One rung up from the entry level, the Amarok Life 4x4 dual-cab ute with twin-turbo diesel impresses on many levels, but might leave you wanting more
- How much does the Volkswagen Amarok Life cost?
- What equipment comes with the Volkswagen Amarok Life?
- How safe is the Volkswagen Amarok Life?
- What technology does the Volkswagen Amarok Life feature?
- What powers the Volkswagen Amarok Life?
- How fuel efficient is the Volkswagen Amarok Life?
- What is the Volkswagen Amarok Life like to drive?
- How good is the Volkswagen Amarok Life off-road?
- What is the Volkswagen Amarok Life like inside?
- Should I buy a Volkswagen Amarok Life?
We’ve tested higher-spec variants of the all-new 2023 Volkswagen Amarok, but now we’ve had a chance to spend time behind the wheel of more affordable examples, such as the Life TDI500. Starting at around $60,000 drive-away, the Volkswagen Amarok Life dual-cab 4×4 is probably all the ute you could ever need, but might not be all the ute you could ever want.
How much does the Volkswagen Amarok Life cost?
Pricing for the 2023 Volkswagen Amarok Life TDI500 kicks off at $56,990 plus on-road costs, a $4000 step over the entry-level Core TDI405 but a sizeable $10,000 less than the Style TDI500, which should catch the eye of value-conscious buyers.
Being a dual-cab ute, the Amarok Life is not short of competitors, including the Isuzu D-MAX LS-M, Nissan Navara ST-X, Toyota HiLux SR and, of course, the Ford Ranger, though VW has cleverly priced and specced the Amarok to avoid direct comparison, the Life sitting neatly between the XLS and XLT.
Volkswagen offers a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty and your first five servicing visits are capped at $1800 total, a little more expensive than the Ford Ranger due to VW including a brake fluid change in that cost.
Intervals are 12 months or 15,000km, which is actually a reduction on the previous model’s 20,000km requirement.
What equipment comes with the Volkswagen Amarok Life?
Despite sitting towards the bottom of the range, the 2023 Volkswagen Amarok Life doesn’t leave you completely bereft of features.
Externally, there’s LED headlights and fog lamps, auto lights/wipers, heated electric mirrors, side steps, two front tow hooks, a tow bar, power tailgate lock and body-coloured-bumpers, mirrors and door handles.
You also score an electronic handbrake and gear shifter, 17-inch alloy wheels, rear disc brakes and a rear mechanical diff lock.
On the inside you’ll have to be content with single-zone air-conditioning and eight-way manually-adjustable front seats.
There’s remote central locking but no keyless entry or start, though a leather-clad steering wheel and gear shifter, carpeted floors and front and rear mats improve the Life’s habitability.
At the back-end the tray is unlined but includes LED lighting, six tie-down points, exterior tie-down rails and tailgate lift assist. The load area measures 1224mm wide, 1544mm long and 529mm deep.
Maximum payload for the Life is 988kg but a generous 6350kg gross combined mass (GCM) means even at the maximum 3500kg towing capacity you have 608kg up your sleeve.
Put another way, even loaded to the 3230kg gross vehicle mass (GVM) you’ll still be able to pull more than three tonnes legally.
The only option is metallic paint (any colour other than white) for $990, though Volkswagen is now offering a vast range of factory-backed accessories for those who want to spend more on their rigs without heading to the aftermarket.
How safe is the Volkswagen Amarok Life?
The base Core misses out on a couple of features but the 2023 Volkswagen Amarok Life has the full gamut of safety equipment and correspondingly a five-star ANCAP safety rating.
There are nine airbags and every possible active safety assist system including autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian and cyclist monitoring, adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go function, speed sign recognition, lane assist, rollover mitigation, blind spot monitoring and rear cross traffic alert.
Front and rear sensors and a rear camera help with parking manoeuvres, and for child restraints there are ISOFIX points on each rear outboard seat with top tethers hidden behind the seatbacks.
What technology does the Volkswagen Amarok Life feature?
Infotainment for the 2023 Volkswagen Amarok Life is handled by the smaller of the two available screens but it’s still an impressive 10.1 inches in size in a portrait orientation.
It plays through a six-speaker stereo and includes digital radio and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as well as wireless charging.
There is also a USB-A, USB-C and 12V outlet, as well as a further USB-A outlet in the rear-vision mirror housing for a dashcam or similar. In-built satellite navigation is not included.
A configurable 8.0-inch digital instrument cluster is controlled via buttons on the right-hand side of the steering wheel to select between various trip, audio or vehicle information.
What powers the Volkswagen Amarok Life?
Under the bonnet of the 2023 Volkswagen Amarok Life TDI500 is the 2.0-litre four-cylinder twin-turbo diesel and 10-speed automatic combo familiar from the Ford Ranger.
With 154kW and 500Nm it’s a significant step up over the 125kW/405Nm single-turbo engine and six-speed automatic found in the base Core TDI405 model.
Unlike the previous-generation Amarok, VW isn’t offering a V6 option in the lower-spec grades – at least not yet – so you’ll have to step up to the Style TDI600 if you want the option of the 184kW/600Nm 3.0-litre V6 turbo-diesel.
