Volkswagen Amarok vs Mercedes-Benz Vito

What's the difference?

The Life might one of the more budget-friendly offerings in the Amarok range, but for mine, it's also among the smartest buys in the family.

So ask yourself, do you really need that V6?

This is a very competent light commercial van that’s nice to drive, either unladen or with a heavy load. It’s also rated to carry more than a tonne (like the HiAce) while towing 2.5 tonnes (one tonne more than the HiAce) which would make it well suited to a wide range of job applications, particularly given the forklift-friendly option of rear barn-doors.

However, even in standard trim, without our test vehicle’s options, it costs about $20K more than Toyota’s dominant rival. So, only a potential buyer can decide if the Vito’s much higher pricing is justified after a decent test drive and consideration of its higher tow rating - and perceived prestige.

It feels a little weird to describe any kind of dual-cab ute as "elegant", I know. We're used to these trucks looking big and bulky, with tough usually being the singular design brief.

But you know what, I'm going to. Because the Amarok does look somehow elegant – mature, even – both in its Core and Life guises.

It's partly the colours available – the Bright Beige Metallic especially is lovely — but it's also the design philosophy overall. VW talks about it, and when they do it can sound like marketing guff, but the Amarok does genuinely look like it has European sensibilities.

Climb inside the Core and you're met with the rough-and-tumble cabin of an entry-level workhorse. The steering wheel feels low end, the flooring is vinyl, and there's a manual parking brake, cloth seats and hard cabin materials.

That said, it's all nicely laid out, and it all works visually, especially when you consider the purpose of the Core.

The Life improves matters, with comfy - still fabric - seats, a leather steering wheel and a cooler, leather-wrapped shifter, and a nice smattering of colours through the cabin, though the hard plastics remain.

Our test vehicle rides on a 3200m wheelbase, which is the shorter of two available, resulting in an overall vehicle length of more than 5.0 metres (5140mm) and a tight 11.1-metre turning circle. Its 1915mm height ensures access to underground and multi-storey carparks.

It looks a cut above the usual whitegoods-on-wheels appearance of commercial vans with its alloy wheels, chrome grille highlights and black metallic paint including the front and rear bumpers. It has MacPherson strut front suspension, semi-trailing arm coil-spring rear suspension (which is excellent under heavy loads) and four-wheel disc brakes.

Although the driver’s bucket seat offers multiple adjustments, the separate bench seat for two passengers has none, but it does include a separate headrest and lap-sash belt for the centre passenger. All are trimmed in black 'Caluma' fabric.

However, if you’re tall with large feet like me, you’ll struggle to find a comfortable position in the centre seat. Given that its base cushion is offset to the left of the floor’s transmission hump, you can’t sit with feet either side of the hump.

The only choices are to squeeze both feet on top of the hump between dash and seat (not enough room for my size-11 Blundstones) or angle both legs across to the left with your feet on the passenger floor and knees pressing into the dash. Either way, travelling three-up is for short trips only, with the smallest crew-member preferably in the middle.

They’re all pretty damn practical, these Amaroks, and that’s true of both the Life and Core models, too.

While it’s slightly narrower than the model it replaces, this Ford Ranger-based Amarok is slightly longer, with a longer wheelbase, which the brand says delivers more backseat space, while still being able to carry a pallet in its tray.

It will also tow 3.5 tonnes braked, deliver a 988kg payload - slightly down on the Core’s 1042kg - and the roof is rated to 350kg.

There are plenty of off-road goodies, too. The 4Motion system delivers high-range and low-range 4WD, and both variants offer 235mm of ground clearance, and 800mm of wading depth.

And I can tell you from experience that there’s more than enough off-road capability on offer here to take you about as far as you want to go on the weekend.

With its relatively light 1967kg kerb weight (a HiAce equivalent tops 2200kg) and 3050kg GVM, our test vehicle has a 1083kg payload rating, so it’s a genuine one-tonner. And up to 150kg of that can be carried on the roof, where you’ll find four pairs of mounting points along each side of the roof ready for rack-mounting.

It’s also rated to tow up to 2500kg of braked trailer and with its 5550kg GCM (or how much it can legally carry and tow at the same time) it’s rated to tow its maximum trailer weight while carrying its maximum payload. That’s an impressive and useful set of numbers.

