SPY PICS: New Volkswagen Amarok hits the road

Just days after the release of the latest round of official teaser images of the all-new 2023 Volkswagen Amarok, the first spy shots have emerged from the US showing the German car-maker’s second-generation ute undergoing real-world testing, albeit covered in camouflage.

There’s not much to see in relation to the new dual-cab ute’s design due to the sheer amount of camo it’s wrapped in, but the overall proportions are inevitably identical to those of the new Ford Ranger on which it’s based.

That means the new German pick-up is bigger and boxier than the original Amarok it replaces – just like the new Ford Ranger, which appears to at least donate its four-door cab design.

While the new Amarok will present a different take on the Ford’s bluff, truck-like front-end, the biggest difference that was alluded to in the most recent teaser images was the inclusion of a more prominent sailplane sports bar on the Amarok – a feature clear for all to see in these new spy shots.

Volkswagen says this particular cosmetic touch enhances the new ute’s sense of dynamism, but it also looks to be helping disguise the presence of a roller cover for the tray; the tell-tale sign is the raised sides of the tub in comparison with the tailgate.

We’ve long known that while the next Amarok and Ranger will share the same Australian-developed T6.2 ladder architecture, the two utes will differ substantially in their finished forms, unlike the near-identical Isuzu D-MAX and Mazda BT-50 twins.

That difference will extend inside, where the 2023 Volkswagen Amarok will also feature a specific dashboard design including a larger infotainment display and digital instruments for premium versions, which are unlikely to borrow Ford’s latest proprietary SYNC 4A multimedia platform or big new 12.0-inch portrait touch-screen.

According to sources out of the US, the next-gen Amarok will be powered by an “evolved” version of VW’s existing 3.0-litre turbo-diesel V6.

But that’s counter to our intel, which insists the new Amarok will be available with the new Ranger’s twin-turbo 2.0-litre and new 3.0-litre V6 turbo-diesel offering about 200kW and 600Nm (but not the Raptor’s near-300kW twin-turbo petrol 3.0-litre V6).

In its most potent form, the current Volkswagen Amarok V6 churns out 190kW/580Nm with 200kW available on overboost, so expect those numbers to go up either way.

Likewise, it remains to be seen which transmission is installed to take care of gear shifting duties, but Ford’s 10-speed auto is also more likely than Volkswagen’s existing eight-speed automatic.

And like the new Ranger, while four-cylinder variants should come with switchable four-wheel drive, the V6 versions of the new Amarok should inherit the Ranger V6’s new full-time 4x4 system and offer a two-speed transfer case with low-range for the first time.

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