THERE'S SOMETHING, apparently, very manly about owning a 'pick-up truck'. It's one of those sectors of the market which has consistently grown since the sector became a competitive environment with the likes of the ubiquitous Toyoya Hi-Lux and the Mitsubishi L200. Now Volkswagen has jumped on the bandwagon with its Amarok.
Built on a platform at the Pacheco factory in Buenos Aires in Argentina, the Amarok isn't just available across Europe, but also South America, Australia and New Zealand.
As is the case in the majority of situations, most of the Amarok's driving will be on surfaced roads and here VW has delivered a level of refinement which is car-like. Even with its stability control switched off, the Amarok is naturally stable and remained securely planted despite the heavy gales which pummelled the test day.
And herein lies a significant — but acceptable — problem VW is now experiencing in Scotland and the rest of the UK. The Amarok has been a runaway success in South America, a success to the degree it was way above VW's projections.
It looks rugged and robust
As a result, supply of right-hand drive models to the UK have been severely restricted. The initial 900 which arrived in the UK have already been sold; so anyone placing an order in Scotland now will be faced with a six-month wait for delivery. In fact the reality is it's likely to be early next year before you get your hands on one.
So, is it really that good? Well on the short test-drive I managed — which did take in A-class roads, motorway driving, plus a fairly severe offroad section — I'd suggest Toyota, Nissan and Mitsubishi would be wise to be concerned.
There's no getting away from the fact the Amarok enjoys its Tonka-toy association; it certainly looks rugged and robust. Externally the pick-up gets an attractive but aggressive interpretation of the VW grillw.
But there's also the latest direct-injection, twin-turbo 2.0-litre diesel unit, tuned for 161bhp and 295lb ft, a six-speed gearbox, permanent four-wheel drive, locking centre and rear differentials, low-range transfer box, plus and traction/stability control. So it's well prepared for anything you care to throw at it.
Tough environment in the cabin
Where many pick-up trucks tend to struggle is the cabin interior, but here again the Amarok impresses by taking fitments and finishings to another level. Sure the finishes aren't as high as those found in VW's road-going cars, but they are more than acceptable for the world in which the Amarok will live and work; in fact the spec levels and build quality are exceptionally good.
As you would probably expect, there's a lot of tough but well-textured surfaces, and the driver will definitely find the driving position is excellent with brilliant all-round visibility, boosted further by the high seating position.
Park yourself behind the steering wheel and everything falls to hand just as it does in any other VW. You're never anything but aware that you are driving a Volkswagen.
At start-up from cold the twin-turbo 2.0-litre diesel unit does sound a little agricultural, but once its warmed up and settled down it becomes almost imperceptible. There's plenty of low-down grunt and the Amarok manages to deliver a nice balance of excellent off-road abilities with solid, predictable car-like handling.
There has been criticism in some fields that VW opted for a solid, leaf-spring rear axle and while it did result in the unladen flatbed rear-end bouncing about slightly on pitted farm roads, the ride was more than acceptable … especially for a vehicle with a payload of 1150kg.
It'll wade through 20in of water
VW has paid attention to the potential needs of the Amarok's driver by including mechanical locks on the centre and rear diffs and traction control; again the result of all this electronic wizardry is that it copes admirably with most extreme off-road situations. It'll even wade through water half-a-metre deep; clever and sensible driving will take you through water even deeper.
Of course, as is the case in the majority of situations, most of the Amarok's driving will be on surfaced roads and here VW has delivered a level of refinement which is car-like. Even with its stability control switched off, the Amarok is naturally stable and remained securely planted despite the heavy gales which pummelled the test day.
The 2.0-litre diesel unit happens to be the smallest in its class, but it still has plenty of torque across the rev range, with 295lb ft available from 1500rpm. Overtaking? Well it's probably safer to plan a wee bit in advance on an A-class road; the engine's performance probably matches something like that of a 1.6-litre diesel family hatch.
That downsizing though does come with its own benefits; namely in attractive fuel consumption figures. VW quotes 35.8mpg, and 209g/km of CO2. And of course there are different variants of the Amarok. Not only is it available in 4WD format, but a two-wheel drive can be ordered, as can permanent instead of selectable four-wheel-drive. A two-door single-cab version will debut next year, as well as a more fuel-efficient 122bhp variant of the 2.0-litre diesel. Prices (OTR) range from £21,343 to £26,839.
Volkswagen may have been late coming to the pick-up party, but now that it's here it's definitely delivered a model fit and strong enough to take on allcomers.
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Jim McGill