New Volkswagen Amarok V6 supplies secured

While waiting lists for new Ford Ranger V6 models blow out to a year, Volkswagen is confident it can keep delivery times for its new V6 Amarok 4x4 dual-cab under control.

Due to arrive in Australia from April, the new Volkswagen Amarok is a joint-venture development between Ford and Volkswagen and is based on the Blue Oval’s third-generation T6 ladder-frame architecture that also underpins Ranger.

The new Amarok has also traded in VW drivetrains for Ford engines, including the ‘Lion’ turbo-diesel V6 that powers top models in both line-ups.

According to Ford’s own Australian website an order placed today for the Ranger Wildtrak V6 may not be filled until the fourth quarter of 2023. Lower-spec Sport V6 vehicles are supposedly available for delivery from March 2023, while the newly revealed Platinum V6 is a mid-2023 arrival at the earliest.

There are three variants in the new five-grade Amarok line-up that come with the 184kW/600Nm V6 – the mid-spec Style (formerly Highline), the new PanAmericana and the flagship Aventura.

They all arrive in April, while the entry-level four-cylinder-only Amarok Core and Life (formerly Sportline) are due for local delivery mid-year.

For our drive impressions of the PanAmericana, Aventura and Style from the global preview drive in South Africa, where the new Amarok is being built in a Ford plant alongside Ranger, click here.

Pricing is yet to be announced for the new Amarok, but in tandem with a huge boost in standard equipment it appears likely to climb to a starting point just north of $50,000 for the entry-level Core to around $80,000 or more (plus on-road costs) for the Aventura.

For a detailed rundown of equipment available with the different grades, see here.

“We seem to be fine. We’ve had no restrictions come our way with the V6,” Amarok product marketing manager for Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles Australia, James Thompson, told carsales when asked about the V6 supply situation.

“We ordered very early and we were very confident in our mix. We were very heavy in our installation rates on V6.

“We know our market and we know our buyer very well and we built Amarok as a brand on V6.

“I think it’s a lot easier to secure those kind-of heavy items if you are confident in your order intake in those early days.”

Thompson also expressed confidence that key equipment like matrix LED headlights and premium audio systems fitted to the top models had been secured in adequate enough numbers not to cause supply issues.

“If you are confident when you initially do your product line-up then you are much more likely not to suffer from restrictions later on.”

Shortages of these items has complicated delivery timing of top-end Rangers and its SUV spin-off, the Everest.

But Volkswagen hasn’t dodged supply issues altogether. As we reported here, the electronic brake controller is likely to be temporarily left off some more affordable models.

Volkswagen will be sweating on its engine supply lines as high-grade variants have grown from 58 per cent of Australian sales in 2020 to 78 per cent in 2022, driven by the introduction of the locally-developed Walkinshaw models.

Amarok is the biggest selling Volkswagen Group model Down Under and Australia is also the biggest individual market for the ute globally. Since it launched in 2010 the original has accounted for 830,000 sales globally.   

The Style – which will be offered here with a 155kW four-cylinder biturbo as well as the V6 – is expected to be priced from the low $60,000 range and become the top-selling Amarok with about 40 per cent of volume.

Aventura – which will be the sole model offered with the option of the petrol-turbo four-cylinder engine – is expected to account for 15 per cent of sales and the PanAmericana about 10 per cent. The base models will account for the rest.

Volkswagen Commercial Australia is forecasting record sales beyond 10,000 per annum for the new Amarok. It says it has received thousands of expressions of interest and dealers are taking many deposits despite the fact pricing is yet to be announced.

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