New Volkswagen Amarok won’t be a Ranger copy
VW’s all-new ute will be based on the 2022 Ford Ranger, but carry unique looks and cabin feelVolkswagen Australia says it remains on track to deliver the second-generation Volkswagen Amarok in the first quarter of 2023, and has assured Aussie buyers that the Ford Ranger spin-off will offer an authentic VW flavour.
The new-generation 2022 Ford Ranger due mid-next year has soaked up the spotlight this week, debuting a bold new design, class-leading cabin technology and a new V6 diesel engine.
Volkswagen says it is busy finalising the finer details of its new Amarok, with a dedicated group from Hannover, Germany, working with Ford Australia in Melbourne to ensure the program meets expectations.
The 2023 Volkswagen Amarok will essentially be a twin-under-the-skin of the new Ford Ranger, adopting the same platform and engines including the twin-turbo 2.0-litre four-cylinder and single-turbo 3.0-litre V6 – both matched to a Ford-derived 10-speed automatic transmission.
The current Amarok was developed in-house by Volkswagen, and the German brand is working to ensure there is plenty of differentiation now that it has partnered with Ford for the second generation.
This will be seen with the exterior styling and in the cabin, where a different design and Volkswagen’s own infotainment and software systems will be employed.
Volkswagen Australia corporate communications general manager Paul Pottinger told carsales the Amarok project was coming together as planned.
“Amarok and Ranger were already the two best utes on the market. This project cannot fail to make both better,” he said.
“Volkswagen has for the past two years had a team from Germany based in Melbourne developing the Gen2 Amarok. Given the runaway success of the V6 Amarok in the Australian market, it’s not surprising to see a V6 engine as part of the new Ranger line-up.”
Volkswagen has heavily stipulated that the second-gen Amarok will not simply be a Ranger clone, pointing to the failed Nissan Navara/Mercedes-Benz X-Class program that was axed after barely two years of the Benz going on sale.
“The short story is that it will not be the same mistake that Mercedes-Benz and Nissan made,” Volkswagen Australia managing director Michael Bartsch told carsales in December 2020.
“When the initial project was launched in this co-operation between Ford and Volkswagen, there were some discussions in the infant stage of the project.
“We made it very clear what the consumer expectations in Australia would be in terms of ensuring the product was a Volkswagen and the product was a Ford – that there was clear and genuine differentiation between the two beyond the bad old days of ‘badge engineering’.”
Head of design at Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, Albert-Johann Kirzinger, went a step further on social media this week, hinting the Amarok would be armed with a standalone ingredient.
“Yesterday our partner unveiled their unique interpretation of a truck. We at Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles are delighted to offer the most hospitable welcome we can,” Kirzinger wrote on LinkedIn.
“We wish the #NextGenRanger all the best for its global debut – stay tuned for an ace we have up our sleeve.”
In the meantime, Volkswagen recently notched up a milestone in assembling the 1000th Volkswagen Amarok W580 developed with Walkinshaw.
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