Ford Ranger Raptor who? 2023 Volkswagen Amarok confirmed with not one, but TWO flagship utes designed for on-road and off-road performance

Volkswagen has confirmed its new-generation Amarok ute will be offered in five grades when it arrives in Australia towards the end of the year.

As previously reported, the first examples of the Amarok to touch down on local soil will be media and dealer evaluation vehicles, with the first customer deliveries expected in early 2023.

The base version will be unnamed, simply being called Amarok, while the Life and Style will be the next two grades up.

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There will be two top-spec versions however, the PanAmericana and Adventura, targeting off-road and on-road performance respectively.

As such, the PanAmericana and Adventura are expected to compete against the likes of the Ford Ranger Wildtrak, Toyota HiLux SR5, Isuzu D-Max X-Terrain, Nissan Navara Pro-4X and Mazda BT-50 Thunder, though without full specifications, it is hard to tell how they will stack up.

Five different engines will be available, at least internationally, with the new Amarok, with one petrol and four diesels on offer.

Australia will likely stick exclusively to diesel power, like it does now, though exactly which engines will be available in the new Amarok is still unclear.

VW has confirmed engine displacement will range from 2.0 to 3.0 litres, while rear- and all-wheel-drive options will also be available.

For reference, the related Ford Ranger offers up three diesel engines – two 2.0-litre versions tuned to 125kW/405Nm and 154kW/400Nm, and a 184kW/600Nm 3.0-litre V6.

The Ranger is also available with a petrol engine, namely a 292kW/583Nm 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 found in the top-spec Raptor, but it is understood this engine will remain a Ford exclusive powertrain.

Volkswagen will therefore likely opt for a diesel powertrain for its own flagship Amaroks, and could leverage its existing relationship with Walkingshaw Performance to build a home-grown special edition.

These engines will allow for a payload of up to 1.2 tonnes, while maximum braked towing capacity is rated at 3.5 tonnes.

Measuring 5350mm long and with a wheelbase of 3270mm, the 2023 Amarok is at least 100mm and 175mm longer in each respective category, and as before, it will be able to accommodate a full pallet in its tray.

Safety will also be a big focus for the new Amarok, with 30 driver assist systems on offer – 20 of which are new to the nameplate, according to VW.

Styling is still being kept under wraps for now, but VW has confirmed the new model will be shown off around July for an Australian showroom arrival in early 2023.

VW has confirmed the next Amarok will feature horizontal bars across the grille and slim LED head- and tail-lights as standard, with LED Matrix lighting available as an option.

The 2023 Amarok’s new grille will also feature its name embossed on the front, while the same detailing is also found on the tailgate.

The new Amarok’s wheelarch cladding will also retain its flat top edge, while wheels measuring up to 21 inches shod in all-terrain rubber will fill out the guards.

Inside, the Amarok will feature a digital instrument cluster, table-style multimedia system, leather-look surfaces and wide seats, as well as an exclusive sound system.

According to the VW release, the Amarok “positions itself once again at the top of the pick-up B segment with its highly resilient qualities, excellent specification, a greatly expanded array of driver assist features and a much larger range of drive system than its predecessor”.