I couldn’t say I’m familiar with Australia’s inland deserts. I thought there were two or three - the Simpson, Gibson, maybe the Great Sandy.
But did you know there are 10? And Volkswagen knows each intimately thanks to a recent Guinness world record verified crossing of them all… in one go.
It took a tweaked-up Amarok six days and 17 hours if you must know, and to celebrate VW has created a limited build (300 unit) version of the dual cab ute called, you guessed it… the 10 Deserts Edition.
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And we were invited to steer it on-road and over a variety of challenging (public) off-road trails around Mt Macedon and Cobaw, about an hour’s drive north-west of Melbourne.
Not quite the Strzelecki Track, but tough enough to see if this special VeeDub has what it takes to drive your off-highway ambitions. So, stay with us!
Price and features – Does it represent good value for the price? What features does it come with? 8/10
8 / 10
Although it’s being cagey on exact pricing at this stage, Volkswagen says the Amarok 10 Deserts Edition will be positioned between $65 and $70K (likely closer to former than the latter).
The Amarok Life TDI500 this car is based on boasts a healthy standard equipment list including LED headlights, daytime running lights and fog lights, adaptive cruise control (with stop/go), alloy rims, a towbar, wireless charging and tailgate lift assist plus wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.
There’s also six-speaker audio (with digital radio), single-zone air-con, electrically folding and heated exterior mirrors (with courtesy lamps), auto headlight and high-beam control, a leather-trimmed steering wheel and gearshift, and auto rain-sensing wipers.
Not a bad fit-out, even before adding the extra 10 Deserts kit (see Design) and that prospective price puts it between the existing Amarok TDI500 Life ($59,490) and Style $69,740), both before on-road costs, and a step up from Ford’s close to $57K limited-run (1500 unit) Ranger Black Edition.
Design – Is there anything interesting about its design? 8/10
8 / 10
The Amarok is already a sleek-looking dual cab and the ‘Clear White’-only 10 Deserts Edition picks up unique black badging, a standard black tonneau cover and 17-inch satin ‘Asphalt Black’ alloy wheels shod with all-terrain rubber. More hardcore off-road tyres are a no-cost option, which is a nice touch, and there are black side steps and a ‘Asphalt Black’ mesh grille with ‘Bolder Grey’ inserts.
An ARB lift kit raises ground clearance by 40mm, from an already decent 235mm to 275mm, and ‘Genuine VW’ underbody protection is added.
The interior is cool, calm and collected in typical VW fashion with a predominantly dark grey colour palette highlighted by silver and brushed metal accents.
The 8.0-inch digital instrument display and 10.1-inch multimedia screen look contemporary without being garish, and there’s a workable mix of digital and physical controls, with climate being the former and audio the latter.
Practicality – How practical is its space and tech inside? 7/10
7 / 10
At just over 5.3m long, a little more than 1.9m wide and close to 1.9m tall (with a 3270mm wheelbase) the Amarok lives within the same dimensional footprint as key competitors like the Ford Ranger, Toyota HiLux and Isuzu D-Max.
Up front, it's easy to get in and out thanks to big door apertures and this limited edition’s slightly higher ride height. There’s plenty of breathing space and good separation from your co-pilot.
In terms of storage there are door bins with room for decent size bottles, a couple of cup/bottle holders in the centre console, a lidded storage box between the seats (which doubles as a centre armrest), a wireless charging pad ahead of that, two glove boxes, a shallow well in the centre of the dashtop and a drop down sunglasses holder.
In the back, sitting behind the driver’s seat set to my 183cm position, there’s plenty of head, leg and toe room.
Three full-size adults across the second row will be okay for short to medium trips and a trio of up to late teenage kids will be fine. There are bins in the doors with room for medium-size bottles, a fold-down centre armrest with a pair of cupholders and map pockets in the front seat backs.
On the not so good side, there’s no individual ventilation control for back-seaters and the only power option is a 12-volt socket with USB-A and -C ports confined to the front only. Shout out for the USB input in the mirror housing for a dash cam, though.
The roughly 1.5m long by 1.2m wide illuminated tray will accommodate a Euro pallet between the wheel arches. There are multiple tie-down rings and tailgate closing is assisted.
Maximum towing capacity for a braked trailer is 3500kg (750kg unbraked), a full-size spare is on-board and there are two towing hooks at the front.
Under the bonnet – What are the key stats for its engine and transmission? 9/10
9 / 10
The record-breaking Amarok was a V6 Style, but this limited edition is based on the Amarok TDI500 Life, so a 2.0-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder engine sits under the bonnet, sending 154kW/500Nm to the rear, or all four wheels, via a 10-speed automatic transmission.
This twin-turbo, dual-overhead cam unit is shared with the Amarok’s twin under the skin, the Ford Ranger (where it’s referred to as the ‘Bi-Turbo’), and the selectable all-wheel-drive system features three driving modes - 2H, 4H & 4L - and there’s a mechanical rear diff lock.
