Volkswagen’s success at the 2019 What Car? Awards has continued, with the Amarok achieving ‘Best Pick-up’. This comes after winning ‘Best Small car’ with the Volkswagen Polo and third place in the ‘Best Reader Award’ category for the Golf.
The Volkswagen Amarok faced competition from the likes of the Ford Ranger and the cheaper Ssangyong Musso, but came out on top due to its ‘cracking’ 3.0 litre V6 diesel engine line-up, amongst other areas.
With increasing demand from the automotive market for Pick-up trucks, more focus has been made to make affordable, practical models. The Volkswagen Amarok, although relatively late to the party, has become a popular choice because of its all-terrain ability and large haul load capacity.
What Car?’s review stated that: “The Amarok is designed to carry huge payloads (more than a tonne) over rough and muddy terrain, and it fulfils that brief very well indeed.” What Car? continued by saying: “But you may be more surprised to hear that, while it doesn't match the driving dynamics of a conventional SUV, the Amarok is still deeply impressive on the road compared to its pick-up rivals.”
The Amarok is available with three impressive 3.0-litre V6 diesel engines, with 161bhp, 201bhp and 254bhp. The latter two are said to be ‘remarkably punchy and smooth’ according to What Car? Although the 161bhp variant is still exceedingly flexible, pulling strongly from well below 2000rpm. What Car? suggest that the 201bhp is the pick of the line-up however, for its blend of smooth power delivery and efficiency, especially with the optional eight-speed automatic unit.
Being a pick-up, the truck bed is one of the main concerns for buyers, and the Amarok is one of the very best in its class. The maximum payload it can take varies depending on spec, but is between 1068kg and 1154kg. That’s one of the highest among its rivals, and it also offers the widest load bay.
On the inside, the Amarok has been made for robustness and functionality. What Car? stated that: “Pick-ups tend to lead hard lives, so it's not surprising that the interior is decked out with tough, wipe-clean plastics. There aren't many soft-touch plastics, but it certainly doesn't feel low-rent and it's all very well put together.”
