Volkswagen lands cut-price V6 Amarok Sportline

Volkswagen Australia is readying a new value-driven variant of its V6-powered Amarok ute – one that will undercut both the Toyota HiLux SR5 and Ford Ranger XLT on price.

motoring.com.au can reveal the Amarok Sportline will launch in Australian showrooms on August 1. National dealers were notified of the new model this week, and expect it to take the fight to the increasingly tight, record Australian utility market.

The Amarok will in effect become the entry-level model to the Amarok V6 range, priced from $55,490 (plus on-road costs) in automatic form – undercutting the $56,390 automatic-variant HiLux SR5 and the $57,690 automatic-variant Ranger XLT. It also undercuts the current entrant V6 Amarok, the $59,990 Amarok Highline.

Intent on broadening its Amarok V6 range, Volkswagen Australia is also set to launch a six-speed manual Sportline variant with low-range four-wheel drive from early 2018. Price is yet to be confirmed, but expect a starting figure around $53,000 (plus on-road costs).

Until then, the Amarok Sportline employs a familiar 165kW/550Nm tune (180kW on overboost) of the Volkswagen Group’s ubiquitous 3.0-litre V6 diesel that does duty in everything from an Amarok to a Porsche Cayenne. In this case, the oil burner sends drive to all four wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission.

Capable of accelerating to 100km/h in 7.9sec, the V6 consumes a claimed 9.0L/100km (ADR Combined) and enables a braked towing capacity of 3000kg, and a payload in the order of 900kg.

The Sportline model will be fitted with four-wheel disc brakes, 18-inch alloy wheels and a mechanical differential lock. It will go without an AdBlue provision designed to lower nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions, but will still remain Euro5 compliant, according to Volkswagen.

Elsewhere, standard equipment includes front and rear parking sensors, reversing camera, dual-zone climate control, 6.33-inch infotainment screen with app connect and Apple CarPlay, four 12-volt outlets (including one on the tray) and tinted windows.

The $4500 saving over the current Highline eschews bi-xenon headlights with LED daytime running lights, an alarm, tyre-pressure monitoring, stainless steel side steps and styling bar, and hardwired satellite navigation.

The Amarok will feature a five-star ANCAP safety rating even though it misses out on curtain airbags in the second row. It is the only vehicle in its class to omit full-length curtain airbags.

The Amarok’s 1555mm long x 1620mm wide x 508mm deep tray is fitted standard with four tie-down points and a load area light and 12-volt outlet. Like the current offerings, it will be the only vehicle in its class to accommodate a full-size Australian pallet between its wheel-arches (1222mm space); at least until the Mercedes-Benz X-Class arrives in April 2018.

Volkswagen Australia commercial vehicles director Carlos Santos cheekily said the Amarok would retain a point of difference from the X-Class.

“Amarok V6’s technology derives wholly from within the Volkswagen Group. We have not had to look to Japan for a donor vehicle," he said.