The Volkswagen Amarok adds go-anywhere capability to the fleet
The Volkswagen Amarok is the latest addition to the long-term fleet, and Jack Evans has been behind the wheel for its first few hundred miles
It’s new car time once again, and as you can see, it’s quite a large addition to the fleet. You may know that ‘my’ previous car was a Caterham Seven 310S which, in case you haven’t seen one before, is really rather small. This Volkswagen Amarok, however, isn’t.
Nearly 40,000 pick-ups were sold in the UK during 2016 alone, which shows just how popular they are. Because of this, we thought it’d be interesting to see how one would be to live with over six months.
So, what have we got to work with here? Quite a lot, in fact. This, latest-generation Amarok has been designed to be the most car-like pick-up available, offering plenty of refinement as well as go-anywhere capability – two aspects that don’t often go hand in hand.
Underneath that large, squared-off bonnet sits a 3.0-litre turbocharged V6 diesel engine. It produces – get this – 221bhp and 550Nm of torque. That’s a huge amount of power for a pick-up to have, and it means the Amarok can get to 60mph in under eight seconds – and it feels a whole lot quicker than the figures show. So far, I can scarcely get my head around how quickly this thing fires itself down a straight.
Elsewhere, initial impressions are just as good. The overall build quality is excellent, with the cabin feeling well made and solidly put together. Our Amarok comes with the optional Discover Navigation System and, though offering a smaller screen than is customary in cars on the market today, it operates smoothly enough and is easy to navigate. Connecting your phone is a breeze, too. It’s comprehensively worth the extra £672.
Other options added include a towbar (£360), 19-inch alloy wheels (£510) and Ravenna Blue metallic paint (£648). This adds up to a pick-up that really does look special, though at a price – £41,971, to be exact. It’s a lot of money, that’s for sure, but then it’s a lot of truck. It certainly looked imposing enough when it was collected, despite being parked next to a series of other vans and trucks at the Breeze Van Centre in Southampton.
What has this Amarok got in store? Well, for starters it’s likely to be thrown into full Christmas tree-lugging duty shortly, and it’s already been earmarked for a house move, too. I’m certain the Amarok will also see some off-roading at some point, while its permanent four-wheel-drive system is bound to come in handy as the temperatures plummet.
So far, economy isn’t too bad either. I’ve been seeing around 31mpg during general driving – which isn’t too far off Volkswagen’s claimed 34.9mpg combined figure, and certainly not bad for a vehicle that isn’t quite run in yet. I’ve also noticed that the Amarok features a gargantuan 80-litre fuel tank. Its claimed range is around 450 miles, which isn’t too bad, though I’m not looking forward to the close-to-£100 full-tank fill-ups. Glug.
All in all then, it’s shaping up to be a good six months with the Amarok. I’m more than certain that it’ll prove to be the perfect adventure car, and I can’t wait to take it here, there and everywhere in between.
HIGHLIGHT OF THE MONTH: Getting used to driving something as large as the Amarok around
MODEL: Volkswagen Amarok Highline
PRICE: £41,971
ENGINE: 3.0-litre V6 diesel
POWER: 221bhp
TORQUE: 550
MAX SPEED: 119
0-60MPH: 7.8secs
MPG (COMBINED): 34.9
EMISSIONS: 212g/km CO2
MILEAGE (TO DATE): 482
