Amarok News, Blog & Forum

Here’s another impressive clip of the Volkswagen Amarok this time uploaded by argentina0910 featuring the Amarok as showcased at the 2010 Dakar Rally. The short video clip catches the first official presentation at the Rallye Dakar Village in Buenos Aires, Argentina where the Volkswagen Amarok passed through an off-road ramp demonstrating superior vehicle control thanks to features such as Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Hill Hold Assist and Hill Descent Control among others.

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A total of 35 Volkswagen Amaroks geared up as the automaker’s claims of power, durability and off-road performance were put to the test at the recently concluded Dakar Rally. Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles (VWCV) was made “Official Supplier” for the world’s toughest rally’s organizers, the Amaury Sport Organization (ASO), supplying 20 VW Amaroks as escort vehicles and 15 more units as media and guest shuttles. VWCV also supplied 4 Multivan PanAmericanas, the off-road version of the VW Multivan as additional reinforcements.

“We are thrilled to put the new Amarok through its paces as part of this long distance challenge, the world’s toughest, before its official launch,” said Stephen Schaller, the CEO of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles.

The Dakar Rally is an annual off-road cross-country endurance rally raid that covers some of the toughest terrain in South America. This year, the Dakar covers 5,600 miles of land coming from Buenos Aires in Argentina to Antofagasta on the Pacific coast of Chile passing through the Andes, then heading south to end back at Buenos Aires. The route features mountains with an altitude of more than 13,123 feet as well as the Atacama, which is the world’s driest desert to really push the vehicles and their drivers to the limits. The 2010 Dakar Rally started in January 1 and concluded in January 17.

Being the official support vehicles required the Amaroks to keep up with or even get ahead of the competitors even though they’re not really part of the race. The Amarok is Volkswagen’s first vehicle in the midsize pickup truck segment and the world’s most prestigious rally allowed them to present and test the vehicle in front of the South American audience, which is one of their main target markets, along with Europe, South Africa and Australia before its market release.

The Volkswagen Amarok’s features that proved beneficial in the off-road include electronic differential lock (EDL) and off-road ABS, which shortens braking distances in the off-road, Hill Descent Assist, which gives the driver better control of the vehicle during hill descents at speeds below 20 mph and Electronic Stability Program (ESP) with Hill Hold Assist, which prevents the vehicle from rolling back on inclines until the driver steps on the gas.

The company also supported the Volkswagen Motorsport team, which won last year’s Dakar in the car category and went on to secure their third title after winning in 1980 and 2009. Volkswagen earned a triple victory in the car category with Carlos Sainz from Spain finishing first in 47h10’00, ahead of teammates Naseer Al-Attiyah and Mark Miller coming in 2nd and 3rd respectively.

The Volkswagen Amarok will first come out as a 4-door double cab, but a single cab version is expected to be released in 2011. The Amarok features Volkswagen’s tradition of bringing comfort, quality and durability along with a combination of the pickup’s utility and off-road capability as well as innovative technology, high safety standards and excellent fuel economy.

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If you want to see the 2010 Volkswagen Amarok, the German automaker’s all-new midsize pickup in action, take a look at this video uploaded by videosdeautos, which is supposedly the official video shown at Volkswagen Argentina’s website before the Amarok was launched in December. The video shows off the Amarok’s remarkable characteristics quite well especially its toughness and performance under various conditions. It’s really a shame it might not come to the US. Anyway, I won’t take any more of your time and just let the video speak for itself.

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The Amarok, made by Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles (VWCV) has officially been launched in Argentina in December. The much-awaited vehicle is the first 1-ton pickup to ever be developed in Germany and marks the world class automaker’s entry to the midrange pickup segment.

The Volkswagen Amarok features three different driveline variants suited for all terrains: rear-wheel drive, switchable all-wheel drive and full-time all-wheel drive. It’s powered by a 2.0-liter common rail turbo diesel engine, paired with a 6-speed manual transmission that can make up to 163 horsepower and 295 ft-lbs of torque. You’ll get all that power and torque with amazing mileage estimates of just 7.6 L per 100 km or 30.95 mpg along with emissions of less than 200 g/km CO₂ even with the AWD. Plus, you can travel over 620 miles on one full tank of gas.

The Amarok is also a workhorse due to its tough ladder frame chassis, with a payload capacity of 2,300 lbs and a trailer load capacity of 5,600 lbs. Also, with its heavy duty leaf springs, you won’t have to compromise comfort to get the performance you need.

On the outside, you can’t mistake the Amarok’s striking exterior because of its stout frame, flared wheelhouses and chrome-plated rear bumpers and cross beams on the grille that continue to the headlights. Customers can also choose between 16” steel, 16″ aluminum and 17” aluminum wheels.

On the other hand, the Amarok’s interiors feature two-tone leatherette/leather trim, chrome elements and a state-of-the-art sound system, along with automatic climate control.

As far as safety is concerned, Volkswagen has the Amarok completely covered. It has side curtain air bags for the driver and front passenger, as well as Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Anti-Slip Regulator (ASR) and Electronic Stability Program (ESP).

The Volkswagen Amarok will be launched next in South America, South Africa, Australia and Europe. As of date, Volkswagen has no plans of bringing it to the United States.

For more details, visit the VWCV Amarok page here.

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