3rd Report
Much of the Amarok’s time on our fleet has been spent undertaking urban missions and for a truck that is very much positioned at the leisure-oriented ‘lifestyle’ end of the sector it has undertaken its fair share of hard graft, mostly of the house-clearing variety.
All that inner-city toil didn’t do the Amarok’s fuel consumption figures any favours but, as I suspected, its mpg performance improved considerably with a couple of jaunts out of town, climbing from the low to the high 20s, for example, along the stretch of the M40 from London to Birmingham.
The PanAmericana’s performance is impressive in both urban and extra-urban environments. In tight and congested city locations, its manoeuvrability belies its bulk while the (new to the Amarok) electromechanical steering is light and easy – making for a relaxing driving experience. At motorway speeds, the 10-way power-adjustable front seats are comfortable and wind and road noise is well suppressed. Bowling along open roads once off the motorway brings the best out of the consummately smooth 10-speed automatic transmission, which combines nicely with the powerful, responsive 3.0l V6 engine, and in terms of ride quality, you could be behind the wheel of a luxury SUV, albeit with added workhorse credentials. The steering tightens up reassuringly at higher speeds and, while it is not advisable to throw any big pick-up truck into corners along winding roads, the Amarok’s handling, thanks to its Ford underpinnings, ranks as best in class alongside the Ford Ranger.
The PanAmericana is well-stocked with ADAS (advanced driver assistance systems) and the feature that has impressed me most is its adaptive cruise control, which takes the strain out of long journeys by automatically maintaining a set distance to the vehicle ahead before returning the Amarok to the cruise speed the driver has chosen when the road ahead is clear again. There are a choice of four set distances and the driver operates the system via buttons on the multifunctional steering wheel. The Dynamic Road Sign Display provided by the front-facing camera keeps the driver aware of changing speed limits through the dashboard display and when used with the stop-and-go function, the adaptive cruise control can bring the truck to a halt in traffic before restarting the engine and pulling off when the vehicle in front starts moving.
The excellent 360º overhead view camera is particularly useful when negotiating busy spots like supermarket car parks, as is Rear Traffic Alert, which uses rear radar sensors to provide visual and audible warnings of pedestrians and vehicles approaching from the side behind the Amarok when it’s reversing.
On the other hand, I found Park Assist, which can detect free parking spaces and automatically steer the Amarok into them, to have novelty value but it is not something I’ve needed to rely upon on a regular basis.
It does, though, give you a taste of autonomous motoring, as does the camera-based ‘Lane Assist’ lane- keeping system that detects road markings for the purpose of preventing the Amarok from crossing lanes if the driver does not indicate their intention to do so. Disconcertingly, while the system seems to want to take over steering by tugging on the steering wheel to keep the vehicle in the centre of the lane, if the driver loosens their grip on the wheel, it swiftly issues a visual alert to hold fast.
However, I have found that on long stretches of straight motorway or dual carriageway this warning is liable to activate even when my hands are firmly clasping the steering wheel, first issuing a yellow then red instruction to ‘keep hands on the wheel’, which quickly escalates to a more frantic demand to ‘take back control’.
‘Front Assist’ with autonomous emergency braking also has an occasional tendency to raise the driver’s blood pressure by warning against imminent front collisions when no such danger is present.
More reliable is ‘Side Assist’, which detects vehicles in the blind spot and lets the driver know with a yellow light in the wing mirror.
The 18in alloy wheels on which the PanAmericana rolls are shod with Goodyear Wrangler 255/70R17 112T tyres (a full-size steel spare wheel is located under the load bed). They look indestructible but I recently sustained a slow puncture in the front nearside tyre. This necessitated a visit to a branch of a well-known high street fast-fit chain. While booking an appointment I discovered, to my surprise, that not all branches are equipped to handle larger vehicles such as pick-ups, so I needed to shop around. Once I found a centre able to accommodate the Amarok the cause of the puncture, a nail, was rapidly discovered, removed and a quick fix secured.
Going forward, the Amarok, like all double-cab pick-ups, may be facing an uncertain future. Many customers have traditionally been drawn to these vehicles by the promise of getting a luxury vehicle that benefits from a relatively benign tax regime.
