Volkswagen Amarok Review: Double the comfort - Full Review

Volkswagen Amarok Review: Double the comfort

Overview

The Amarok was a relative newcomer to the Bakkie market a couple of years ago, with the introduction of the Single Cab Amarok. Since then VW have seemed intent on making their Bakkie a fierce competitor in the market. The easiest way do to this it make the Amarok more appealing to the masses.

The initial Single Cab version was sold and marketed primarily as a work-horse. Now Volkswagen have given us a more urban version of the Amarok in the shape of a Double Cab with an automatic gearbox.

Having driven the Single Cab Amarok a few years back, we got behind the wheel of the Double Cab Amarok to see how it goes.

Performance

For a start the engine has been given a little boost in power, although there isn’t actually any change to the engine. Instead of the 120kW we got from the Single Cab, we now get 132kW for the Double Cab. There is also an increase in the Torque figure up from the the previous 400Nm to 420Nm in the current model.

You don’t notice it that much though, the car is also slightly heavier than it’s Single Cab counterpart so the extra power is really just there to keep it moving along.

There is a sport mode on the gearbox, which when engaged makes the Amarok quite fun to drive. Assisting with the sport mode is the 8-speed automatic gearbox. Now let’s just clear up a little confusion here. It’s an 8-speed automatic, not one of those DSG boxes than VW are so good at making.

Economy

That sport mode button isn’t going to help you with the economy, neither is spending most of your time driving off road, which the Amarok is very good at.

But on the off chance that you find yourself on a normal tar road, driving to normal places, the 2.0-litre diesel engine can deliver reasonable fuel economy. Casual town driving put the Amarok in the 8.5 l/100kms mark, which is more than reasonable for a car this size.

After a stint in the bush, clamoring over boulders and sliding sideways on soft sand the economy figure did head north in a hurry, and we very quickly found it to be in the 12 l/100kms range.

Tech

With the Amarok Double Cab auto VW have attempted to take the Amarok out of the farm, but it seems that they have not managed to take the farm out of the Amarok. That is to say, the tech on the inside of the Amarok is a bit lacking. There is a basic radio that’s capable of playing CD’s and MP3’s but it’s the same radio you’ll find in a basic Polo Vivo. There are some basic features on the trip computer such as range, average speed, average consumption etc, but for a car in the R400k price range, we would have expected a few more luxuries on the inside at least.

Comfort

This is where the Double Cab begins to set itself apart from the Single Cab. The Single Cab was a good ride, but very much still a typical bakkie ride. With the Double Cab VW have gone the extra mile to make sure the ride is as comfortable as they can get it.

The Double Cab auto is after all likely to be more of a urban family car, than a hardcore farm work-horse.

In an urban environment the Double Cab Amarok is really good. In combination with the smooth auto ‘box it becomes a very sensible family car. Until you need to park it.

Practicality

The Double Cab Amarok wins and loses at practicality at the same time. The front is spacious, you’ll easily seat 5 people, plus you get the loading bay at the back, what more could you want in terms of practicality?

However, try and park the Amarok and you’ll begin to see why it fails. It is a big car, and maybe it’s just me but the parking spaces seem to be getting smaller. Parallel parking is a near impossibility, and even normal alley docking can be challenging if you don’t get in from just the right angle.

Conclusion

All in all the Amarok is a really great car. It’s got enough power, and sportiness to be a fun drive, it’s immensely capable off road and versatile as an urban family car with enough loading space for the whole family’s bikes in the back.

Since the Amarok was first launched, people have been saying that time will tell how reliable and good they actually are, 4 years down the line, I think it’s safe to say that the Amarok is one of the best bakkies on the market. Whether it will match up to the mighty Hilux (see 2012 sales information here) remains to be seen.