Automotive

Volkswagen turns up the refinement in updated Amarok

Volkswagen turns up the refinement in updated Amarok
VW's new Amarok has a new engine, steering and brakes for a smoother drive
VW's new Amarok has a new engine, steering and brakes for a smoother drive
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There's very little to set the updated Amarok apart from its precedessor
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There's very little to set the updated Amarok apart from its precedessor
There will be three states of tune for the new Amarok V6
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There will be three states of tune for the new Amarok V6
VW's new Amarok has a new engine, steering and brakes for a smoother drive
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VW's new Amarok has a new engine, steering and brakes for a smoother drive
The V6 diesel in the Amarok
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The V6 diesel in the Amarok
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Volkswagen has updated its Amarok, but rather than focusing on what makes it rugged and tough, the changes are all about refinement. With a more powerful V6 diesel engine, more precise steering and shiny exterior highlights, the updated truck should offer a more car-like drive.

At the heart of the updated Amarok is a 3.0-liter V6 diesel engine, tuned to provide prodigious pulling power from low revs. In the range-topping model, the new engine punches out 164 kW (221 hp) and there's 550 Nm (406 lb.ft) of torque on tap from just 1,500 rpm.

It seems low-down torque is a focus in the motoring world at the moment. Ford's fastidiously engineered EcoBlue diesel and VW's latest 1.5-liter Miller Cycle engine are both designed to offer peak torque from just above idle, and the Amarok's diesel gains 130 Nm (96 lb.ft) over its predecessor.

In spite of its improved performance, the range-topping V6 is expected to use around 7.6 L/100km (37 mpg) on the New European Drive Cycle and emit just 199 g/km of CO2. The impressive fuel economy figure is also, in part, down to the tall-geared 8-speed automatic gearbox, which allows the car to sit just above idle at freeway speeds and sip diesel parsimoniously.

There's very little to set the updated Amarok apart from its precedessor
There's very little to set the updated Amarok apart from its precedessor

Low-rev cruising also contributes to the sense of refinement in the cabin. Although there's no mention of an interior redesign from VW, the vehicle has been fitted with variable power steering for improved low-speed precision and better high-speed stability.

To set the new Amarok apart from its predecessor, VW has made a few very subtle tweaks to the exterior, including LED daytime running lights and optional 20-inch alloy wheels. On the range-topping model, there's also 17-inch brake discs at the front and 16-inch discs at the rear, as well as a post-collision braking system to stop you cannoning into the traffic in front after a rear-ender.

If you're worried about load capacity, there's still room for a Euro-pallet in the 2.52 m2 (27.13 ft2) load bay, and Volkswagen promises future models will have a 3.5 tonne (3.86 ton) towing capacity.

The updated Amarok will go on sale before the end of September 2016 in the UK. For buyers who can't stretch to the top of the range, the new engine will also be available in 120 kW (161 hp) and 150 kW (201 hp) tune.

Source: Volkswagen

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9 comments
9 comments
VoiceofReason
and STILL not available in the United States. Idiotic move on thier part.
Gizmowiz
Hopefully the EPA will prevent VW from ever importing another diesel period.
Gizmowiz
VW is dead to many USA citizens. They killed themselves by cheating and killing hundreds of Americans with the increased pollution from their cars.
AngryPenguin
@VoiceofReason
They know that most of the people who buy trucks in the US are obsessed with buying American.
VoiceofReason
Angry, then explain the plethora of Toyotas Tacomas.
TDidriver
"killing hundreds of Americans with the increased pollution from their cars"
Prove it.
unklmurray
Yeah, I thought the comment about killing hundreds of Americans with their pollution is just a BS comment......it was posted by one of those people who write blogs because they can....it has no proof....but doesn't need any because it is useless......we know it.....they know it 2!!....It just looks like any other truck, the only good thing is it is a diesel,which is the 2nd reason I'd buy it the first one being it is a VW,I have VW's that I drive to Hippy events.....and I have FORD's that I drive to RedNeck events and Etrikes the rest of the time!! My automotive vehicles are diesel and run on used veggie oil,that is why I run diesel....fuel is FREE,some times they pay me 2 take their used oil away,on those days I drive my Ford Truck............LOL :-)
ljaques
Bad Wolf, and -wrong-, Pengy. I'm an American and own (and adore) a Toyota Tundra. This looks like a nice truck. Might be great as a bugout truck. If it were sold here, I'm sure that lots of them would disappear off the dealer lots in a hurry. Hopefully, they learned from their mistakes with the idiocy that is EPA related...and cleaned up their exhaust, too. Now let's see about getting them EMP-proofed, eh?
SilvioRomanello
VW can get EPA -proofed now they want, Audi just created diesel fuel from air and water
http://www.gizmag.com/audi-creates-e-diesel-from-co2/37130/