VW goes to work with Amarok

VW claims the Amarok has the biggest cargo area and lowest emissions in its class.

Volkswagen unveiled its Amarok utility for the first time at the glitzy Los Angeles motor show - the most unlikeliest of places for a vehicle that is expected to spend its working life far away from city freeways.

The Amarok is being built at the VW plant in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and aimed at the established town-and-around workhorses like the Toyota Hilux, Nissan Navarra, Mitsubishi Triton, Ford Ranger and Mazda Bounty.

These are the first pictures of the truck, which will be available in New Zealand as a four-door double-cab version from launch, perhaps later next year. A single-cab model will follow in some markets in 2011.

The Amarok reflects the latest VW design DNA with frontal styling in line with the Transporter and Golf.

VW says the Amarok will offer a payload capacity of up to 1.15 tonnes and maximum towing limit of 2.8 tonnes.

Under the bonnet will be a choice of two 2-litre TDI diesel engines offering 120kW and 400Nm, or 90kW and 340Nm, and mated to a six-speed manual transmission.

VW claims the Amarok will have class-leading fuel economy and an exhaust CO2 emissions rating of below 200g/km, the first all-wheel drive in the class to do so.

Like the new Transporter and Caravelle, the Amarok has a gear-change indicator to help drivers achieve the best fuel economy, which with an 80-litre fuel tank should offer a range of around 1000km, says VW.

The Amarok is 5.25m long with a ladder frame chassis. It will offer a choice of rear-wheel drive and switchable or permanent 4Motion all-wheel drive, sending 40 per cent of drive to the front wheels and 60 per cent to the rear.

A rear differential lock is available, and electronic aids to control progress on tricky surfaces downhill and to stop it rolling back on uphill starts.

The carmaker claims the Amarok's cargo area, at 1555mm long and 1620mm wide, is the largest in class.

The range is expected to comprise a standard bare bones model for the back country along with one that can be dressed up with a range of accessories, from a styling bar and running boards, through a cargo cover and multi-connect load securing system to a selection of alloy wheels.

VW says the Amarok's interior is the largest in its class and in many ways resembles a VW passenger car.

It claims easy entry and ample headroom and legroom front and rear. The rear bench seat can be folded down for convenient luggage space.

VW will put the Amarok to the test as a support vehicle in the tough Dakar rally in South America next month.