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Volkswagen Amarok 6x4 is Real, Coming Courtesy of Australian Dealer

Before Mercedes-Benz came up with the G63 AMG 6x6 in 2013, nobody in the automotive industry was paying attention to the SUT segment. But without the slightest intention to do so, Mercedes-benz got the sport utility truck ball rolling.
Volkswagen Amarok 6x4 SUT 6 photos
Volkswagen Amarok 6x4 SUTVolkswagen Amarok 6x4 SUTVolkswagen Amarok 6x4 SUTVolkswagen Amarok 6x4 SUTVolkswagen Amarok 6x4 SUT
Kahn Design is doing it, Hennessey too, and so are Polaris and countless other companies. Although small, there’s demand for such vehicles, and Volkswagen took notice. Not the automaker per se, but Austral Volkswagen of Newstead, Queensland. The Australian dealer, as you found out from the headline, took up the challenge to convert the Amarok V6 TDI pickup truck from four- to six-wheeler.

Previewed by a mock-up at the Queensland Caravan Supershow, the modified workhorse promises up to 4,500 kilograms GVM (1,700 kilograms of maximum payload) and carries a starting price of 79,000 Australian dollars. At current exchange rates, that’d be $60,030. The “ultimate mid-size tow vehicle” combines “class-leading power, brakes, handling, and comfort with the ultimate upgrades.”

Scheduled to be unveiled in full next month, the Amarok 6x4 will be offered with beds from 2.4 to 2.6 meters in length. “Why do you call it 6x4 instead of 6x6 like the G63?” The truth of the matter is, one of the three axles is there just for show, translating to four-wheel drive.

Available as a turn-key vehicle through Volkswagen’s dealership network in Australia, the Amarok is converted from 4x4 to 6x4 by an outfit named Six Wheel Conversions. The said company has experience in this regard with the Ford Ranger and Isuzu D-Max, so it’s plain sailing to elevate the mock-up to production reality.

Equipped with disc brakes on all six wheels, the Amarox 6x4 features the previous version of the 3.0-liter V6 TDI. With 224 PS (221 horsepower) and 550 Nm (406 pound-feet) on tap, it should be capable enough. Come September 2018, Australia will get the V6 TDI recently introduced in Europe, packing more power and torque.

There’s no telling if the Amarok 6x4 will be available for import into Europe or places outside Australia, but then again, do you even need such a behemoth in your life?

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About the author: Mircea Panait
Mircea Panait profile photo

After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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