July launch for Amarok auto and single cab

Volkswagen will launch auto and single cab variants of its Amarok light commercial offroader in July. And that's about all we can tell you.

Though motoring.com.au was among just a handful of outlets to sample the new variants of VW's five-star beaut ute in Spain yesterday, Volkswagen Australia is providing scant details on the pricing, specification and variants we can expect Down Under.

The Amarok auto features a first-in-class eight-speed automatic gearbox. A conventional gearbox and not a twin-clutch DSG as some expected, the gearbox is provided by ZF and is exclusive to Amarok.

It will be matched exclusively to a new 132kW/420Nm version of the twin-turbo 2.0-litre diesel four that graces the Amarok range Down Under. The eight-speed and 132TDI engine will further only be offered in the dual-cab body-style -- and most likely at a high specification level.

The auto eschews a transfer case and instead features full-time 4MOTION all-wheel drive and an advanced offroad chassis control system that 'tunes' the traction control system, hill descent control (HDC) and antilock brakes. The auto Amarok's tested in Spain also feature switchable rear diff locks.

Auto stop-start is also standard on the new 132TDI auto variant. Maximum towing weight is 3200kg, an increase of 200kg.

Claimed combined fuel economy for the new Amarok TDI auto is 7.6L/100km. This, says VW, is better than the manual 120TDI variant of the crewcab. VW also claims a 'best in class' for the new ute.

Despite the limited application of the new powertrain, the arrival of the auto opens up a whole new world of potential customers to the South American-built VW ute. So too does the arrival of a single cab version of the Amarok.

Again VW Australia is saying little about the single-cab. We therefore cannot tell you whether the offering will include rear and all-wheel drive versions, nor with what engines or specification grades.

We can at least tell you that VW intends to build both 90TDI and twin-turbo 120TDI diesel versions of the vehicle and offers both rear-wheel drive and transfer-case equipped part-time all-wheel drive variants. VW Australia will announce its line-up closer to the vehicle's July launch.

VW says the cab of the single cab Amarok is longer than competitor models, thus removing the need to build an 'extra' cab variant. The all-important load bed is 65cm longer than the dual-cab Amarok. Indeed, VW's official tape lists the bed as 2205mm long, with a European pallet-friendly 1220mm between the wheelarches.

VW lists maximum payload ranging from 966-1248kg for the various versions of the single-cab (with ute body). Cab chassis payloads are higher but do not take into account body weight. Maximum towing rating for the single cabs is 3000kg.

The world launch for the new auto Amarok in the hills above Marbella in Spain yesterday also marked the arrival of a range of all-wheel drive versions of the Crafter commercial van. In Europe the 4x4 Crafters command a massive premium of 20,000Euros over their 2WD equivalents. VW Australia has not confirmed pricing for the vehicles Down Under.

Look out for our first drive impressions of the Amarok auto later today and a sneak peek at the Crafter 4MOTION soon.

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