This, however, is about to change. In her Autumn Budget, new Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, announced that from April 2025 double-cab pick-ups with a payload of more than one-tonne will be treated as cars for tax purposes, meaning the current monthly £65 flat rate BIK (benefit-in-kind) payment will rocket to £300 for a customer in the lower 20% tax band. The good news is that, for the time being at least, businesses can still claim back VAT on pick-ups with a payload of at least a tonne.
Report card
Performance/Ride quality: Both are class-leading in the pick-up sector.
7/10
Driver assistance: Plenty of it but some features work better than others.
6/10
| Model | Volkswagen Amarok PanAmericana 3.0TDI 240hp |
| Mileage | 10,547 |
| Official combined fuel economy | 28.0mpg |
| Our average consumption | 27.1mpg |
| Price range (ex VAT) | £33,000 – £47,000 |
| Price (ex VAT) | £46,200 |
| Insurance group | 37 (est) |
| Warranty | 5yrs/120,000mls |
| Service intervals | 12,500mls (est) |
| Load length | 1,624mm |
| Load width (min/max) | 1,224mm /1,584mm |
| Load bay height | N/A |
| Gross payload | 1,054kg |
| Load volume | N/A |
| Engine size/power | 2,993cc/240hp |
| CO2 | 265g/km |
2nd Report
Being built on the same platform as the Ford Ranger, the Amarok shares the same engines and most of its underpinnings with the market-leading pick-up truck from the blue oval, but in terms of styling Volkswagen has taken a somewhat different approach.
It has eschewed some of the flashier design flourishes to be found within the Ranger line-up and, with its more sober appearance, the Amarok could be seen as the Ranger’s more understated, conservative cousin.
Unlike the Ranger, the Amarok is only available in double-cab guise: Volkswagen is not interested in establishing a presence in the strictly workhorse, utilitarian end of the market populated by single and extended-cab models, which has for a long time only existed on the margins of the UK’s pick-up sector.
With a length of 5,350mm the current Amarok is 96mm longer than its Volkswagen-produced predecessor and its wheelbase has been stretched by 173mm to 3,270mm. The primary beneficiaries of this extension are the rear seat passengers who enjoy generous legroom 879mm coupled with shoulder width of 1,381mm.
The Amarok’s nose is distinguished by prominent upper-radiator grille crossbars flanked by narrow LED headlights. The PanAmericana and Aventura trims feature the ‘Amarok’ name imprinted into a black panel above the number plate and the bumper inlays form a stretched X-shape when viewed head on. The overall impression is balanced and less overtly butch-looking than the front ends of certain Ford Rangers, such as the Wildtrak X. The side view takes in big, flat-topped wheel arches sitting above 18in alloys either end of a robust step to help occupants get in and out of the vehicle. Plastic cladding on the lower halves of the doors provides some protection against scrapes and that fitted to the rear doors bears the PanAmericano logo.
A noteworthy addition to the new Amarok from Style grade up (so all trims other than entry-grade Life), is Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles’ IQ Light LED matrix headlights, incorporating Dynamic Light Assist, which adjusts the main beam control to avoid dazzling oncoming traffic.
The rear end features C-shaped lights and a tailgate stamped with the Amarok word mark. The tailgate is integrated into the central locking system. The presence of a tow bar, as part of the £500 (ex-VAT) optional Towing Pack, means we can take advantage of the Amarok’s 3.5t unbraked trailer capacity.
With its sombre black and brown leather-effect materials and surfaces, my PanAmericana’s cabin feels like it could have taken styling cues from a post-war luxury limousine. Although on the dowdy side, I would describe the interior furnishings as classic rather than old fashioned and the materials all have a soft, high-quality feel befitting the PanAmericana’s premium status. The carpeted floor and ambient lighting add to the sense of comfort.
Despite the dark materials the cabin is airy and spacious and does not lack functionality. The driver’s and front passenger’s seats are both 10-way power adjustable and the smallish, leather-wrapped, multi-functional steering wheel has a nice feel to it.
There are several storage compartments, including a big, lidded box between the front seats, which sits behind the gear shift lever and driving mode dial, an illuminated glovebox, door bins – which are on the narrow side and can only hold small water bottles – and a compartment under the rear bench seat that houses the tool kit and hazard warning triangle.
The dashboard combines digital controls with physical buttons and switches. For example, the all-wheel drive settings and infotainment volume are controlled by chunky physical dials that could be operated when wearing gloves.
