Ford Ranger Sport v Volkswagen Amarok Style 2023 Comparison

How much do the Ford Ranger Sport and VW Amarok Style cost?

Just like in the new-car marketplace, this head-to-head battle centres on price and our archetypal reader in this case is looking to spend around $70,000.

So, in the grey corner you have the mid-spec 2023 Ford Ranger Sport with an up-spec V6 diesel costing $67,690 plus on-road costs, while in the white corner the 2023 Volkswagen Amarok Style costs $66,990 with the four-cylinder twin-turbo diesel.

That said, the Ford Ranger Sport V6 is set to get a price increase of $1200 for the 2024 model year, so bear that in mind given wait times for some models are still several months.

If you want a V6 in your Amarok you’ll have to fork out another $4000 – which some buyers may choose to do when cross-shopping these popular model grades.

Ultimately, these mid-series dual-cab 4x4 utes are very similarly priced but are packing dissimilar engines and different equipment levels. They do, however, have the same aftersales support.

That means five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranties and 12-month/15,000km service intervals, whichever occurs first, but the Ford Ranger is slightly cheaper to service over five years – $1726 versus $1800.

For the record, the Ford is built in Thailand and the Amarok is built in South Africa.

What equipment comes with the Ford Ranger Sport and VW Amarok Style?

While there are clear differences in exterior and interior design between the 2023 Ford Ranger Sport and Volkswagen Amarok Style – and let it be said that beauty is in the eye of the beholder – exterior features are pretty similar.

Both utes have the same-sized shoes with spare laces (18-inch alloy wheels with a full-size spare) along with cool sunnies (LED lights fore and aft) and work wear (steel underbody protection, rear sports bar).

However, the Amarok’s sunglasses feature augmented reality inserts – multi-faceted Matrix LEDs that can maintain high beams at night without dazzling oncoming motorists.

Tow bars are standard on both dual-cab utes, as are side steps to improve ingress and egress, but only the Ranger has an integrated brake controller as standard.

Interior equipment levels on the Ranger Sport are pretty spiffy, starting with keyless entry and push-button engine start, an eight-way power-adjustable leather-ish driver’s seat with embossed ‘Sport’ logos, twin digital screens, satellite navigation, dual-zone climate control and lots of buttons on the steering wheel to control audio and advanced driving assistance systems (ADAS).

Check out the Amarok Style spec sheet and you’ll find it gets all the above and a lot more, including higher-quality materials throughout, particularly on the seats, the driver getting 10-way power adjustment here too. There’s also leather on the dash and door innards, plus heated seats and better incidental storage.

The Amarok Style has more kit than even the Ford Ranger Wildtrak.

Options? You’ll pay $700 for premium paint in the Ford and $990 for the same thing in the Volkswagen.

Other things that cost extra include all-terrain tyres on the Ranger Sport ($500) and a touring pack ($1295) that adds four-zone lighting, an auxiliary switch pack, cargo management system, puddle lamps and a 360-degree camera system – the latter two items standard on the Amarok Style.

There’s also a stack of dealer-fitted and factory-backed accessories for both vehicles, such as LED light bars, snorkels and so forth.

How safe are the Ford Ranger Sport and VW Amarok Style?

In recent times the Ford Ranger has set the benchmark when it comes to safety and the latest iteration continues that trend.

So, by extension, the new Volkswagen Amarok benefits from this.

Both the 2023 Ford Ranger Sport and Volkswagen Amarok Style have five-star ANCAP safety ratings which is what you want to see when buying a new car, both fitted with nine airbags including front knee, front centre and side curtain airbags.

Autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with vehicle, pedestrian and cyclist detection is fitted to both, as is adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go and speed sign recognition/response, lane keep assist, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, a reversing camera and parking sensors front and rear.

Hill start assist, load adaptive control, rollover mitigation along with electronic stability, traction and trailer sway control are also standard-fit to both.

What technology features on the Ford Ranger Sport and VW Amarok Style?

Both the 2023 Ford Ranger Sport and Volkswagen Amarok Style come with all the tech features to make your drive a bit easier, such as automatic windscreen wipers and headlights, wireless phone charging pads, USB-A and USB-C ports plus wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone mirroring.

The Ranger Sport gets a 10.1-inch central touch-screen that looks good and works well, as does the 8.0-inch digital instrument cluster.

