Volkswagen Australia is happy to share its locally developed Amarok W580 performance-focused ute with the rest of the world – if they want it.
Speaking at the unveiling of the new W580 X, a more off-road focused version of the Walkinshaw Group-developed W580 and W580 S, Volkswagen Australia’s commercial vehicles head of product and marketing, Nick Reid, said the company has tested the waters for a possible export deal.
Initially, it appears the New Zealand market is the most likely candidate for a deal, but other regions including South Africa have expressed some interest in the Australian-made special editions. However, given the new-generation Amarok is due in early 2023, time is running short for the current W580 program.
“We’re still talking to the Kiwis about it – they’re keen,” Mr Reid said. “We’ve spoken to the other markets about it – they’re just different markets. The South African market is quite similar to ours, quite premium, so we’ve had a chat to them. Nothing will come of that there, because the clock is ticking.”
However, while time is running out for the current iteration and Volkswagen Australia is yet to officially confirm if the partnership with Walkinshaw Group will continue, Mr Reid spoke of the benefits of finding an export partner.
“It’s not a cheap program, the R&D upfront. The more volume we put through it the better, the more competitive we can be,” he said. “So that will be part of the process we go through if we get to go through with the next gen.”
Despite the lack of a firm public commitment, given the success of the initial program, such a move seems highly probable. Having only launched in May this year, Walkinshaw Group recently produced its 1000th example of a W580/W580 S, making it a successful start for the partnership between the two parties.
Ryan Davis, Volkswagen Australia’s director of commercial vehicles, did try to temper expectations of a major export deal as it could have an impact on how the deal with Walkinshaw Group physically produces the vehicle.
“The challenge of, if it were to be adopted in other markets, the logistics of it are something we’d have to work through,” Mr Davis said. “It’s not something we’ve really conquered at this point. And we haven’t even sought interest [from international markets]. We’ve had some interest from the Kiwis for the current car, but whether that extends into the next-gen Amarok, there’s probably too much water to go under the bridge at this stage.”
New Zealand and South Africa are the two most likely markets for any potential export deal, given buyers there share Australia’s fondness for the V6-powered Amarok.
Australia is the biggest market in the world for the V6 model, and typically the second or third largest market overall. However, the biggest Amarok market is Argentina, where the model is produced and the four-cylinder engine is preferred – meaning the V6-powered W580 S and W580 X would only have limited appeal.
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