MOTORING NEWS - Since its debut in South Africa in 2010, the Volkswagen Amarok has become a 'must have' for Volkswagen fans who want an off-roader.
The Amarok was also the first pick-up ever to be named a finalist for the South African Guild of Motoring Journalists Car of the Year Award towards the end of the same year.
Amarok has since made an appearance in double cab version, which was very well received by the market, although Volkswagen regards South Africa as the biggest single cab market globally.
With this in mind, we were delighted to drive the new automatic diesel double cab version, the Amarok TDI 4motion during the December break. We were keen to see how the different power train would compare, so a colleague and I took the chance to drive the challenging, narrow Montagu Pass on a typical overcast Southern Cape afternoon.
The Amarok is fitted with a colour matched front bumper and neat chrome finish at the back, but still sporting a strong, no-nonsense look to support its pedigree as a hard working bakkie.
The vehicle was very comfortable inside with neat and sturdy construction and easy to care for material finish in a neutral dark grey that one could live with for a long time.
The seats provided good support over the frequent speed bumps along the pass and the cabin was comfortable with large and clear instrumentation where it was expected. This of course adds up to easy driving and plenty of information. The driver and front passenger seats can also be adjusted individually.
The large design of the rear light clusters also round off the vehicle's strong and determined look.
The 2.0 TDI 4Motion engine delivers 132kW and 420Nm of torque from 1 600r/min. Experience showed that the climbing ability
of the Amarok was more than good and Volkswagen's specifications show that a trailer load of 2,8t would not be a problem even at a 12% incline. The Amarok can also handle roads with a lateral tilt of approximately 50°.
This came in handy on the narrow road going up the historic pass where oncoming vehicles meant driving slightly off the track to give way when needed. Although we were going up and technically enjoyed right of way, we encountered some international tourists in a small hire car; so courtesy demanded backing up. This was made relatively easy despite the size of the vehicle thanks to good visibility and the high driving position as well as the reverse camera's assistance.
As mentioned, the functional driver's zone is ergonomically designed, which ensures a practical work environment that helps reduce driver fatigue over longer journeys.
The return journey from Herold to George was over the modern Outeniqua Pass, which showed how well the engine matches the gearbox at a higher speed. It was also noticeable that the engine had very little turbo lag from the engine at the speed we travelled.
The Amarok comes with a five year or 90 000km service plan and service intervals are every 15 000km. The emission figure is 219g/km. The price can be obtained from Tavcor York in George who supplied the vehicle for the test drive.
Watch this space for information on the 4x2 Amarok 4Motion automatic version that will be introduced early this year - we will keep you informed! For more information, contact the dealer on 044 874 4193.
The vehicle has a confident road presence on tar and gravel.
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