New 2023 Volkswagen Amarok opens door for hybrid, EV ute

December 8, 2021December 23, 2021 Toby Hagon 5020 Views Volkswagen ID.4

Volkswagen has given a teaser of the all-new second generation Amarok ute that will eventually have a hybrid drivetrain option and possibly a battery electric vehicle version.

Due in Australia early in 2023, the all-new Amarok has Australian design and engineering influence, a result of sharing its core structure with the all-new Ford Ranger that goes on sale mid-2022.

The two were developed alongside each other – much of the development work conducted locally – and will come down the same production line as part of a still-fresh deal between the two automotive giants.

Volkswagen is not saying whether itsnew Amarok will use its own engines or Ford units, although it appears the latter is more likely, which would mean the choice of Ford’s 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo diesel and a 3.0-litre V6 turbo diesel.

It would also presumably open the door to Volkswagen getting access to the battery electric version of the Ranger that Ford has committed to as a smaller alternative to the Ford F-150 Lightning that has been an early sales success.

However, Volkswagen Australia executives say it’s a hybrid that interests them more for Australia, at least initially.

“We’re hopeful we can have some sort of alternative fuel vehicle in the future,” says Ryan Davies, Volkswagen Australia director of commercial vehicles. “It’s definitely on the radar.”

And he’s adamant it’s a hybrid that is the favourite.

“With Amarok the preference would definitely be hybrid at this stage, purely because of the need to transition into an electric environment. Having the combination of both [internal combustion engine and electric motor] would suit the customer base best.”

Longer term Volkswagen is looking to electric, although as Volkswagen Group Australia managing director Paul Sansom says there is “nothing to talk about at this stage” with relation to Amarok.

“The market is going to evolve and we want to have something in every segment,” says Sansom of the EV revolution. “Electric vehicles are the future, whatever segment … there’s no reason to think utes might be excluded from that.”

All of which sounds like a case of ‘when’ rather than ‘if’ – something that would add to the plethora of electric utes currently in development.

Despite a relatively short existence against the market might of longer-running utes – such as the Toyota Hilux, Nissan Navara and Isuzu D-Max – the Amarok has been a trailblazer since it arrived in 2009.

Design sketch of the second generation Volkswagen Amarok ute, which goes on sale early in 2023

While it lags rivals with safety features – expect that to be addressed with the new model – it’s long been one of the best driving utes in the market and has built solid demand for V6 power.

And its styling is set to step up a level, according to two design sketches released by Volkswagen today.

While it will share plenty with the Ford it’s being developed with, the two sketches of the new Amarok show there will be little styling crossover between the two utes.

Instead of a badge-engineering effort – as with the Toyota 86 and Subaru BRZ – the Amarok and Ranger will have distinct looks inside and out.

Ford designers intentionally did not collaborate with their Volkswagen colleagues – a dozen of which have been based in Australia since 2018 – part of a concerted effort to ensure each had its own identity.

The Volkswagen Amarok boasts many Volkswagen themes inside, including the steering wheel, switchgear and digital instrument cluster.

The centre console also contains an electronic park brake and stubby gear selector that are very different to those on the Ford.

However, the Volkswagen matches the Ranger with a sizeable centre infotainment screen arranged in a portrait configuration and the location of its air vents.

From the outside, the all-new 2023 Amarok (teased at the top of this image) is clearly trying to ramp up the muscle compared with the current model (below).

Wheel arches are much larger than those on today’s car and there are sharp creases down each side and along the bonnet that suggest the Amarok will have a distinctive Volkswagen design when the production version is revealed in 2022.

And the safari-inspired images (there’s a South African theme) suggest there will be some versions with some decent off-road ability, along the lines of the Walkinshaw-engineered Amarok W580X that is due next year.

Volkswagen has big ambitions for EVs globally and in Australia, despite not even having a hybrid on sale yet (Volkswagen’s first electrified vehicle will be the Touareg R in 2022).

It has vowed to be the biggest EV manufacturer by 2025 and is hoping to get the ID.4 electric SUV to Australia by 2023.

The ID all-electric sub-brand has a range of models, including the ID.3, ID.4, ID.5 and a promised small hatchback that could be called ID.2 and ID.8 large SUV. There are also sporty Volkswagen GTX models and an imminent ID.7 that will effectively be a modern Kombi EV.