Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles’ third generation Amarok has been named Pick-up of the Year in the International Van of the Year Awards (IVotY ).
The Amarok, which first launched in 2011, has now picked up the International Pick-up of the Year award three times in just 14 years, making it a unique hattrick for Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles’ beloved workhorse.
A jury consisting of 24 members of leading commercial vehicle publications across Europe gave the latest Amarok top marks, praising its design excellence, engineering, safety, and overall performance.
The Volkswagen Amarok is priced from €48,930 and is available in Ireland in a five-model series: Amarok, Life and Style, plus the range-topping versions PanAmericana (off-road styling ) and Aventura (exclusive styling ).
Measuring 5,350 mm long, the new Amarok is just under 10 centimetres longer than its predecessor. A wheelbase of 3,270 mm represents an increase of 173 mm over the previous model, providing even more space in the double cab.
Depending on specification levels, more than 25 assistance systems are available. The spacious cabin has a premium class feeling, featuring a practical mix of digital and analogue controls, high-quality materials and screens measuring up to 12.3in.
Thanks to a payload of up to 1.19 tonnes, a maximum trailer weight of up to 3.5 tonnes and an improved cargo box design, few vehicles are as capable as the Amarok, on or off the road.
The latest version has an increased fording depth of 80 cm (up from 50 cm previously ) while a new 360-degree camera system takes the guess work out of off-road driving.
Power comes from Volkswagen’s tried and tested 2.0-litre turbodiesels with output of 125 and 151 kW. At the top of the range, the acclaimed 3.0-litre six-cylinder diesel version (with an output of 177kW ) adds unparalleled levels of refinement.
Depending on the model series, the Amarok is available with either a six-speed manual gearbox or a ten-speed automatic gearbox. All models come with 4MOTION all-wheel drive as standard, either as an engageable (2H, 4H, 4L ) or as an extended engageable all-wheel drive (4A, 2H, 4H, 4L ).