But like the fancier seats, this is where the Amarok Style starts to pull ahead, its larger 12.0-inch central touch-screen and 12.3-inch digital driver’s display adding more technological weight.

The Ford and Volkswagen utes come with some handy towing tech as well, like a selectable ‘tow haul’ driving mode, a trailer light checking function and digital towing checklist.

What powers the Ford Ranger Sport and VW Amarok Style?

Perhaps the biggest difference between these two brothers from the same mother are their powerplants.

The 2023 Ford Ranger Sport on test has a six-cylinder single-turbo diesel, while the Volkswagen Amarok Style TDI500 uses a four-cylinder twin-turbo oiler.

Given the similarity in price you’d be forgiven for thinking the Ford would be the better car, but it’s not as cut and dry as you might think.

Both engines are built by Ford and, sure, the Ranger’s 3.0-litre (2993cc) V6 diesel pumps out more power and torque (184kW/600Nm) while being smoother and quieter. But the VW’s 2.0-litre (1996cc) inline-four twin-turbo diesel (154kW/500Nm) can still haul the same 3500kg trailer.

The VW can carry slightly heavier loads in the tray as well, 1009kg versus the Ford’s 958kg payload.

Off the line there’s not a lot separating them in terms of (unladen) acceleration, apart from the four-cylinder’s rougher, louder, more agricultural acoustics.

The different engines also mean different four-wheel drive systems, the V6 enabling permanent (all-surface) all-wheel drive while the Amarok TDI500 is only able to run in rear-wheel drive on sealed surfaces.

How fuel efficient are the Ford Ranger Sport and VW Amarok Style?

The official combined-cycle fuel consumption claims are 8.4L/100km in the 2023 Ford Ranger Sport V6 and 7.2L/100km in the 2023 Volkswagen Amarok Style TDI500.

Our testing showed real-world figures around 2L/100km thirstier but the difference between the models remained close to 1.2L/100km.

Given how long (5370mm) and heavy (2300kg) these vehicles roughly are, they’re reasonably efficient across a range of driving scenarios.

Slotting them both into ‘Eco’ mode in rear-wheel drive – their most fuel-efficient settings – you can theoretically get over 1000km from their 80-litre tanks, and up to almost 1200km in the four-cylinder Amarok – although you’d have to be a hypermiling wizard to achieve that.

What are the Ford Ranger Sport and VW Amarok Style like to drive?

While familiar at first, as the days wear on and the driving takes us through sleepy suburbs, the cut and thrust of inner-city driving, across country roads and eventually down gravel paths and slippery, mud-splattered tracks, the differences between these two related utes begin to emerge.

In everyday situations – driving to work, to the shops, to the coast for a cheeky dusk surf – the 2023 Volkswagen Amarok Style TDI500 feels a smidgen stiffer, with slightly firmer ride quality than the Ford Ranger Sport V6.

The steering has more weight to it (and a nicer steering wheel) and these elements combine to make it a bit more satisfying to drive in the main.

The Ranger Sport V6 has slightly better ride comfort and bump absorption but, again, we’re splitting hairs here – they’re both very similar in how they react with the road and if we didn’t drive them back-to-back-to-back it’d be tricky to tell them apart.

Powertrains is where we can categorically point to differences between these 4x4 dual-cabs.

The Ranger’s creamy-smooth V6 is an absolute hum-dinger. While it has a potent 184,000 James Watts of power and a muscular 600 Isaac Newtons of torque, it’s no rocket ship, but golly-gee it’s refined and generally quiet. Even when you rev the engine to overtake a dozy Camry it emits a sonorous acoustic.

Both utes feature class-leading adaptive cruise control and lane keeping assistance systems, blessing them with relaxing highway manners and an ability to eat up miles like an echidna hoovers up termites.

The four-cylinder installed in our Amarok Style has a rougher, more jarring engine sound but Ford’s 2.0-litre biturbo engine still does a bang-up job and the VW doesn’t feel significantly slower off the line than the V6.

But the four-pot oiler lacks the ability to operate in permanent all-wheel drive like the bent six engine and its clattery, uncultured engine acoustics don’t match the Amarok’s premium interior feel. The petrol four-banger in the Aventura TSI452 or diesel V6 are more suited to its persona.

Nevertheless, both utes are predictable and surprisingly fun to drive on dirt roads. Good throttle response, long wheelbases and compliant suspension ensure they happily wag their tails punching out of tighter corners while absorbing big hits, potholes and ruts with composure.

