New Volkswagen Amarok V6 launch timing revealed: Germany's Ford Ranger sibling promises to be "tough, honest, masculine"

The next Volkswagen Amarok will be revealed in full around the middle of this year, with the German brand's Ford Ranger sibling to begin hitting dealerships before the end of 2022.

The teaser roll-out for the hotly anticipated new ute continues, with VW releasing more obscured images as the countdown to the unveiling continues.

But with that ticking clock comes the slow release of new information, with Germany overnight promising its new ute will be tough, honest and masculine – and that it will retain diesel V6 power.

Read More About Volkswagen Amarok

Keen on a Volkswagen Amarok Raptor? Ford Ranger ute partnership could deliver, or inspire, a new off-road monster Best utes arriving in 2022 Amarok news and reviews

It will also be bigger than the ute it replaces, with the new Amarok measuring in at 10 centimetres longer and over four centimetres wider than the current model.

But as has been promised in the past, the brand insists its partnership with Ford will still allow the Amarok to retain a clear VW identity, especially in the cabin.

“The new Amarok...impresses through its tough, honest design”, Albert-Johann Kirzinger, Head of Design at Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, said in the latest release.

“You can see that in the interior of the pick-up, too. The uncluttered, masculine architecture, the elements designed in a machine-like fashion, the clear, taut surfaces and a particularly high-quality cockpit raise the Volkswagen DNA to a new level and emphasise the Amarok’s right to claim premium vehicle status.”

It's a sentiment echoed by Ryan Davis, director of Volkswagen Australia commercial vehicles, who told us that, though it's based on the same underpinnings as the Ranger, the Amarok will still feel unique.

“What you see here is very much a Volkswagen,” He said. “A strong competent stance in the way that it presents. It has genuine Volkswagen DNA. This is the car that our designers in Melbourne and Europe have been working tirelessly over the past few years to come up with a car that expresses the absolute attributes of Volkswagen."

The brand has also begun flagging the expected powertrains on offer, with lusty V6 diesel power to continue in the new model.

"In terms of drive system, we are continuing to use highly efficient TDI diesel engines for the new Amarok”, Lars Menge, Head of Product Marketing at Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, says.

“And there will be a powerful V6 TDI available in the future, too, plus further power units specific in each case to the market. In other words, depending on the market the Amarok will be moving forward efficiently and powerfully as a diesel or petrol vehicle”.

VW is yet to confirm where the engine is coming from, but given the Ford Ranger has confirmed a 3.0-litre V6 turbo diesel, that engine is expected to carry over the the VW range, too.

As to when we'll see it? The countdown is on, with the new model to be revealed over the European summer (so mid-year), before going on sale in "the first few markets" by the end of the year.

"It will have its premiere this summer, and then be available to order in the first few markets at the end of the year," the brand says.