How fuel efficient is the Volkswagen Amarok Life?
Claimed combined-cycle fuel consumption for the 2023 Volkswagen Amarok Life is 7.2L/100km, which combined with the 80-litre tank gives a theoretical range of more than 1100km.
What is the Volkswagen Amarok Life like to drive?
Given the two models’ similarities under the skin, you might expect the 2023 Volkswagen Amarok Life to drive virtually identically to its Ford Ranger sibling.
There is some truth to that, but it doesn’t tell the whole story.
Certainly, the powertrain is familiar. The 2.0-litre biturbo-diesel is an impressive engine, one of the better powerplants in the class, and it’s only the existence of the 3.0-litre V6 that makes it feel in any way deficient.
It’s responsive and with 10 gears to select from it has no trouble providing motivation.
Where the Amarok differs from the Ranger is its chassis and steering tune. VW took a different tack aimed at providing better dynamics and greater control, and that it does. There’s a little more weight to the steering and it’s impressively manoeuvrable for a dual-cab, even on twisty mountain roads.
Part of the reason for this is the Amarok’s Continental tyres which, combined with its stiffer suspension set-up, make it surprisingly composed on tarmac or unsealed surfaces, even at speed.
On sweeping forestry roads you expect the occasional shimmy from the front or rear but it usually fails to materialise.
The downside of this set-up is a fairly reactive ride, though the worst edges are taken off by the Life’s pudgy high-profile tyres on those 17-inch rims compared to the 18s or even 21s on other Amarok variants.
Some may prefer this more dynamic set-up; others might wish for some extra comfort.
Possibly the biggest complaint about the experience behind the wheel of the Amarok Life is the terrible reflections in the windscreen from the dash.
When the sun is low or shining at a particular angle it’s very difficult to see where you’re going, though it’s nothing a dash mat wouldn’t solve.
How good is the Volkswagen Amarok Life off-road?
When assessing any standard production vehicle off-road there’s the proviso that it’s only going to be as good as the tyres it’s on, but even on its highway-spec Continentals the 2023 Volkswagen Amarok Life tackled muddy, slippery and undulating forestry trails with no suss.
The 2.0-litre engine doesn’t have the full-time four-wheel drive of the V6 (or the previous Amarok) but 4H was suitable for pretty much all circumstances, the rear diff lock activated just for some piece of mind through some rutted sections.
One difference compared to the previous Amarok is the existence of a low-range gearbox for tighter spots and there’s also hill descent control.
With a more appropriate set of tyres the Amarok Life would certainly go well off the beaten track with ground clearance the only real hurdle (listed at 235mm), the underside graunching on occasion during our drive, but the engine and transfer case are protected by steel underbody plating.
What is the Volkswagen Amarok Life like inside?
Despite sitting towards the bottom of the line-up, the 2023 Volkswagen Amarok Life’s interior is still quite a pleasant place to sit.
The cloth seats are very comfortable and it’s easy to find an accommodating driving position, thanks to plenty of adjustment.
A range of materials is used rather than just your typical hard, grey plastic, though as mentioned the dashboard creates very bad reflections in sunlight. Splashes of silver liven up the cabin and kudos to Volkswagen for offering the twin glove boxes limited to higher-spec Rangers in the Life, as well as extra dash-top storage.
In its efforts to differentiate the Amarok’s interior, however, form has taken precedence over function in a couple of areas. The giant silver gearshift surround might look quite nice, but it’s necessitated the cup holders moving back to a less ergonomic location and eradicated the small storage area dubbed the ‘fries holder’ in the Ranger.
Similarly, VW has removed the Ranger’s physical climate controls in favour of digital ones and subsequently adjusting temperature or fan speed is more of a process than it really needs to be.
Small things, but worth mentioning.
In the back seat, the new Amarok’s significant wheelbase stretch means that the previous model’s rather cosy confines have been improved and at 180cm tall I have plenty of space, though larger occupants may find it a little cramped.
There’s little in the way of amenities, though, with just a 12V outlet and no air vents or USB ports.
Should I buy a Volkswagen Amarok Life?
The easiest way to sum up the 2023 Volkswagen Amarok Life is it’s probably all the ute you could ever need.
Excellent safety credentials, fine off-road performance, impressive payload and towing capabilities, plenty of off-road chops and just enough creature comforts.
It might not, however, be all the ute you could ever want.
Tick a couple of options boxes on a Ford Ranger XLS to bring the prices into line and the Ford is better equipped, while spending a few thousand more on the XLT makes sense for a more family-friendly dual-cab.
This is a dangerous game to play, however, as then another small stretch gets an Amarok Style which is even better equipped again.
VW describes the Amarok Life as a “blank canvas” and that might be the best way to think of it.
If you want a modern dual-cab to modify for off-road use and aren’t fussed about the trinkets then it’s worth a look.
On the other hand, if you’re interested in a Life we’d recommend sampling a Ranger XLT or Amarok Style just to be sure you’re okay with the lower grade.
2023 Volkswagen Amarok Life TDI500 at a glance:
Price: $56,990 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder twin-turbo diesel
Output: 154kW/500Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Fuel: 7.2L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 189g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP 2023)
Keyword: Volkswagen Amarok Life TDI500 2023 Review