The PanAmericana features a 12.3in digital cockpit housing a configurable instrument display. The instrument cluster menus are divided into screens such as Audio, Telephone and Navigation and are selected by arrow keys mounted on the steering wheel.
Dominating the dashboard is a 12in vertical touchscreen that houses controls for most of the in-cab functions. The infotainment package includes a DAB+ radio, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay plus VW Connect Navigation. Dual-zone climate control is part of the deal as are front foglights with a cornering function.
The cab also provides a 12v socket and a pair of USB ports along with an inductive charging pad for a smartphone.
A keyless ignition system is fitted as well as an electric parking brake and reversing sensors. The vision provided by the reversing camera is excellent and even better is the 360° birds-eye view which alerts the driver to potential hazards around the vehicle when negotiating tricky manoeuvres, such as squeezing the big truck through lane-narrowing gates.
The PanAmericana is well-equipped with safety kit and advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) like adaptive cruise control, lane assist, which stops you wandering out of lane, a side assist lane-change system that warns you if vehicles are about to enter your blind spot and dynamic road sign display. Installed too is park assist with park distance control – which helps you manoeuvre into a parking space – and rear traffic alert, which triggers a warning if you are about to reverse into the path of an oncoming vehicle.
Included on all Amarok derivatives is autonomous emergency braking front assist with pedestrian and cyclist monitoring. It alerts the driver of an impending collision and applies the brakes if no action is taken.
Report card
Cabin: Conservatively styled but comfortable, functional and well-equipped.
9/10
Safety: Up to Volkswagen’s usual standards with plenty of kit installed to protect occupants and other road users.
9/10
| Model | Volkswagen Amarok PanAmericana 3.0TDI 240hp |
| Mileage | 9,190 |
| Official combined fuel economy | 28.0mpg |
| Our average consumption | 29.4mpg |
| Price range (ex VAT) | £33,000 – £47,000 |
| Price (ex VAT) | £46,200 |
| Insurance group | 37 (est) |
| Warranty | 5yrs/120,000mls |
| Service intervals | 12,500mls (est) |
| Load length | 1,624mm |
| Load width (min/max) | 1,224mm /1,584mm |
| Load bay height | N/A |
| Gross payload | 1,054kg |
| Load volume | N/A |
| Engine size/power | 2,993cc/240hp |
| CO2 | 265g/km |
1st Report
The newest addition to the What Van? long-term fleet is a Volkswagen Amarok PanAmericana pick-up truck.
The Amarok shares a platform with the Ford Ranger and the two trucks are arguably the highest profile and most successful jointly-developed LCVs to emerge from the product-sharing partnership between the two manufacturers that was announced in 2019. Launched in 2022, the trucks scooped both the International Pick-up Truck Award (IPUA) and the What Van? Pick-up of the Year awards for 2024.
Co-developed by the brands and built at Ford’s plant in South Africa, Ford is the lead development partner, with Volkswagen utilising the engine, transmissions and chassis of the new Ranger for use in the Amarok, which returned to the sector after a three-year hiatus following the withdrawal of the previous Amarok, which was solely a Volkswagen product. It was reportedly Volkswagen though that insisted there be a 3.0-litre V6 diesel in the line-ups, which is the engine that propels the PanAmericana.
Most of the differences between the VW and the Ford model are cosmetic – the Amarok’s exterior looks more sculpted, with a high waist and flat-top wheel arches. It gets distinctive horizontal upper radiator grille crossbars and integrated narrow LED headlights. The rear features new C-shaped lights and a full-length tailgate embossed with the word ‘Amarok’. Piggy backing the Ranger platform has given the Amarok more interior space and bolstered it’s off-road ability: wading depth has increased by 300mm to 800mm thanks to shorter overhangs, while towing capacity has gone up from 3.1 to 3.5t.
Unlike the Ranger, the Amarok 4Motion is marketed solely as a double-cab model. Under the bonnet you will find a 2.0-litre TDI diesel engine at either 170hp or 205hp or the mighty 3.0-litre TDI V6 pumping out 240hp and 500Nm of torque. The 170hp engine is wedded to a six-speed manual gearbox as standard but all other derivatives come with 10-speed shift-by-wire transmission.
