VW Amarok 2020 review: Core V6 manual GVM test

It’s an enduring credit to VW designers and engineers that a vehicle launched in 2011, which has remained fundamentally the same apart from more recent engine and transmission options, can still generate relatively robust sales and customer loyalties.

The fully galvanised body is mounted on a robust steel ladder-frame chassis.

The fully galvanised body with its six-year anti-corrosion perforation warranty is about as rust-prone as a plastic bucket, mounted on a robust steel ladder-frame chassis with double-wishbone front suspension, leaf-spring live rear axle, power-assisted rack and pinion steering and four-wheel disc brakes.

With a 3095mm wheelbase, 5254mm length and 1954mm width, it’s relatively wide for its length which gives it a chunky, broad-shouldered stance. Key off-road stats include 28-degree approach, 23-degree ramp-over and 23.6-degree departure angles, 192mm of ground clearance and a relatively shallow 500mm wading depth.

There’s ample head room but knee room is in short supply.

Being the entry-level model and primarily designed with off-roading in mind, the cabin is pretty basic. There are several conspicuous plastic caps blanking holes where buttons or switches are found in more upmarket grades and only the odd splash of satin chrome.

The rear doors are also noticeable shorter than the fronts, which highlight the Amarok dual cab’s notoriously cramped rear seating, particularly for tall adults. There’s ample head room but the entry pathway between the B-pillar and rear seat base cushion is narrow for large feet and, despite the front seat backrests being slightly concave in shape, knee room is in short supply. Centre seat passengers also have to straddle the intrusive transmission tunnel with one foot on either side and the fixed backrest angle is noticeably upright.

VW claims a combined average of 9.7L/100km which was almost line-ball with the dash instrument readout of 9.5 after 336km of testing, which included more than a third at near-maximum GVM loading.  However, our own figure based on fuel bowser and tripmeter readings was a slightly higher 10.4, which is still frugal for a 3.0 litre V6 in a vehicle weighing more than two tonnes. So, based on our own figures, you could expect a realistic driving range of around 770km from its 80-litre fuel tank.

The Core V6 manual’s 2076kg kerb weight makes it the lightest in the Amarok V6 model range. As a result, although it shares the same 3080kg GVM as its higher-priced siblings, it boasts the highest payload rating of 1004kg which makes it the only genuine ‘one tonner’ in the line-up.

However, it also has the lowest braked tow rating of 3000kg. And given its 5550kg GCM (or how much weight it can legally carry and tow at the same time), that meaty 1004kg payload would have to be reduced by 530kg if you wanted to tow 3000kg without exceeding the GCM. Better to drop your towing limit by the same amount (from 3000kg to 2470kg) and keep your full payload.

The cargo tub’s load floor is 1555mm long and 1620mm wide with 1222mm between the wheel housings, which makes it rare in the local ute class in being able to carry a standard 1165mm-square Aussie pallet or (with the tailgate lowered) two 1200-800mm Euro pallets. There’s four sturdy load anchorage points.

The cargo tub’s load floor is 1555mm long and 1620mm wide with 1222mm between the wheel housings.

Cabin storage options included a large bottle holder and small storage bin in each front door, plus an open storage tray in the centre dash-pad, an overhead glasses holder and a single glovebox. The centre console has another open storage bin at the front, two small (500ml) bottle holders or cup holders in the centre and a storage box at the back with a padded lid that doubles as an elbow rest.

Each rear door has a combination bottle holder and storage bin, but there’s no pull-down centre armrest with cup holders or flexible storage pockets on the front seat backrests, so storage options for rear seat passengers are limited at best. The 60/40-split rear seat base cushions can swing up through 90 degrees and be stored vertically if more internal cargo-carrying space is required.

There's no shortage of bottle holders.

We took it to the max on payload by stuffing 890kg into the unlined cargo tub which with driver equalled a genuine one-tonne payload of 1000kg. The rear suspension compressed 75mm, yet the big leaf spring packs maintained 40mm of static bump-stop clearance.

We took it to the max on payload by stuffing 890kg into the unlined cargo tub which with driver equalled a genuine one-tonne payload of 1000kg.

As a result, there was never a hint of bottoming-out on a variety of bitumen and unsealed roads and the V6’s torquey nature made light work of hauling this maximum payload anywhere we wanted to go. That included some light off-road work and our 2.0km-long 13 per cent gradient set climb at 60km/h, which it easily cleared in fourth gear at 1600rpm on a light throttle.

Engine braking too was outstanding on the way down. In second gear, it spun to just over 4000rpm on overrun (4600rpm redline), without exceeding the sign-posted 60km/h speed limit and without once needing a brush of the brake pedal. Most impressive and confirmation that the larger the cubic displacement, the stronger the engine braking.

The Amarok comes with a five year/unlimited km, plus 12 months roadside assist. Scheduled servicing every 12 months/15,000km whichever occurs first. Capped-price scheduled servicing cost of $3045 during the first five years of ownership.