Volkswagen expects the petrol-powered version of its new Amarok will lure buyers out of SUVs and traditional passenger cars like its Golf and Tiguan.
The second-generation Amarok starts to roll into dealerships in April next year, and the flagship Aventura grade will be offered with a choice of a 3.0-litre V6 turbo diesel or a 2.3-litre turbocharged petrol engine delivering 222kW/452Nm.
The inclusion of the petrol engine marks a shift in the segment, with many manufacturers dropping petrol versions some years ago, while others like Toyota have retained petrol units for entry-level tradie-spec variants.
However, Volkswagen Australia Commercial product marketing manager James Thompson says the German brand believes the new petrol Amarok will appeal to people that would otherwise choose a VW SUV.
“I think it gives us a real opportunity for customers who are coming in from passenger vehicles into that segment who drive our other passenger vehicles which have been heavily TSI petrol based for a long time,” he said at the Amarok international first drive in South Africa.
“And I think maybe towing heavy amounts regularly isn’t their thing, but they still want that versatility of a ute. Especially now you’ve got all the [in-car] technology and safety technology.”
Mr Thompson added that both dealers and potential customers are excited to get their hands on the new Amarok.
“I think there’s a real opportunity with that car. I think it will probably have a ceiling of how many people want it but I think there’s definitely a market for it. Dealers are very excited about it. And customer feedback has been very positive so far, considering they’ve never seen or driven the vehicle yet.”
Volkswagen Group Australia product and PR communications manager Dan DeGasperi said the new Amarok would hold more appeal than the outgoing version to people with luxury SUVs.
“The previous model had this curious thing where it was attracting a lot of people who may have a [Porsche] Cayenne on the other side of the driveway and some of those high-end buyers of SUVs who wanted a dual-cab ute as well.
“But we forecast doing better with this generation of Volkswagen passenger vehicle owners such as Golf or Tiguan owners who may convert into a dual-cab ute and that’s where the outgoing Amarok was not as strong as it could have been.”
Mr Thompson said that VW expects the diesel to sell roughly double the number of petrols in the Aventura grade.
”For every Aventura sold, I would think you’d sell two diesels to one petrol and we’ll revisit it. We’re confident in the line-up that we put together. But we’re also not stupid. We will reevaluate and see where the market is in six-to-12 months time.”
While the turbo-petrol engine will only be offered in the Aventura initially, Mr Thompson said if it was more popular than the company anticipates, they would ask for it to be available in more grades.
“It’s something that we’re definitely interested in. And should that be the case that it [is] popular then yeah, we’ll definitely push to have it in the lower specification cars as well.”
Based on the new Ford Ranger, the latest Amarok is offered with three turbo-diesel powertrains alongside the petrol, and around mid-decade there will also be an electrified version. Pricing is yet to be confirmed for the Amarok range, but expect that to be announced early in 2023.
Keyword: Petrol-powered Amarok Aventura to appeal to Golf, Tiguan buyers, says Volkswagen