Volkswagen is intent on spearheading the premium end of the UK’s pick-up segment with the new Amarok and with the withdrawal of the Mercedes X-Class from the market, the brand pretty much has the luxury lifestyle field to itself, although flagship versions of its Ranger stablemate or Toyota’s Hilux Invincible X could be considered upmarket rivals.
VW is offering the Amarok with a choice of four trim levels – Life, Style, the PanAmericana we opted for, and Aventura.
Standard equipment with Life trim includes 17in alloy wheels, LED headlights, a 10in infotainment screen, and a reversing camera.
Further equipment with Style includes silver 18in alloys, a chrome styling bar, black side steps with a chrome insert, a 12in infotainment screen with satnav and a 360-degree camera system.
PanAmericana trim is designed to focus more on off-road ability and features a rear locking differential and underride guard, along with black 18in alloys and a bumper with black ‘X’ insert.
The Aventura trim, which effectively shares top billing with the PanAmaricana, is targeted more at customers looking for a luxury truck to use on-road. It features 21in alloys, chrome-plated exterior mirrors and door handles, and a bumper with silver ‘X’ insert. Crucially, its payload falls beneath the 1t threshold, which means buyers cannot reclaim VAT.
While VW chose not to enlist the services of the 3.0-litre 300hp V6 petrol unit of its partner Ford’s Ranger Raptor into the Amarok line-up, the PanAmericana’s diesel V6 provides more than enough power to propel the hefty pick-up along at an impressive zip. It has a top speed of 112mph and 0 to 62mph can be completed in 8.8 seconds, which is great for travelling in straight lines but the amount of body roll generated when cornering will deter most drivers from pushing the Amarok hard along winding country roads.
A suspension system featuring leaf springs at the rear and MacPherson-type struts at the front contributes to a comfortable ride although some bounciness does penetrate into the cabin, particularly when unladen, but this is
par for the course with big trucks capable of carrying heavy loads. Overall, though, the PanAmericana makes serene enough progress and does a good impression of driving like a luxury SUV.
The latest Amarok’s new electro-mechanical power steering set up can feel a little on the light side and was probably chosen with off roading in mind but it is easy and relaxing to handle and the 10-speed automatic shift-by-wire transmission taken from Ford is the slickest and smoothest in the business. The transmission comes with four driving modes; 2H and 4H as well as 4L for the most challenging off-road conditions and 4A, which is for for improved traction on varying road surfaces, according to VW.
These modes are selected by an easy-to-use dial located behind the transmission lever. In addition, the driver can choose from six on- and off-road driving modes; eco, normal, mud/track, sand, slippery and load/trailer via the 12in touchscreen.
The V6 engine has an official combined cycle fuel economy figure of 28mpg but having spent most of the past few weeks covering urban routes I have struggled to keep consumption above 20mpg.
The PanAmericana is most definitely a lifestyle truck but that doesn’t mean it can’t cope with hard graft, as I discovered when using it to carry all my daughter’s goods and chattels during a house move. Access to the cargo box, which houses six tie-down points, is by means of a lockable tailgate which drops down horizontally.
A bulky rear bumper – which incorporates a step – prevents it from dropping down completely and sitting at about 900mm above the ground, it is not the easiest space to load and unload.
My truck is fitted with a RollTrac electric roll top as a £2,486 (ex-VAT) option and while this is undoubtedly a useful, if expensive, feature to protect and conceal lower level tools and equipment, it does eat into the 1,624mm by 1,584mm load bed when retracted if you need to carry larger items, such as tables and chairs.
Report card
Desirability: Sophistication and luxury combine in this top-notch lifestyle pick-up truck.
9/10
Load carrying: Meets the one-tonne payload threshold for VAT exemption but less suited to carrying bulky loads.
6/10
| Model | Volkswagen Amarok PanAmericana 3.0TDI 240hp |
| Mileage | 8,819 |
| Official combined fuel economy | 28.0mpg |
| Our average consumption | 18.7mpg |
| Price range (ex VAT) | £33,000 – £47,000 |
| Price (ex VAT) | £46,200 |
| Insurance group | 37 (est) |
| Warranty | 5yrs/120,000mls |
| Service intervals | 12,500mls (est) |
| Load length | 1,624mm |
| Load width (min/max) | 1,224mm /1,584mm |
| Load bay height | N/A |
| Gross payload | 1,054kg |
| Load volume | N/A |
| Engine size/power | 2,993cc/240hp |
| CO2 | 265g/km |
