Volkswagen Australia has confirmed its shift to a “V6-led” strategy for the Amarok dual cab ute, largely driven by Ford’s deletion of the 2.0-litre ‘Bi-Turbo’ diesel engine from its Ranger ute and Everest SUV line-ups in late 2025.
The current VW Amarok was co-developed with the Ford Ranger, with Ford Australia’s decision to drop the 184kW/600Nm 2.0-litre, twin-turbo, four-cylinder diesel engine a result of tightening emission regulations, including the escalating impact of the Federal Government’s New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES) scheme.
The Blue Oval is redirecting engine development dollars towards the ‘Panther’ series engine family, the single-turbo diesel four-cylinder version of which is still offered in the Ranger.
2027 VW Amarok V6-heavy range
But rather than go down that route VW has sidelined single- and twin-turbo four-cylinder turbo-diesel Amarok variants while expanding its 3.0-litre V6 turbo-diesel line-up from three to five grades, including the recently released, limited edition Dark Label V6.
Volkswagen Australia Commercial Vehicles Head of Marketing & Product Michelle Rowney told CarsGuide, “We’ve moved towards a V6 strategy.
“So, we’ve dropped the four cylinders from the range. We still have the petrol, but then we go into our V6 offerings,” she said.
Gone are the Amarok TDI405 Core, TDI500 Life and TDI500 Style, with the only remaining four-cylinder option (TDI452 Style) powered by the Ford-sourced 222kW/452Nm single turbo-petrol engine already offered in the VW (but not the Ford Ranger).
Volkswagen Amarok MY27 pricing
| Model | Price - before on-road costs |
| TDI600 Style (V6 diesel) | $73,740 |
| TDI452 Style (4cyl petrol) | $73,740 |
| TDI600 Dark Label | $77,990 |
| TDI600 PanAmericana | $78,990 |
| TDI600 Aventura | $82,990 |
| TDI600 W600 | $91,990 |
Ms Rowney added that following its announcement earlier this year, the Amarok Dark Label V6 “is now being distributed and has started to land with dealers.”
Based largely on the Style V6, the special edition is limited to 200 units with a roughly $4K premium adding the following styling changes and feature upgrades:
- 20-inch ‘Matte Black’ ‘Bendigo’ alloy wheels (unique to the Dark label)
- LED matrix headlights (with black surrounds)
- Darkened tail-lights
- Black sports bar, side steps, rear bumper, door handles and mirrors
- Front bumper ‘X‑design’ in black
- Black front skid plate
- Matte Black B‑pillar foil and roof rails
- Dark Label sticker pack (bonnet, doors, tub sides, tailgate)
- Dark privacy glass (rear and side)
- Dark Label seat package in synthetic microfibre
- Dark Label branded floor mats
- Ebony Black headliner
- Spray in tub liner (with 230V power)
- Black soft tonneau cover
- Factory towing kit & electronic brake controller