The cargo bay, which offers a competitive 6.0 cubic metres of load volume, is accessed by sliding doors on each side with 822mm opening width (although the top half of the cabin bulkhead encroaches on this) and a swing-up tailgate which restricts forklift access for rear loading (a twin barn-door option is available).

The walls and doors of the cargo bay are lined and its wooden load floor is 2678mm long and 1709mm wide with 1270mm between the rear-wheel housings. So, it could carry two 1165mm-square standard Aussie pallets or up to three 800 x 1200mm Euro pallets, secured using your choice of eight load-anchorage points. There’s also a large storage area at the base of the bulkhead which is ideal for carrying ropes, straps, load-padding etc.

There are numerous personal storage places in the cabin, including large bottle-holders and bins in the base of each door plus a second-tier at mid-height for smaller items. There are also three bins and two cupholders in the top of the dash-pad plus an overhead glasses holder, decent-sized glove box and a sizeable storage compartment hidden beneath the outer passenger seat.

Our Vito test vehicle is the 116 CDI MWB (Medium Wheel Base) Van, which with 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine, nine-speed automatic transmission and rear-wheel drive has a list price of $63,278, plus on-road costs.

Our example is fitted with the optional 'Cargo Package' ($2244) which comprises a twin-passenger ‘Comfort’ front bench seat and cargo bay enhancements including a rear LED interior light, full-width bulkhead with window (which separates cabin and cargo bay) and robust wood flooring.

It’s also finished in optional 'Obsidian Black' metallic paint ($1704) which together with the Cargo Package bumps the as-tested list price to $69,701.

Standard equipment includes niceties like 17-inch alloy wheels with 225/55 R17 tyres and a full-size steel spare, front and rear parking sensors, a reversing camera, tinted windows, leather-wrapped and height/reach-adjustable steering wheel with multiple remote functions, along with a driver’s seat comfort pack with adjustable lumbar support and adjustable base-cushion length which can be extended so it sits right under your knees. Great on long drives.

There’s also a chrome grille and interior highlights package, all-season floor mats, two USB ports and a 12-volt accessory outlet plus a multimedia system with 7.0-inch touchscreen, digital radio and multiple connectivity options including Apple and Android devices, voice-command and more.

The Core gets the entry-level diesel, with its single-turbo, 2.0-litre, four-cylinder engine producing 125kW and 405Nm. It pairs with a six-speed auto, and delivers decent but not life-changing grunt.

The Life, though, steps it up. It gets a familiar (from the last-gen Ranger Raptor) bi-turbo-diesel engine, with the outputs dialled up to 154kW and 500Nm. It pairs with a 10-speed auto, and is an engaging, entertaining drive.

The refined and efficient 'OM654' is a 2.0-litre four-cylinder intercooled turbo-diesel which meets the toughest Euro 6 emissions standards using AdBlue. It produces 120kW at 4200rpm and its 380Nm is served at full strength across a broad torque band between 1350-2400rpm, which highlights its flexibility.

The '9G-Tronic' nine-speed torque converter automatic offers fast and smooth shifting and there are four switchable driving modes comprising 'Eco', 'Comfort', 'Sport' or 'Manual', the latter using steering wheel-mounted paddle-shifters.

The Amarok is fitted with an 80-litre tank, and VW reckons you can expect 7.2L/100km on the combined cycle in the Life, and 8.0L in the Core.

We found the real-world fuel use was closer to 10L/100km in both models, but that included some off-roading, too.

Mercedes-Benz claims an official combined cycle figure of 6.8L/100km but the dash readout was showing 8.1 at the end of our 348km test, of which about one third of that distance was hauling more than one tonne of payload.

That was lineball with our own figure, calculated from tripmeter and fuel bowser readings, of 8.3 which is outstanding single-digit economy given its big payload and GCM ratings. So, based on our figures, you could expect a ‘real world’ driving range of around 840km from its 70-litre tank.

The question that really needs to be asked here, I think, is do you really - really - need a V6 engine? Because if that answer is no, and it would be for me, then I think the Life might be the pick of the Amarok range, both from a price and power perspective.

Don't get me wrong, the Core's engine isn't massively underwhelming. But it's the entry-level powertrain, and it feels like it's working harder than the Life's diesel donk.

