2021 Volkswagen Amarok W580 detailed: Walkinshaw partnership creates new Ford Ranger Raptor and Nissan Navara N-Trek Warrior rival

Volkswagen Australia has laid down the gauntlet to the Ford Ranger Raptor and Nissan Navara N-Trek Warrior, revealing the hardcore Amarok W580, the first result of its new partnership with Walkinshaw.

Available to order from December 1 and with deliveries starting in April next year, the W580 stands out from the Amarok 580 crowd with its upgraded suspension and unique styling.

According to Volkswagen Australia, “Walkinshaw conducted a comprehensive retune of the Amarok’s standard suspension … in order to maximise grip and boost steering feel of the W580”.

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At the same time, ride height was increased via 40mm lift for the front axle as well as the fitment of larger Pirelli Scorpion tyres (275/50), which wrap around 20-inch alloy wheels with a black Clayton five-spoke design created by Walkinshaw.

Meanwhile, the W580 also gets a bespoke grille and front bumper, black wheelarch extensions, a black decal set, a body-colour moulded sports bar, a custom exhaust system with dual rear-side-exit tailpipes, black badging and interior branding, including a build plate.

The W580 gets black wheelarch extensions, a body-colour moulded sports bar and a custom exhaust system with dual rear-side-exit tailpipes.

No changes have been made to the Amarok 580’s 200kW/580Nm 3.0-litre turbo-diesel V6 engine in the W580, with it already comfortably outpunching the rivalling 157kW/500Nm Ford Ranger Raptor and 140kW/450Nm Nissan Navara N-Trek Warrior.

As such, the W580 follows in the Amarok 580’s tyre tracks by being mated to an eight-speed torque-converter automatic transmission and Volkswagen’s permanent 4Motion all-wheel-drive system.

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Commenting on the W580, Volkswagen Australia director of commercial vehicles Ryan Davies said: “We have always known what a powerhouse we have in the Amarok but have always felt the range needed a proper GT-spec model.

“As the originators of the performance ute category, we looked no further than Walkinshaw to achieve this.”

The W580 came from a secret year-long collaboration between Volkswagen Australia and Walkinshaw, with the W580 set to roll off the latter’s production line in Clayton, Victoria.

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Not only was the same suburb the home of Volkswagen’s original assembly plant from 1953, but the same Walkinshaw facility produced the similarly conceived HSV Colorado SportsCat until its recent discontinuation.

Pricing and full specification details for the W580 will be released on December 1. For reference, the Amarok’s most expensive variant is currently the $72,790 580 Ultimate.