Versatile and comfortable farm pick-up

Choice of drivetrain

In the UK, there are four engine and gearbox combinations to choose from. Power outputs start from 170hp from the 2.0-litre TDI to 240hp from the 3.0-litre TDI. The 2.0-litre 170hp comes with a six-speed manual gearbox, while all other variants have a 10-speed automatic. Selectable 2 and 4wd is standard across the range with either three or four drive system modes.

Well equipped

The model supplied for the week-long Farmers Guide test-drive was the PanAmericana 240hp version. This is joint top of four specification levels with more equipment than the base Life, and Style variants. There is also the Aventura with additional features adding to the appearance and drive comfort, but the main difference is the double wishbone rear suspension which enhances ride comfort and handling but reduces load carrying capacity to under a tonne, which means VAT relief isn’t available.

Smooth and powerful

The 240hp V6 engine is smooth and exceptionally quiet. Maximum power is at 3,250rpm and maximum 600Nm of torque is across a wide rev band from 1,750–2,250rpm. The only transmission option is the 10-speed automatic, and the number of gear ratios means that whether on- or off-road, there is always a choice of suitable gears. A rotary selector by the gear stick selects Auto 4wd, 2wd high, 4wd high and 4wd low range. The PanAmericana specification also includes a limited-slip rear differential.

Selectable drive modes tune the engine and transmission response to suit the environment. These include Normal, Eco, Mud/track, Sand, Slippery and Load/trailer.

The driver can also select manual gear shifting for maximum control, using three buttons on the right-hand side of the main gear selector. One button switches between auto and manual and the other two buttons shift up and down through the range.

Comfort and performance

With 230hp, the test car performed well. At 70mph in 10^th gear, the engine operates at approximately 1,700rpm and it is extremely quiet making it ideal for long journeys. Under gentle acceleration gear changes are smooth and barely noticeable, but when extra performance is needed such as for overtaking, then a suitable gear is quickly selected, and the system is very responsive.

This autumn’s consistently wet conditions provided plenty of opportunity to try out the various drive models on muddy farm tracks. Even with Normal mode selected there was no danger of becoming stuck, but selecting the mud or slippery modes moderated throttle response and movement was more controlled.

The Amarok has very little front and rear body overhang, giving approach and departure angles of 30 and 23 degrees respectively. Wading depth is up to 800mm, and ground clearance is 237mm, so it is extremely capable off-road.

Overall, during the test week we achieved fuel consumption averaging 24.7mpg overall, and 27.8mpg on longer journeys.

Interior

The Amarok design maximises space for both front and rear seat occupants, and five adults are carried in comfort. The leather seats are comfortable and practical and the front driver’s seat in the PanAmericana version has 10-way electric adjustment. For rear-seat occupants, there is plenty of storage in the pockets in the backs of the two front seats, and there are also smaller pockets at the top – ideal for a phone, wallet or similar size items. There is a decent amount of storage in the door pockets too, for drinks bottles and similar size items.

For front seat passengers there is also plenty of space, including two gloveboxes on the left-hand side – both with lids and one of which can be locked. There is also a large central storage box behind the gear selector plus smaller trays.

The dashboard layout is quite different to that of the Ford Ranger. All except the base Style variant come with an excellent 12-in touchscreen, which also includes VW Connect navigation. Large mechanical selector buttons at the bottom of the display are easily operated wearing gloves and provide quick access to the various menus – making it much easier to adjust driving and vehicle settings than trying to operate a touchscreen while travelling across bumpy ground. Menus include Driver assistance, Vehicle set-up, Climate and Parking.

The steering wheel is padded and comfortable, and the control stalks are large and easy to use. Some of the push-button controls on the steering wheel are quite fiddly, including cruise control and the speed limiting function.

One excellent feature is that the legal maximum travel speed for the road is displayed on the instrument panel and, rather than showing the standard car speed allowed which can cause driver confusion, it identifies the maximum for the Amarok pick-up.

Practicality

The rear load bed can take up to 1,054kg, and it has a maximum 163cm length and 157cm width near the base, reduced to 122cm between the wheel arches. The large roll bar encroaches on the load bed, so top access is slightly reduced. This means that items lowered in from above can be a maximum 147cm long and 137cm wide.

The tailgate has spring assistance making it easy to open and close, and provides a 136cm wide opening, with a loading height 89cm from the ground. There are six strong tie-down points inside the load bed, as well as handy LED lights recessed into the sides.

It’s a large pick-up, but very manoeuvrable and the excellent visibility makes it easy to operate in tight spaces.

Verdict

The Volkswagen Amarok is an excellent farm pick-up, and it does a good job of combining the ability to carry a full-size pallet weighing more than a tonne with transporting five adult passengers in comfort.

The large 3.0-litre V6 engine is smooth and quiet, but in reality there isn’t a great difference in performance compared to the 2.0-litre 205hp model, which is a lot cheaper and should be more economical.

The Amarok 3.0-litre PanAmericana has a recommended on-the-road retail price of £47,255 + VAT and options fitted to the test vehicle added approximately £500.

It comes with a three-year, 100,000-mile manufacturer warranty.