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A fearsome thing in Inuit mythology, Hilux, Navara and Triton should be very worried about the Amarok. Photo Gallery
Bill Buys road tests and reviews the Volkswagen Amarok.
In line with Volkswagen's penchant for giving some of its vehicles strange names, like Touareg and Tiguan, their ute is called the Amarok.
It's a huge, savage wolf in Inuit mythology, and it has its eyes on the market dominated by Hilux, Navara and Triton.
SAFETY
The Argentinian-built double-cab Volkswagen ute has several important 'firsts' to its credit: it's the first ute with a five-star ANCAP safety rating, it's the most fuel-efficient in its segment and has the greatest cargo capability.
It looks pretty good too and is built on a super-rigid ladder frame chassis with bulging sides, which allows for a more spacious cab.
VALUE
Amaroks come in four levels, priced from $33,990 for the lone rear-wheel drive model with six-speed manual tranny to $58,490 for the Ultimate, which has permanent 4Motion all-wheel drive.
Selectable 4Motion is a $10,000 option on the base model, which can be identified by its unpainted front bumper and 16-inch steel wheels.
Then come the speccier Trendline, with alloys, cruise control, colour-coded bumpers and foglights at $47,990 and the more-so Highline, sporting a chromed grille, dual-zone aircon, flared wheel arches for its 18-inch alloys and better trim at $52,000. Both also have selectable 4Motion. The Ultimate gets 19-inch alloys, leather, stainless steel sidesteps, a sports bar and other goodies.
TECHNOLOGY
Automatic transmission? Not in these wolfwagons. None of them. All variants have a 120kW/400Nm 2.0-litre twin-turbo diesel engine, which is a bit smaller than most in its class, but its a very sophisticated unit and, at 7.7litres/100km, has markedly better fuel economy.
Let loose for two days on the best and worst roads in Tasmania, the nicely-built Amaroks showed refinement on the blacktop and competence on some extreme off-road terrain. Jefferys Track, in the Wellington Range, is a tough climb in the dry, but a nightmare of muddy pools, puddles and punishment after a strong downpour, as we found.
However, the Amarok, also called the Uber Ute by some, came with the armament to take on the conditions: Off-road settings include ESP, ABS, Hill Descent Control, Hill Holder, high and low range.
The latter can be selected by clicking an arrowed button on the console (at up to 130km/h for high) and the rear diff' can be locked. So, even with road tyres, we were able to scramble our way through.
DRIVE
The chassis set-up is very good and the suspension, double wishbones in front and basic leaf springs at the back, did a remarkable job. Standard fare is a five-leaf set-up, but a three-leaf no-cost `comfort' version can be specified.
As far as handling is concerned, the Amarok is streets ahead of its Japanese rivals. It corners quickly and confidently and its stability control cuts in quickly to arrest a loose tail.
The tray itself is wide and deep and it can take a pallet - sideways. The tailgate is very sturdy and can be used as a cargo tray extension. There's comfortable accommodation for five, two in front, three at the back, and the back seats can be laid flat for extra cargo. Four load hooks and a 12v outlet are other features of the biggest-in-class tray.
VERDICT
Offroaders will want to know the Amarok has a fording depth of 500mm and a 28degree entry and 23.6degree departure angle. A fearsome thing in Inuit mythology, Hilux, Navara and Triton should be very worried about the Amarok.
VOLKSWAGEN AMAROK
Price: from $33,990
Engine: 120kW/400Nm 2-litre 4-cylinder particle-filtered twin-turbodiesel
Transmission: six-speed manual, four-wheel-drive
Body: 4-door, five seats
Dimensions: 5181mm (L); 1944mm (W); 1834mm (H); 3095mm (WB)
Weight: 2069kg
Tyre: 18x7.5in alloys with 255/60 tyres
Spare Tyre: full-size
Warranty: 3 years, unlimited kilometre
Service Interval: 25,000km or 12-months
Economy: 7.9 l/100km, on test 10.5; tank 80 litres, 209g/km CO2
Safety: dual front and side airbags, ESP, Off-road setting, ABS, ASR, EDL.
Crash rating: 5 star
