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Ford has made big changes with its popular Ranger ute for 2026 and it’s expected Volkswagen will soon make similar changes with the related Amarok.
The biggest is expected to be the axing of the TDI500 2.0-litre four-cylinder bi-turbo diesel engine in Australia. It’s being axed from the local Ranger line-up for the 2026 model year.
This diesel engine is currently offered in Amarok Life and Style trims levels, as well as the limited-edition 10 Deserts Edition. It produces 154kW of power and 500Nm of torque.
The expected axing of the bi-turbo would put a much larger focus on the popular 3.0-litre V6 turbo-diesel engine. It’s expected the TDI405 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel, as well as the TSI452 2.3-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engines will continue.
“For 15 years the Amarok has established itself firmly as a ‘V6 brand’ while evolving to be even more than that – its loyal and new customer base love its premium value, elevated feel, significant performance and leading handling,” said a Volkswagen Commercial Vehicle spokesperson.
“These are the virtues that will come into even sharper focus for the Amarok in the second half of 2026, aligning perfectly with the forthcoming and highly anticipated Amarok W-Series flagship that is in development.
“Currently the range is not finalised. We will finalise a range that focuses on what fans love most [about] Amarok, starting with an ‘entry’ point that has features such as a stitched leather-look dash, significant driver seat support, high quality trim and plenty of technology – combining a premium feel with classically great performance and handling.
“This thread will continue and peak with the Amarok W-Series, making for a very distinct and resolved range for our customers.”
Even if Volkswagen does axe the TDI500 bi-turbo-diesel engine, it will likely have a bank of existing stock available at dealers.
The brand is currently offering MY24 versions of the Amarok Life TDI500 for $60,490 drive-away until December 31, while the limited-edition Amarok 10 Deserts Edition is being offered at $69,990 drive-away while stock lasts.
At this stage it’s unclear whether the Amarok will receive the same tweaks to the TDI405 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine as the Ranger. It has received a new timing chain and fuel injection system and is now mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission, instead of a six-speed automatic.
The 2026 Volkswagen Amarok line-up hasn’t been detailed yet, but it’s been previously speculated the TSI452 turbo-petrol engine will feature in a new entry-level guise. It’s currently only offered in top-spec Aventura guise along with the TDI600 3.0-litre V6 turbo-diesel engine.
As mentioned, the company is soon set to launch the new W-Series version of the Amarok, which has been fettled by Walkinshaw.
The company has only teased the design so far but it’s expected to get a performance-oriented overhaul in terms of the aggressive looks and suspension tweaks.
Volkswagen has had a tough year so far in terms of sales with the Amarok. A total of 5020 examples have been sold up to the end of November, which is down 36.6 per cent year-on-year.
For context, the related Ranger outsold the Amarok 10 times over. A total of 51,125 examples have been sold so far.