Efficiency – What is its fuel consumption? What is its driving range? 7/10
7 / 10
The TDI500’s official fuel consumption figure on the combined (urban/extra-urban) cycle is 7.2L/100km. With an 80-litre fuel tank on board, theoretical range is around 1100km.
Stop-start is standard, but we’ll have to wait for an as-tested figure, as this launch drive leant heavily into arduous off-road work.
For reference, in previous testing we’ve recorded real-world consumption closer to 10.0L/100km for this Amarok powertrain, which would deliver a driving range of around 800km.
Driving – What's it like to drive? 8/10
8 / 10
The Amarok TDI500 is easy and effortless to drive on the open road. Peak power of 154kW (at 3750rpm) is adequate, but it’s the 500Nm of pulling power, delivered exactly where you want it at just 1750rpm, that sets the tone.
With 10 ratios to cycle through, the auto transmission also helps keep things in the sweet spot and while you’re aware of a certain amount of diesel thrum under acceleration, in this type of ute that’s more reassuring than annoying.
Suspension is by double wishbones and coil springs at the front with leaf springs supporting a live axle at the rear. And as is typical for a ute with this set-up (particularly unladen) bumps on a typical B-road make their presence felt, but not to an alarming degree.
We drove it on loose dirt roads and some challenging trails (which we’ll get to shortly), but overall it feels capable and pretty well planted on the road.
The steering is electrically assisted and there’s a good connection between your hands on the wheel and the tyres on the road.
Standard 17-inch alloys are shod with 225x70 Continental CrossContact ATR (all-terrain) tyres and they’re civilised on the highway. Also worth noting more aggressive off-road-focused rubber is a no-cost option, which is a nice touch.
The brakes are discs front and rear, which is notable because the entry-level Amarok Core is fitted with drums at the back.
On the open-road and in slow-going off-highway, where you’re constantly feathering the brakes during steep declines, braking remains strong with a progressive pedal feel.
The off-road section of the launch drive was more about the nature of the terrain than ultra-steep inclines or declines.
Big boulders, cavernous ruts, bulging tree roots as well as loose gravel and sand surfaces were the flavours of the day and the Amarok did a great job.
Standard approach, departure and ramp-over angles for the Life TDI500 are pretty solid, but an extra 40mm of ground clearance makes a big difference.
Worth noting the 10 Deserts Edition held its own with the more heavily modified V6 Style that set the Guinness record, which we also had a chance to steer.
With around 80kg less weight on the front axle, the four-cylinder feels agile and eager in the rough stuff and we saw some impressive axle articulation as the suspension and drive systems helped the Amarok pick its way through the most difficult sections.
We stepped our way through two-wheel high, four-wheel high and 4WD low modes, pulling in the diff lock only when things got hairy.
In terms of miscellaneous observations, it’s worth noting the turning circle is 12.8m. The Amarok is a sizeable vehicle and you’d expect the turning circle to be up there, but just be prepared for a reasonably wide arc when you’re parking or making three-point turns.
And the front seats are a stand-out. They’re pretty much sports editions - grippy and comfortable even after a full day behind the wheel on- and off-road. And their lateral support keeps you nicely located in the corners.
Safety – What safety equipment is fitted? What is its safety rating? 9/10
9 / 10
The Amarok was given a maximum five-star ANCAP assessment in 2022 and active (crash-avoidance) tech includes AEB (with pedestrian and cyclist monitoring), lane keeping assist and lane departure warning, adaptive cruise control (with stop and go function), rear cross-traffic alert, blind-spot monitoring, hill-descent control, tyre-pressure monitoring, driver fatigue alert, roll-over mitigation and trailer sway control.
There’s also ‘Swerve Steer Assist’, road and speed sign recognition, front and rear parking distance controls, and a reversing camera. That’s an impressive suite for the category.
If a crash is unavoidable, there are nine airbags onboard - dual front and front side, dual front knee, full-length side curtain and a front-centre bag to help reduce the chance of head clash injuries in a side-on crash. Again, above average.
The Amarok scores well with ANCAP for vulnerable road user protection, multi-collision braking minimises the chances of secondary collisions following an initial impact and there’s an auto emergency call-out function able to sense if the driver is incapacitated following an airbag deployment.
Important to note there are top tethers and ISOFIX anchors for baby capsules and/or child seats on the outer rear seat positions only.
Ownership – What warranty is offered? What are its service intervals? What are its running costs? 8/10
8 / 10
Volkswagen covers the Amarok with a five-year/unlimited-km warranty, which is expected in the mainstream market.
Service is recommended every 12 months/15,000km, which is pretty handy, and the price averages $360 for the first five years, which is competitive for the class and price point.
Fixed price three- or five-year plans are also offered, which brings a modest discount and locks in the pricing. Twelve months of roadside assistance is complementary, renewed for another year each time you service the car at an authorised VW dealer.
Verdict
It’s been developed with adventurous four-wheel-drive enthusiasts in mind, but we don’t know exactly what it will cost. However, given the current ballpark estimate, the value equation will likely stack up well and things like safety and the ownership package are solid. And we know it’s tough and capable in rough going, which is the main point, after all. This package works brilliantly well.
Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel, accommodation and meals provided.
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