Volkswagen Amarok Review 2024

We've been waiting three years for the new Volkswagen Amarok to arrive, but it's finally here. The upmarket pick-up truck puts its own stamp on its Ford Ranger underpinnings, with bold looks and a generous amount of standard equipment. Read our VW Amarok review for the full lowdown.

The old Volkswagen Amarok entered the pick-up truck segment in 2011, offering car-like refinement and even a touch of style compared to utilitarian rivals. Production ended in 2020 and its successor has only just hit the market - the question is, has it been worth the wait?

Let’s start by looking at the relationship between the new Amarok and the Ford Ranger. A commercial vehicle partnership between Volkswagen and Ford means the two pick-ups are mechanically very similar (and even share a factory) - much like the Volkswagen Caddy bears a distinct resemblance to the new Ford Transit Connect.

It’d be unfair to describe the Volkswagen Amarok as a rebadged Ford Ranger, though. For a start, there are only a handful of shared cosmetic parts - it certainly has its own style, with a bold, upright radiator grille and flat-top wheel arches.

The Volkswagen Amarok range is a little more streamlined than the Ford Ranger’s. It’s only available as a double-cab pick-up, while there are four trim levels to choose from: Life, Style, PanAmericana and Aventura. Our choice would be the Volkswagen Amarok Style - it’s got a few more luxuries than the entry-level Life (dual-zone climate control, a 12.0-inch navigation system and adaptive cruise control, to name a few), without being quite as expensive as the higher-spec PanAmericana and Aventura models.

Talking of which, the Volkswagen Amarok is quite expensive as far as pick-up trucks go. The cheapest Volkswagen Amarok you can buy is more than £40,000 (including VAT), while some of the priciest models exceed £55,000. That’s significantly pricier than a SsangYong Musso or Isuzu D-Max.

The engine range is pretty limited, too. There are three to choose from: all turbodiesels, with power outputs ranging from 170PS to 240PS. We’d go for the punchy 3.0-litre V6 if budget allows; its extra low-down torque will prove useful when carrying a full load or towing a heavy trailer.

All but the most affordable Amarok come with a 10-speed automatic gearbox as standard. This seamlessly changes through its (many) ratios, while a selection of drive modes can alter the behaviour of the engine and gearbox to the situation. We’ve sampled the new Amarok on a range of off-road tracks and it’s pretty capable, especially considering the tarmac-focussed tyres fitted to our test vehicle.

On the road, the Volkswagen Amarok drives pretty well for a commercial vehicle, although you might be in for a shock if you’ve chopped in your SUV for one. That’s mainly due to the ride quality - it’s pretty crashy without any weight over the rear wheels, although that’s true for most pick-up trucks.

There are 20 new driver-assistance systems fitted to the Amarok, while its five-star Euro NCAP safety rating will be reassuring if you’re planning to use it as a family car.

Despite its upmarket image, the new Volkswagen Amarok does the workhorse thing pretty well, too. There’s a huge load bay, capable of carrying a Euro pallet sideways, while it’s rated to tow a braked trailer weighing up to 3500kg.

Inside, the Volkswagen Amarok is more spacious than a lot of the competition, with space for up to five adults in relative comfort. It's a well-finished cabin - a few brittle plastics aside - while technology like the huge portrait infotainment screen and digital dials give it a more car-like look.

You'll have to manage your expectations here: the Volkswagen Amarok is an old-fashioned pick-up truck rather than a fancy new SUV. That means it's a little bumpy and performance is brisk rather than brutal - but a huge dollop of torque means it's an excellent workhorse.

With old-fashioned leaf-sprung suspension, don't expect the Volkswagen Amarok to ride like an SUV - particularly without any weight over the rear wheels. It jiggles about on bumpy roads and soon starts to feel quite uncomfortable; although no more so than other pickup trucks. We haven't tried the Amarok with a full load, although we suspect that should settle it down nicely.

The Volkswagen Amarok is fairly big - and feels it - although good visibility and a tight turning circle mean it's not overwhelming around town. With 4Motion all-wheel drive as standard (as well as multiple off-road based drive modes), it's pretty cable off road too - certainly more than up to the job of navigating rural farm tracks. If you're planning on driving your pick-up truck through water, you'll be pleased to hear the Amarok's wading depth has been increased from 500mm to 800mm.

Once you get used to the lumpy ride quality, the Volkswagen Amarok feels more than agile enough on the open road. You can keep up with traffic without feeling seasick, although the lack of paddles behind the steering wheel (and no sport drive mode) is a clear case of expectation management. If you want a 4x4 that's good to drive, you'd be better off looking at an SUV alternative like the Volkswagen Touareg.

There are three turbodiesel engines available in the latest Volkswagen Amarok: two 2.0-litre four-cylinder units and a 3.0-litre V6. They're all Ford engines, shared with the latest Ranger.

The entry-level unit is a 170PS diesel engine which is paired with a six-speed manual gearbox. We're yet to sample this but, on paper, it's a sensible choice for those on a budget. It's only available in the most affordable Volkswagen Amarok Life, though, so we expect most buyers will go for one of the punchier engine offerings.

