, good visibility (helped by its giant door mirrors), and predictable controls mean that you soon acclimatise to driving VW’s pickup on UK roads.

The engine range consists of two 2.0-litre four-cylinder diesels with either 168bhp and a six-speed manual gearbox, or 202bhp with a 10-speed automatic. These can accelerate from 0-62mph in 11.6 seconds and 10.5 seconds, respectively. At the top of the range, there’s a 3.0-litre V6 turbodiesel with 237bhp and the 10-speed automatic, which can get from 0-62mph in 8.8 seconds. All models come with 4Motion four-wheel-drive as standard, which switches automatically between driving modes in models when paired with the automatic gearbox. Drive modes consist of Normal, Eco, Mud/track, Sand, Slippery, and Load/trailer. We haven’t tried the Amarok off-road, but with relatively short overhangs, a generous ride height, a rear differential lock and a selectable low-range off-road ratio for its gearbox, there’s little doubting its ability when the going gets tough.

Back on road, the Amarok is impressively quiet and refined. There’s still evidence of its rugged nature in the sometimes bouncy ride, but it’s far from uncomfortable. Note, our test to date has focused on the 202bhp 2.0-litre diesel in Style trim, which offers more than acceptable acceleration, and pleasing mid-range pulling power.

Technology, equipment & infotainment

The Amarok’s interior is very similar in design and quality to that of the Ford Ranger. One backward step, however, is that VW has integrated the heater controls into the portrait-mounted touchscreen rather than keeping them in a separate panel of physical buttons like Ford has done. As a result, a task as simple as changing the temperature takes several prods and pokes of the screen, which seems like a backward step for safety.

That gripe aside, the infotainment system (10.1 inches as standard or 12 inches on higher spec models) itself is intuitive to use, responds quickly and includes Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity as standard. Combined with the digital dials (8 inches on the Life trim, 12.3 inches on all others) it makes for a very modern feeling interior, while the quality of the fit and finish is extremely good.

Trim levels in the Amarok range are Life, Style, PanAmericana and Aventura, with the former two featuring 2.0-litre diesel engines, and the latter getting the 3.0-litre V6 diesel.

Life includes 17-inch alloy wheels, power folding door mirrors, manual air-conditioning, fabric seats, LED headlights and a reversing camera.

On top of this, Style adds 18-inch alloys, chrome exterior styling, side steps, dual-zone climate control, electric seats with upgraded fabrics, the larger infotainment and digital dial setup, matrix LED headlights and lane keeping assist.

PanAmericana swaps chrome detailing for black and adds leather seats, a Harman Kardon audio system, LED lighting in the cargo area and underbody protection.

The range-topping Aventura model features 21-inch alloys with lower profile tyres, leather seats, a heated steering wheel, and additional safety equipment.

Volkswagen Amarok Mk2 running costs

Even when powered by diesel, a vehicle as large and as heavy as the Amarok is never going to shine when it comes to fuel economy. Official stats show the 2.0-litre models will manage 32.8-33.6mpg on the WLTP combined cycle, while the 3.0-litre V6 engine records a figure of 28mpg. Our test of the 202bhp 2.0 TDI resulted in real world fuel economy of 27-28mpg in mixed driving.

Being a commercial vehicle, the Amarok is eligible for a flat rate of company car tax provided you choose a model with a payload of at least one tonne (1,000kg). This can make it surprisingly affordable to tax as a company vehicle, even though no hybrid or electric models are offered. VW commercial vehicles also sells the Amarok with a 5+ Promise, giving Amarok customers their first five services, three MOTs, a five-year warranty and five years of roadside assistance.

Where the Amarok is harder to justify is in cost, not because it represents bad value as such, but because it’s slightly more expensive than the Ford Ranger on which it is based.

Volkswagen Amarok Mk2 reliability

While the Amarok has a different look to the Ford Ranger, it shares that vehicle’s mechanical components. And while that’s good for cost sharing as far as Ford and VW are concerned, it does mean that Amarok buyers need to consider the Ranger’s less-than-brilliant reliability rating. In the 2022 What Car? Reliability survey, the Ford finished a lowly 27th out of 32 brands tested, whereas Toyota, which builds the Hilux, came second.

As noted in the Running Costs section of this review, Volkswagen offers a standard five-year warranty for the Amarok. This outdoes the three years of cover offered on the Ford Ranger.