2018 Volkswagen Amarok Reviews

VW’s 4x4 Amarok V6, although an excellent performer, has not posed a threat to the sales dominance of the Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger in Australia’s 4x4 ute market. Beyond brand loyalties or prejudices, one of the greatest barriers to sales growth has been the German ute’s high pricing, as it has struggled to match less powerful competitors built in Thailand with their low manufacturing costs and free-trade agreements.Even so, VW has recently tried to address this issue with the release of the Core TDI 550 V6, with pricing much closer to $50,000. This brings Amarok’s outstanding 3.0 litre V6 capabilities within the reach of more ute buyers, but in the Core’s more basic work-focused specification. We recently spent a week behind the wheel to see if it hits the target.

The VW Amarok V6 Ultimate 580 is the most powerful dual-cab diesel ute you can buy. Ford now offers the most powerful four-cylinder diesel ute in the Ranger Wildtrak Bi-Turbo. We've put them against each other to see which is the more rounded ute for its asking price.

When VW added a 3.0-litre V6 turbodiesel to its Amarok range in late 2016, it raised the local performance benchmark for dual-cab hay-haulers. With a stonking 165kW and 550Nm, the Amarok V6 has cast a shadow over all rivals as the most powerful Aussie ute ever since. However, it will soon be matched in torque and

VW's Amarok Core Plus might not be the newest offering in the dual-cab stable, but it still feels ahead of its time in the areas that count - namely its clever four-cylinder engine.