The 2.0-litre diesel is also available with 205PS and a 10-speed automatic gearbox. This covers the middle ground of the Amarok range nicely, with decent performance and a smooth-shifting automatic transmission.

Those looking for a bit more pulling power might want to look for a Volkswagen Amarok with the 240PS 3.0-litre V6 diesel engine. The difference in performance between the higher powered 2.0-litre unit and this isn't as obvious as you might expect (it's a second and a half quicker to 62mph), but its 600Nm of torque will make life a lot easier when you attach a trailer or fill the load bay.

With a five-star Euro NCAP safety rating, the latest Volkswagen Amarok is a very safe pickup truck. It performed particularly well for child occupants, achieving a 90 per cent score in crash tests.

There are more than 20 new driver assistance systems fitted to the Amarok. These include VW's Front Assist system, which can apply the brakes to prevent a collision with another vehicle, cyclist or pedestrian. Rear Traffic Alert warns of approaching vehicles when reversing, while the Park Assist and Park Assist Plus system can steer the Amarok into a parking space. There's a handy 360-degree overhead view camera system available, too.

All automatic versions of the Amarok can tow a braked trailer weighing up to 3500kg. That's an improvement on the old Amarok, which was only capable of towing up to 3200kg. The entry-level Volkswagen Amarok Life with the 170PS engine and six-speed manual gearbox can manage an impressive 3420kg - although, as ever, the automatic gearbox does take some of the strain out of towing a heavy trailer.

A useful feature of the new Volkswagen Amarok is its trailer drive mode. This tweaks the settings of the automatic gearbox, so it holds onto cogs for longer and reduces the amount of gear changes. It also increases the amount of engine braking, giving you more control when towing a trailer downhill.

The Volkswagen Amarok's cabin feels spacious, looks pretty smart and is well-equipped. We wouldn't quite say it's as plush as SUV alternatives, but it's certainly a step above pick-up trucks like the Isuzu D-Max and SsangYong Musso.

Measuring 5350mm long, 1910mm wide (excluding door mirrors) and 1884mm tall, the new Volkswagen Amarok is slightly bigger than its predecessor - which is good news for both interior space and load-lugging versatility.

We’ll start with the former, as the spaciousness of the cabin is quite important if you’re expecting to use the Amarok as a passenger car. Unlike competitors (including the Ford Ranger), the Amarok is only available as a double-cab pick-up, with space for the driver and up to four passengers.

It’s actually pretty roomy inside. The longer wheelbase (compared to the old Amarok) means there’s more space for those in the second row of seats - there’s loads of headroom and a surprising amount of legroom, even for adults. The Amarok feels equally spacious in the front, where its wide cabin and high seating position mean it's easy to get comfortable.

The Amarok’s load carrying abilities are pretty impressive, too. Its cargo bay is 1624mm long and up to 1584mm wide (dropping to 1224mm between the wheel arches) - that’s big enough to carry a Euro pallet sideways.

There are useful lashing rings on the cargo bed, while the bay is rated to take a total load capacity of up to 400kg. The Volkswagen Amarok’s maximum payload is 1.113 tonnes.

Like all pick-up trucks, the load bay is ordinarily a little exposed. The contents can be secured using an optional electric roll cover, though, which is offered as an official accessory and can be opened or closed via the key fob.

If you're planning to fit a roof tent to your Volkswagen Amarok (how very 2023), you might be interested to note that its roof can take a static load weighing up to 350kg. This drops to 85kg on the move.

As pick-up trucks go, the Volkswagen Amarok feels pretty classy inside. Leather seats are standard on PanAmericana and Aventura models, along with power adjustment for the driver and front-seat passenger. There's a leather-look finish to the dash, too, while shiny silver trim gives the cabin a welcome lift.

There are a few more hard plastics inside than in a, say, Volkswagen Touareg SUV - but it's fundamentally a working vehicle, and gives the impression that it'll cope with life on the building site.

While Volkswagen Amarok Life models come with a 10.0-inch infotainment screen, most trim levels come with a bigger 12.0-inch display. It's portrait orientated and certainly a talking point in the cabin, although it has its limitations. For a start, it's awkwardly positioned, looking more like a cheap tablet tacked onto the dash than a properly integrated infotainment display.

It's easy enough to use, while Volkswagen's bods have applied their own skin to it (so it does at least look a little different to the display in the Ford Ranger). We like the physical shortcut buttons below the screen, although they look and feel a bit cheap. Pressing them opens up a display on the screen, too - which is a bit annoying if you're following navigation directions and your passenger wants to adjust the temperature of the climate control.

A 12-inch digital cockpit is standard on Style, PanAmericana and Aventura models, too. This is another neat touch which gives the Amarok a more car-like vibe than more affordable pick-up trucks. Buy an Amarok PanAmericana or Aventura and you'll get a fancy eight-speaker Harman Kardon sound system, too.