New 2023 Volkswagen Amarok teased with V6 engine

Ahead of its full reveal later this year, Volkswagen has officially teased its new Amarok pick-up truck – this time showing what the new truck’s tailgate will look like. 

Volkswagen has previously announced the second-generation Amarok will still be available with a diesel V6 engine option alongside a choice of four-cylinder 2.0-litre TDI powertrains. This new teaser is our first undisguised look at the rear of the Amarok and confirms the design previous spy shots havehinted at.  

In a short video posted on the Volkswagen Commercial Vehicle Twitter page, the Amarok’s rear lights appear different to those in the initial design sketches Volkswagen posted back in 2020, with the clusters integrating a narrow vertical light signature.

Unsurprisingly, the tailgate is similar to the current Amarok, although the ‘Amarok’ script is pressed into the panel. Previous spy images have also revealed it’ll feature a set of side steps, along with a rear grab handle in the bed. 

At the rear of the new #Amarok, the model’s name is embossed in large letters. A powerful design with a strong statement: The premium pickup from #VWCV is driving in front of you! But that’s just one of its many design and technology highlights. #WeTransportSuccessFreedomFuture pic.twitter.com/rySRmlnOkJ

An interior sketch gives us a glimpse at the pick-up’s interior, revealing a completely new dashboard design that features Volkswagen’s latest steering wheel and its newest “Virtual Cockpit” digital instruments. A new central infotainment system also features, and it appears the brand will retain some physical switchgear, unlike in some of its latest passenger models.

Volkswagen describes its Ford Ranger rival as having “a completely new appearance inside and out” and “even more extensive equipment on board”, including “significantly more driver-assistance systems” and new connectivity features. The company also claims it will feature “innovations that have not been seen before in this segment.”

The Amarok will be larger than its predecessor, 100mm longer with a total body length of 5,350mm. However, the wheelbase grows even more, by 175mm to 3,270mm. VW says that this results in substantially more room in the cabin for passengers, while the shorter overhangs mean it is more capable off-road than before. Total payload increases to 1.2 tonnes, while more engine and gearbox variants will be capable of achieving a 3.5-tonne braked towing capacity.

Technical details for the Amarok are still thin on the ground, but VW has confirmed that the pick-up will be powered by a turbocharged V6 diesel engine. Its chassis sibling, the Ford Ranger, features a 3.0-litre unit, and it’s all but certain that the same powertrain will be used in the Amarok.

Like the Ford, the engine should be linked to a 10-speed automatic gearbox and a new permanent four-wheel-drive system, which promises to make the new Amarok faster and much more capable than the previous-generation model. 

Entry-level versions of the Amarok will likely be powered by one of Ford’s turbocharged 2.0-litre diesel units. The new Ranger is already offered with updated versions of the previous model’s four-cylinder units – and there’s little chance that Volkswagen would re-engineer the platform to suit its own four-cylinder diesels, because the cost would be prohibitive.

There are plans for further expansion, so it’s likely that Volkswagen will follow in Ford’s footsteps and launch a pure-electric flagship version of the Amarok. Lars Menge, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles product marketing boss, said: “In terms of drive system we are continuing to use highly efficient TDI diesel engines for the new Amarok.

“And there will be a powerful V6 TDI available in the future too, plus further power units specific in each case to the market. In other words, depending on the market the Amarok will be moving forward efficiently and powerfully as a diesel or petrol vehicle.”

Volkswagen has also confirmed some details about the next Amarok’s production plans. It’ll be built in South Africa and Argentina, and will be exported globally from those two locations. By contrast the previous model had a production centre in Hannover, which supplied the European market with vehicles.

Volkswagen and Ford confirmed plans to collaborate on the engineering of commercial vehicles and pick-up trucks in summer 2020, as part of a large-sweeping tie-up between the automotive giants across a number of aspects of their businesses.

“Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles has taken a major strategic step by establishing its cooperation with Ford. The successor to the Amarok will be one of the first fruits of this collaboration,” said Volkswagen Group CEO Herbert Diess at the time.

The two brands have also announced a multi-billion pound investment in autonomous drive technology start-up company Argo AI, while from 2023, Ford will produce electric vehicles on the Volkswagen Group’s MEB platform.

Click here for our in-depth review of the current Volkswagen Amarok pick-up