Australia’s most powerful four-cylinder ute is petrol-powered and will be pitched at SUV buyers
The new 2023 Volkswagen Amarok has countless similarities with the class-leading Ford Ranger on which it’s based, but VW believes it has an ace up its sleeve in the turbo-petrol Aventura TSI452 variant, which will be billed as Australia’s most powerful four-cylinder ute.
Positioned as the flagship of the new Amarok range at $79,990 plus on road costs – the same price as the V6 diesel-powered Aventura TDI600 – and pitched at family buyers as an urban-savvy dual-cab ute, the TSI452 (denoting its torque output) is the only variant available with a 2.3-litre turbo-petrol engine, which is sourced from the Ford Mustang but not available in the Ford Ranger in Australia.
But will this point of difference pay off for Volkswagen Australia, in a segment that favours diesel over petrol by orders of magnitude?
“This could be something bigger than we may have thought,” said Volkswagen Australia’s head of commercial vehicles, Ryan Davies.
“It’s the dark horse of the range and it’s the car that customers probably haven’t even thought about or considered yet,” he said.
So who is going to buy a four-cylinder petrol Aventura for the same price as the torquier 3.0-litre turbo-diesel V6 (184kW/600Nm), which is a smash hit with Ford Ranger and Everest buyers?
“I think that engine has got huge application, especially inner city,” said Davies, implying the TSI452 is better suited to daily-driver duties rather than Outback treks, in part because there’s no diesel particulate filter that requires longer drives and higher speeds to burn off particulate matter.
“And it might coax people out of equivalent-priced SUVs into something that is perhaps more practical for their family lifestyle, with their active lifestyle.”
Power output will be the other key drawcard of the 222kW/452Nm Aventura TSI452, which comes with the same 10-speed automatic transmission as other variants, making it the most powerful Amarok variant and the most powerful four-cylinder ute available in Australia.
Only the Ford Ranger Raptor out-muscles the Amarok TSI452 with its 292kW/583Nm turbo-petrol V6.
“What’s interesting about that motor is that with the recent change in the segmentation of VFACTS, with all the American utes going up a class into a pick-up category above $100K, this is now the most powerful engine with three and a half tonne towing capacity in its segment,” Davies also pointed out.
Indeed, like all new Amaroks, the Aventura TSI452 can tow 3500kg, but it’s also the thirstiest and (equal) most expensive variant and won’t be much chop off-road given it rides on shiny 21-inch alloy wheels shod with road-biased (275/45) tyres.
Volkswagen Australia representatives say it’s hard to predict how popular the 222kW petrol ute will be in Australia, but expects the mid-range Style grade to the best-seller overall.
The Aventra comes with more eye candy than mid-spec variants, including the abovementioned 21-inch alloys, a unique front bumper design, a bold aero-style rear sailplane and a powered and remote-controlled roller cover for the tub for added security.
It also features 10-way power-adjustable front seats upholstered in Savona leather, premium velour floor mats with Aventura lettering, an eight-speaker Harman/Kardon sound system with subwoofer, twin 12-inch digital screens, a wireless phone charger, advanced LED matrix headlights and more.
“We think that car might be interesting for families who up until now haven’t really been able to consider a dual-cab ute – SUVs have been more their style. So this might be an easy entry point for them into that ute segment,” said Davies.
Another benefit the petrol-powered Amarok may offer is more engaging handling dynamics, given the lower mass over the front axle due to the smaller engine.
But Volkswagen Australia has taken a significant risk by offering a four-cylinder petrol engine exclusively in top-spec guise, for the same price as a diesel V6. It’s an outlier in a market where petrol engines are traditionally reserved for entry-level variants, but if the gamble pays off and customer demand blossoms it could set a new trend in the segment.
Watch this space.
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Keyword: Turbo-petrol Volkswagen Amarok TSI452 will be a ‘dark horse’, says VW