How good are the Ford Ranger Sport and VW Amarok Style off-road?

Despite riding on road-spec tyres, the 2023 Ford Ranger Sport V6 and Volkswagen Amarok Style TDI500 both perform admirably on more challenging terrain, with a particularly sloppy, muddy and demanding course unable to stop either vehicle.

Both have low-range gearboxes, rear diff locks and cleverly calibrated traction control systems that can help get you out of strife, or get you just far enough to become really stuck.

How much can the Ford Ranger Sport and VW Amarok Style carry?

If you’re looking to move things, shift loads, fill up the tub with tools and materials or even transport dirt bikes and surf gear, both the 2023 Ford Ranger Sport and Volkswagen Amarok Style will suffice.

The tubs are close dimensionally, with almost the same width between the wheel-arches – 1217mm for the Ford and 1224mm for the VW.

The Amarok’s tub is a bit longer at 1544mm versus 1464mm in the Ford and has a better payload capability of 1009kg versus the Ford’s 958kg.

Both get pretty good LED lighting in the tray, along with 12-volt sockets with waterproofed rubber-sealed spring-loaded covers.

Despite the different powertrains, both hay haulers are claimed to tow up to 3500kg with a braked trailer and both are fitted as standard with a tow bar and trailer brake controller.

These dual-cab utes have the same gross vehicle mass (GCM) of 3280kg but the Ranger has a 6400kg gross combination mass (GCM) compared to the Amarok’s 6350kg GCM.

What are the Ford Ranger Sport and VW Amarok Style like inside?

Let’s start with the 2023 Ford Ranger Sport, which is a handsomely-equipped and comfortable dual-cab ute to clamber into.

If it wasn’t for the new Ford Ranger Platinum, the Sport would also be an up-spec model, the twin digital screens adding a bit of glamour to the cabin while the leather-appointed seats look and feel good.

But stepping out of the Ford and into the 2023 Volkswagen Amarok Style reveals a much smarter, more sophisticated look and feel.

The seats in the Amarok are more comfortable, not only in their cushioning but also their leather and suede upholstery, and where the Ranger has harsh and durable plastics on the doors and dashboard, the VW has soft, smooth finishes and it’s a nicer place to spend time.

Like the way they drive, it’s not like comparing chalk and cheese but there are tangible differences. The bigger screens in the Amarok are a nice touch, too, but Volkswagen has misfired when it comes to some design decisions, such as the removal of physical climate controls. Whose idea was this?

You can almost imagine the conundrum Volkswagen faced: it needed to change as much as possible from its donor vehicle to create a look and feel all of its own, and would have been criticised if it didn’t. But in doing so it’s also made things a bit more time consuming. Damned if they do, damned if they don’t.

The placement of the smaller-diameter cup holders is also a bit naff, with taller bottles canted forward by their proximity to the central arm rest.

To its credit, the VW gets a super-handy secondary glove box. The fuel gauge is more detailed in the Volkswagen and on the outside it’s easier to locate and tap the auto-locking door handle buttons.

Should I buy a Ford Ranger Sport or VW Amarok Style?

The Ford Ranger has won more dual-cab mega-test and head-to-head comparisons than I’ve had hot dinners – but as many will already know, I’m allergic to microwave ovens.

Nevertheless, this comparison test doesn’t have a clear-cut winner after driving both the 2023 Ford Ranger Sport and the closely related Volkswagen Amarok Style in a broad range of conditions.

The Amarok Style is the nicer package overall at this price point – lovely cabin, better-equipped in some key areas, but missing the V6 which is the superior diesel engine.

That swings the needle back to the Ranger Sport.

Of course, you can pay another $4000 to get the V6 in the Amarok Style, but that alters the value equation.

What’s clear is that if you’re going to drop around $70,000 on a ute, either of these two models would be an excellent choice.

Both have high equipment levels, loads of technology, fine powertrains and solid driving dynamics.

Volkswagen really has won the lottery by piggybacking on the best in the business.

2023 Ford Ranger Sport V6 at a glance:
Price: $67,690 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Engine: 3.0-litre V6 turbo-diesel
Output: 184kW/600Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Fuel: 8.4L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 222g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP 2022)

2023 VW Amarok Style TDI500 4MOTION at a glance:
Price: $66,990 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder twin-turbo diesel
Output: 154kW/500Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Fuel: 7.2L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 189g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP 2022)

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