Volkswagen Amarok Highline 2017 Long-term review - 3

An anorak’s view

It turns out size does matter.

In the largely male-driven dual cab utility segment, Volkswagen Australia has used this rhetoric to great effect with the messaging behind its V6 Amarok.

“This ute is powerful. Very powerful,” reads the official manufacturer material, going onto trumpet the Amarok offering “33kW more power than its nearest competitor”.
It’s true. The Amarok’s 165kW/550Nm V6 oiler (180kW on overboost) is central to the car’s appeal.

However, in this latest instalment of our Amarok long-termer series, we come to grips with one area where the German utility does lack proportion: rear seat space.

The issue here isn’t head room or shoulder room, but rather legroom; a virtue of the Amarok’s broad, front passenger-oriented cabin layout and equally well-proportioned tray capable of swallowing a full-size pallet.

In isolation, the back row seems only marginally smaller than key rivals. But the issue is accentuated across the space of a long-term loan, particularly when using the back row for a rear-facing child seat. In short, the front passenger seat has to be moved almost all the way forward to accommodate it.

The issue of rear seat amenity is one compounded by the Amarok’s lack of rear air vents, a standard item on rivals including the Toyota HiLux SR5.

There is one other, oft-referenced concern: the Amarok persists without installation of rear curtain airbags, unlike its key dual-cab rivals. It begs the question: would you carry your own child in one?

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Moment of truth

The Amarok has been stellar across the opening few months of our long-term review.
In all, it has now amassed 5000km, including stints in towing, stints under heavy payload and stints along some tricky sections of winding backroad. Across all duties, it has shown itself up as a worthy alternative to modern SUVs – and one capable of toiling away in difficult conditions.

Fuel use from the diesel has been quite commendable, too. Despite a larger displacement than rivals, the Amarok tends to use less fuel, usually averaging 9.0L/100km during each drive (noted, our regular driving does not take in snarling start-stop traffic).

The cabin has held up well across several months of testing, with no obvious squeaks or rattles, the door skins and contact points proving their mettle against daily wear and tear.

Everyday storage is likewise well catered. Up front passengers gain access to two centrally-mounted cupholders, a large cubby under the centre binnacle for keys, phone and wallet, along with generous door pockets. The rear seat gets a flip-down centre armrest, generous door pockets and seat bases that fold up to liberate space for large bags.

Withstanding all this, your correspondent was recently faced with a potential moral dilemma on a weekend road trip: install the baby seat in the rear, allowing your nine-month-old son to ride in a car without rear curtain airbags, or take a smaller vehicle?

Granted, the issue of safety in modern dual cab utes will be treated with a degree of disdain for some readers. I can distinctly remember growing up with an early 1990s Toyota HiLux dual-cab that was devoid of rear headrests, air bags and the like. On longer road trips, the only form of rear seat head comfort was either the C-pillar or cold, hard glass.

Alas, safety standards are changing – reflected with the arrival of the new Mercedes-Benz X-Class and Ford Ranger, which both up the game with a full suite of airbags and driver aids including autonomous emergency braking (AEB).

But back to the decision. In the case of our Amarok dilemma, comfort is eventually prioritised ahead of airbags. With some reservations, of course.

To this end, the Amarok does carry a five-star safety rating in Australia under ANCAP guidelines. As ever, the devil is in the detail: the five-star score stems back to 2011, when standards were considerably different to today. The lack of rear curtain airbags and AEB would guarantee a sub five-star score under today’s regime.

A quick browse over the Amarok’s Euro NCAP crash test from 2011 reads encouragingly.

The first dual cab of its kind to be awarded with a five-star rating, it received 16 out of a possible score of 16 in the side impact crash test.

“The side impact test simulates a small car striking the driver's door of the vehicle under test. It is based on a regulation test but the regulation does not apply to vehicles with a high seat height like the Amarok,” the Euro NCAP report reads. “Experience shows that such vehicles can be expected to perform well in this test and the Amarok scored full marks.

Complacency eventually takes effect and, in short, there are plenty more trips with junior occupying the backseat. Irresponsible parenting? Perhaps, though knowledge of the Amarok’s NCAP crash assessment, and the installation of other features including four-wheel disc brakes, provide some comfort.

In a nutshell, the outlook on safety will really come down to the discretion of individual parents.

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The best of the rest

These are take-out points from an interior that is otherwise quite liveable – especially if you’re in the front row.

The seats are broad, comfortable and offer adequate bolstering and support for longer journey. Against like-minded rivals – the flat, unsupportive chairs in Holden’s Colorado immediately spring to mind – the Amarok shows up strongly.

The Highline version of the V6 foregoes electric seat adjustment, unlike the flagship Ultimate. But we’d take seat comfort over electrics any day.

Elsewhere, the Amarok’s infotainment and dashboard displays are good. But they could be better.

Teaming a 6.5-inch centre display screen with an analogue instrument cluster that features a digital display between gauges, the Amarok presents its information clearly enough. The trip meter offers a digital speedo, along with a distance-to-empty readout, tyre pressure monitor, instant and average fuel readouts, and engine and outside temperatures.

Installation of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is a boon for this segment, and the Amarok’s six-speaker audio system will happily occupy airwaves on a busy job site. The size of the central display screen could be much better, and the instrument cluster is showing its age – especially up against Volkswagen’s newer offerings like the incredibly smart Arteon.

However, hard-wired satellite navigation is a big win, unlike some manufacturers who simply offer a phone-tethered system.

The theme of the basic switchgear is likewise simple and concise, with convenient features like heated external mirrors and a rear window demister coming in handy as we approach the colder months. Dual zone climate control is another handy asset at this time of year.

Voice-controlled features and steering wheel buttons that access important functions really underline the Amarok’s everyday amenity. While there is only one USB point on offer, this is a dual cab ute that you could happily live with every day – that’s certainly been the experience.

How much does the 2018 Volkswagen Amarok V6 Highline cost?
Price: $60,490 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo-diesel
Output: 165kW/550Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 9.0L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 236g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: Five-star ANCAP