If you're even vaguely interested in dual-cab utes, you'll know the bi-turbo engine on offer in the Life as the driving force behind that other dinosaur-themed off-roader, and it's no less enjoyable in this new application.

Lightning fast it is not, but the power on offer is really more than enough here, and not once was I longing for a V6, whether we were on the road or off it.

There's also something to be said for the refinement on offer from the modern dual-cab ute, with the Amarok genuinely filling that family car that can go anywhere brief, without sacrificing on the ute essentials.

Part of that is down to the ride, which VW says has been tuned firm on purpose. It can be a little jarring when you hit a rough patch or bump, especially when off-roading, but the trade-off is a ute that doesn't sway or float too much when cornering, helping the Amarok feel more SUV-like than an old-school dual cab.

Downsides? The 10-speed auto fitted to the Life shifts smoothly enough, but it's pretty busy, shifting up or down when you don't really expect it to, and with only the lightest accelerator input. That, and the diesel thrum is a pretty constant companion, delivering background noise in the cabin whenever you're accelerating.

It offers a comfortable driving position with good eyelines to all mirrors, even though the central mirror’s view through the bulkhead window is slightly obscured by the centre seat headrest.

There’s a vast blind-spot over the driver’s left shoulder caused by the bulkhead and solid cargo bay walls. This requires total reliance on the passenger-side door mirror in traffic, fortunately with the reassurance of blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert.

The driver’s seat, with its fold-down inboard armrest and multiple adjustment, is supportive and comfortable even though the recline angle of the backrest is restricted by the bulkhead behind it. Fortunately, there’s enough recline available, even for tall drivers.

The leather-trimmed steering wheel has a luxurious feel which is in stark contrast to the foot-operated parking brake, which lets out a loud spring-loaded ‘twang’ each time you pull the dashboard lever to release it.

It’s nice to drive on a daily basis as the bulkhead seals off cargo bay noise, steering is nicely weighted, the four-wheel discs provide strong braking and the unladen ride quality with four-coil suspension is smooth and supple.

At city and suburban speeds, the nine-speed auto is efficient at keeping the turbo-diesel operating in its broad peak torque band, with energetic throttle response that never feels sluggish.

With adaptive cruise control it also has effortless highway performance, requiring only 1500rpm to maintain 100km/h and 1750rpm at 110km/h. Engine and wind noise are low, but tyre noise varies according to road surface and can be quite intrusive on coarse bitumen at these higher speeds.

To test its payload rating, we forklifted 975kg into the cargo bay. With the raised tailgate restricting forklift access, we could only load one weight-block through the rear and that was only possible using extended tynes on the forklift. The other two blocks were loaded through the side doors.

With driver the total payload was 1065kg, which was less than 20kg under its limit. The coil-spring rear suspension compressed 75mm, which engaged the long rubber cones located inside the coils that provide a second stage of load support and a ride quality that’s free of thumps over bumps. The nose rose 30mm in response.

With more than a tonne on board, the Vito handled the load with ease. Although more accelerator pedal was needed, particularly on hills, the handling remained stable and it glided over bumps.

It also scoffed at our 13 per cent gradient 2.0km-long set climb at 60km/h, self-shifting down to third gear to easily haul this load to the summit.

Engine-braking on the way down, in a manually-selected second gear, wasn’t as effective which is usually the case with relatively small diesels trying to restrain heavy payloads on steep descents. The quartet of disc brakes kept our speeds below the posted 60km/h limit.

Currently there's no ANCAP rating for Vito models built from January 2023. Even so, our test vehicle is loaded with active safety features in M-B’s latest ‘Adaptive ESPR – Electronic Stability Program 9i’ plus front and (side) window airbags for driver and outer passenger, digital reversing camera with three rear-view modes, heated door mirrors and lots more.

The Amarok gets a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, and you get 12 months of roadside assistance thrown in, too. You can also bulk-buy your services for the first five years, too, for $1800.

Service intervals are 12 months and 15,000km.

The Vito is covered by a five-year/250,000km warranty including a 24-hour roadside assist support package. Service intervals are 12 months/25,000km whichever occurs first.

A choice of three capped-price service plans is available, including 'Best Basic Pre-Paid' which covers five scheduled services for a total cost of $4892, or an average of $978 per service.