2023 Volkswagen Amarok close to reveal as new teasers emerge

UPDATE, February 21, 2022: Volkswagen continues to tease the upcoming 2023 Volkswagen Amarok, this time in the form of more detailed design sketches than before.

While the aggressive, pumped-out guards likely won't carry across to the production vehicle, it's interesting to note the Ford Ranger's unique box-step is gone on the Amarok, instead adopting a traditional ready bumper, which is mounted externally to the bodywork.

Not seen as clearly as before is the tailgate, which features the Amarok's name pressed into the steel rather than a stick-on badge, while the Ranger's large tub space carries across, allowing for a Euro-standard pallet to fit in the back.

No official date has been announced yet for the Amarok's reveal, but with teasers showing nearly every angle of the dual-cab, it will undoubtedly be launched before the new financial year.

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The story to here

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January 17, 2022: Volkswagen has shown off its latest official teaser of the second-generation Amarok in a design sketch, giving us our best look yet at the upcoming moden.

While the German manufacturer last teased the new Amarok after Ford had already revealed its Ranger twin, this new sketch gives us a first look at its side and rear profiles from a rear-three-quarter perspective.

With plastic cladding on the arches and a sizeable amount of ground clearance, it's likely the Amarok, which Volkswagen has chosen to tease is an off-road focused variant, is potentially designed to compete against Ford's Ranger Wildtrak.

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Although not much of the interior is shown off, we can see the Amarok's dash uses a traditional, horizontally-oriented infotainment screen, rather than the Ranger's vertical unit.

It's likely the second-gen Amarok will also be larger than its predecessor, riding on Ford's T6 platform, which is both longer (+100mm) and wider (+40mm) than the current ute.

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December 20, 2021: More renderings of the 2023 Volkswagen Amarok have been created, this time offering a look at the ute’s cabin.

Brazilian artist Kleber Silva created these digital images of the next-generation Amarok, but also used images of the recently-unveiled Ranger to create a rendering of the Volkswagen’s interior.

The Ford’s portrait-oriented infotainment touchscreen remains, as do the air vents on each side, but the driver is instead greeted with a Volkswagen logo on the airbag.

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On the outside, the daytime-running lights run the full length of the grille, echoing design sketches of the new ute previously offered by Volkswagen’s design team.

Unique alloy wheels, embossed tailgate with ‘AMAROK’ spelled out, and redesigned tail-lights help to differentiate the ute from its sibling.

Let us know which rendering you like best in the comments section below.

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November 26, 2021: The 2023 Volkswagen Amarok is one step closer to its arrival, following the debut of the 2022 Ford Ranger.

Volkswagen and Ford signed a partnership in 2020 which allows the two giants to share autonomous driving technology, electric vehicle platforms, and commercial vehicles, and one of the first models to emerge from the alliance will be the new-generation Amarok, based on the Ranger unveiled this week.

The German carmaker is keen to point out the next Amarok is more than just a new badge fitted to the Ranger, with Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles personnel being sent to work with Ford’s design and engineering departments in the development of the project to ensure the model has “Volkswagen DNA”.

While the 2023 Amarok will share the same silhouette as the Ranger, it will have a new front-end and a revised rear, with the interior believed to be redesigned to fit within Volkswagen’s current style.

These renderings by artist Sascha Thilmany provide an idea of what we can expect when the new Amarok is unveiled next year.

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It’s believed Volkswagen may have helped influence the decision to fit the Ranger with Ford’s 3.0-litre turbo-diesel V6 Power Stroke engine, as a favourite feature among Amarok buyers is the ute’s class-leading turbo-diesel V6 powerplant.

The Amarok’s current V6 offers 190kW and 580Nm, roughly on par with Ford’s Power Stroke V6 which produced 185kW and 600Nm when the engine was fitted to the F-150 pick-up in North America.

Though yet to be confirmed, it’s possible the engine may benefit from a new tune in order to extract some additional performance from the Power Stroke.

The new Amarok should also benefit from full-time four-wheel drive, announced as a new feature on the Ranger.

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As in the outgoing Amarok, a 2.0-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder will also be available – but, like the V6, it will be sourced from Ford.

The 2.0-litre TDI engine in the Amarok produces as much as 132kW and 420Nm, while the 2.0-litre bi-turbo diesel in the Ranger makes 157kW and 500Nm – a healthy upgrade for the Amarok.

“For the last one and a half years, [Volkswagen engineers] have been really co-developing together with our cooperation partner, Ford, this beautiful car,” Head of Design at Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, Albert-Johann Kirzinger, said in a video published in 2020.

"We know what our Amarok means to our customers and fans in Australia. And that’s the reason why we are really working hard to have a 100 per cent Volkswagen, a true Volkswagen, and not only a rebadged Ford. I want you to rest assured that this Amarok will be a real beast.”

As well as the new engines, the Amarok will benefit from the Ranger’s long list of safety tech. The new equipment is a welcome – but minor – step up for the Ford, but will represent a generational leap for the Amarok, which currently lags behind its competition in this area.

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More recently, Kirzinger suggested the next-gen Amarok may have a unique feature which helps to differentiate the ute from its Ford counterpart.

“Yesterday our partner unveiled their unique interpretation of a truck. We at Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles are delighted to offer the most hospitable welcome we can” Kirzinger wrote on LinkedIn.

“We wish the #NextGenRanger all the best for its global debut – stay tuned for an ace we have up our sleeve.”

Whether that means the Amarok will be the first mid-size ute to adopt an all-electric powertrain – as the Volkswagen Group doggedly pursues battery technology – or something else entirely, we will have to wait and see.