Volkswagen Amarok premium pickup truck breaks cover

The latest iteration of Volkswagen’s premium pickup truck finally made its world premiere last week. The German automotive brand sold over 830,000 units of the first-generation Amarok in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Africa, North Asia as well as in South and Central America. The Wolfsburg-based automobile maker looks to continue the upward trend with the introduction of the second-generation Amarok.

To toot its own flute, Volkswagen revealed some significant features customers can expect from the Amarok prior to the big reveal such as its LED Matrix headlamps and its vertically oriented infotainment system. Apparently, VW was just scratching the surface. Everything the second-gen Amarok has to offer — is new.

“For the new generation, we have significantly modified the Amarok’s archetypal design. It is now unambiguously more expressive and even more impressive,” said Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles Head of Design Albert Kirzinger.

The new Amarok is longer than its predecessor. At 5,350 millimeters, it boasts a 96mm difference from the first-gen pickup truck and allows the new Amarok to provide more room and a longer wheelbase.

At the front end of the new Amarok are the standard horizontal, upper radiator grille crossbars with concisely integrated, narrow LED headlights. The PanAmericana, Aventura, and Style variants of the Amarok will have the IQ.Light LED Matrix headlamps as standard. The side profile is highlighted by the wheels which range from 18 to 21 inches and can be wrapped with all-terrain tires. The rear boasts C-shaped rear lights (LED for PanAmericana and Aventura variants) and an embossed “Amarok” at the tailgate.

Inside, the new Amarok features plenty of compartments highlighting the premium pickup truck’s utilitarian roots. Also found inside is the eight-inch digital instrument panel (12-inch on Style variant) accompanied by the 10-inch modern infotainment system (12-inch on the Style trim and above). Also fitted as standard in the Amarok PanAmericana and Aventura is a high-end sound system from Harman Kardon.

Depending on the market, the new Amarok will be powered by either of the four available turbo diesel engines (TDI) or the turbocharged gasoline mill (TSI). In numerous countries — for example, the European markets — all versions will be shipped as standard combined with all-wheel drive (4MOTION).

Upon launch, the Amarok pickup truck will be offered in five specification variants. The entry-level variant is the “Amarok” followed by the “Life” and “Style.” Launching as two range-topping variants are the PanAmericana (accentuated off-road character) and Aventura (high-end specification with on-road character).

VW also announced that it will launch a slew of accessories designed specifically for the Amarok pickup truck. These include exterior accessories such as the 21-inch “Varberg” alloy wheels and ex-factory all-terrain tires, a four-person roof tent, a drawer system, a toolbox, a bike holder, and a multi-function carrier system.

In addition, Volkswagen will be releasing a manual and electric roll cover, a hardtop with windows, cladding for the floor and inside walls, a lighting system, and a protector for the front section of the hood.

The range is supplemented by electric winches and trailer couplings, and by small yet important details such as protective grilles for the rear lights. The Amarok can also be made ready for bigger off-road adventures via a bull bar, underbody protection elements, all-terrain running gear with 20 mm extra ground clearance, eye rings for hauling (front and back), and a snorkel rising up on the side of the front section for supplying the engine with fresh air when driving through water.

The Volkswagen Amarok will come onto the market in the first few countries from the end of the year.

Photos from Volkswagen

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