Photo: ABT Sportsline
As far as mid-size pickups in Europe go, the Amarok with the 3.0 TDI is the most potent of the lot. The six-cylinder turbo diesel can be pushed to 306 PS (302 horsepower) with a re-flash from ABT Sportsline while torque increases to 630 Nm (465 pound-feet).
Let that sink in for a minute, then compare the Volkswagen Amarok from ABT Sportsline with the Ford Ranger Raptor or Chevrolet Colorado ZR2. All things considered, the German alternative appears to be the most compelling in terms of suck-squeeze-bang-blow.
Zero to 60 miles per hour is rated at 7.8 seconds as opposed to 8.0 seconds for the bone-stock model. Top speed? Good luck hitting 131.1 mph (211 km/h) with this gentle giant! According to the tuning company, “the power upgrade becomes particularly apparent when the Amarok is fully loaded or is pulling a heavy trailer.” Around a tonne is the maximum payload for the Amarok and towing capacity is rated at 3.5 tonnes.
Lesser versions of the Amarok, namely those with the 165-kW engine, can be upgraded from 224 to 265 PS (261 horsepower) as well. With a re-flash of the engine control unit, even the pre-facelift Amarok with the 2.0 TDI four-cylinder turbo diesel can be upgraded from 180 to 200 PS (197 horsepower).
Not available in the United States, the Amarok can be purchased in Mexico with the 3.0 TDI mentioned in the previous paragraphs. Moving over to Volkswagen’s domestic market, pricing for the high-output V6 starts at €51,384, and as expected, the Amarok comes standard with 4Motion four-wheel drive and an eight-speed automatic transmission from ZF Friedrichshafen.
Even though it’s one of the more expensive trucks in the mid-size segment, the Amarok continues to sell surprisingly well in the European Union.
Volkswagen also knows the Amarok is an old design, and thus, the Germans have partnered up with the Ford Motor Company to develop the next generation. On that note, here’s hope the Amarok won’t become a badge-engineered Ranger!
Zero to 60 miles per hour is rated at 7.8 seconds as opposed to 8.0 seconds for the bone-stock model. Top speed? Good luck hitting 131.1 mph (211 km/h) with this gentle giant! According to the tuning company, “the power upgrade becomes particularly apparent when the Amarok is fully loaded or is pulling a heavy trailer.” Around a tonne is the maximum payload for the Amarok and towing capacity is rated at 3.5 tonnes.
Lesser versions of the Amarok, namely those with the 165-kW engine, can be upgraded from 224 to 265 PS (261 horsepower) as well. With a re-flash of the engine control unit, even the pre-facelift Amarok with the 2.0 TDI four-cylinder turbo diesel can be upgraded from 180 to 200 PS (197 horsepower).
Not available in the United States, the Amarok can be purchased in Mexico with the 3.0 TDI mentioned in the previous paragraphs. Moving over to Volkswagen’s domestic market, pricing for the high-output V6 starts at €51,384, and as expected, the Amarok comes standard with 4Motion four-wheel drive and an eight-speed automatic transmission from ZF Friedrichshafen.
Even though it’s one of the more expensive trucks in the mid-size segment, the Amarok continues to sell surprisingly well in the European Union.
Volkswagen also knows the Amarok is an old design, and thus, the Germans have partnered up with the Ford Motor Company to develop the next generation. On that note, here’s hope the Amarok won’t become a badge-engineered Ranger!
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