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There was a time, many moons ago, when pick-ups were the preserve of tradesman. You’d rarely see one that wasn’t covered in a combination of dried cement, brick dust and mud, and often driven by someone caked in those very same substances.
The world has changed of late and you’re just as likely to see one towing a jet ski to the coast at the weekend as you are with a pile of bricks in the back during the week, and VW’s Amarok is pitched perfectly at that dual-usage market.
The range is only available with a 3.0-litre V6 – in various states of tune – under the bonnet after owners said that the original 2.0-litre unit lacked the appropriate levels of testosterone.
Torque rises to 369lb/ft from 310, while power goes up to 204PS from 180.
Apart from the obvious benefits in performance, you do get a little bump in load-carrying capacity from 1,037kg up to 1,112kg. The braked/unbraked trailer weights remain the same at 750 and 3,100kg respectively
Despite owners’ feedback bemoaning the 2.0-litre diesel’s lack of grunt the real world benefits of the new power unit do, on paper at least, appear minimal.
However, on the road those incremental gains make for a much-improved driving experience. Piloting the Amarok is a stress-free experience. The eight-speed auto box keeps the motor simmering gently and a gentle prod of the right foot is all that’s required to up the pace effortlessly and, by and large, quietly.
In fact, one of the Amarok’s greatest strengths is its car-like refinement both around town and on faster roads.
There’s a nice meatiness to the steering and, though it lacks some feel, it transmits enough information back to the driver to allow smooth, flowing progress. Something that manages to delight through its unexpectedness.
The engine drives all four wheels with a 40:60 split front to rear under normal driving conditions.
There’s no low-range box, the Amarok ‘making do’ with a Torsen centre differential and a rear differential lock.
Behind the wheel and, aside from the towering view across the vast expanse of bonnet, the car-aping illusion remains. It’s typical VW, with high grade, textured materials that have clearly been selected both for their quality and durability.
There are some nice touches to lift the otherwise dark fascia out of the doldrums with brushed alloy accents around the air vents, the lacquer bar that runs from one side of the dashboard to the other, adding both an increased sense of width (not that it needs it), and an even greater premium feel, and the Vienna leather seats fitted to my Highline trim test car.
The infotainment unit, one of the few areas that disappointed me when I drove the 2.0-litre model, is one of the key upgrades in the V6 Amarok. Though the screen remains, in my opinion, a touch on the small side at just 6.33in, the full-colour display does now feature smartphone-like controls with swiping and pinch-to-zoom touch inputs via the capacitive screen.
It’s easy to use thanks to the simple, horizontal, menu system that allows to swipe left or right to access all the system’s functions and there are physical shortcut buttons adjacent to the screen to make accessing a number of features on the fly easier.
AppConnect, which includes MirrorLink, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay also features. There’s a cubby hole at the bottom of the centre stack for your phone, or phablet, and it really is roomy enough for the largest of the current crop of smartphones.
Beyond the engine, the changes include new front seats, new infotainment system and multi-collision braking system, as well as a revised front-end design.
Amarok Highline 3.0 V6 TDI 204PS Permanent 4MOTION 8-speed automatic
For more information visit www.vw.co.uk
