2023 Volkswagen Amarok PanAmericana review: First Australian drive

The most significant mid-size 4x4 ute of 2023 has landed, and we’ve had our first opportunity to spend some time in one.

We’re in the Volkswagen Amarok PanAmericana, which is the fourth highest of five specification grades available in the new VW ute.

The Amarok PanAmericana comes exclusively with the V6 3.0-litre diesel engine, 10-speed automatic transmission and full-time dual range four-wheel drive.

The 2023 Amarok marks the second generation of the ute from VW, but in departure from its standard-setting original, the German brand has partnered with Ford on development of the second-gen ute and the new Amarok shares much of its hardware with the Ford RA Ranger - and that’s not a bad thing.

2023 Volkswagen Amarok range and pricing

The Amarok PanAm on test has Deep Red metallic paint which adds $990 to the price, as well as optional ‘Savona’ leather interior which bumps the price up a further $3000 to a total just shy of $80K plus on-road costs.

While that’s a lot of money for a 4x4 ute, the new Amarok in PanAm spec is a lot of car.

The front seats coddle and support the driver and passenger well, with their heavy bolsters being almost sports car-like.

The premium leather covering on the seats and dash-top give the feeling of being a cut above any other interior in this class of ute.

The rear seats are good for a pair of adults or three children but don’t offer a lot of legroom for taller passengers. This is despite the new vehicle being longer and having a 175mm longer wheelbase than the original.

Another point for bigger drivers is the centre console, which is quite wide and infringes on the space your left leg occupies, making the driver’s cockpit feel a bit narrow. This could be a personal thing that does not affect other drivers, but it was noted by a couple of our testers.

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Safety in the new Amarok

Passengers are well protected with standard inclusion of knee, centre and side airbags which now extend back to protect rear seat passengers, something that was a deficiency of the original Amarok and kept some family buyers away from the model.

Also on the list of safety kit are the expected AEB; ESC; ABS; lane-keeping assist; speed sign recognition; matrix LED headlights (LED standard across the range); tyre pressure monitor system; park assist; a 360° camera; front pedestrian assist; rear cross traffic alert and side assist; roll-over mitigation; adaptive load control; and trailer sway control.

Driving the new Amarok

While the PanAmericana is powered exclusively by the V6 diesel engine, there are other powertrain options in the new Amarok range.

These include single- and bi-turbo four-cylinder diesel engines and a turbocharged 2.3-litre petrol mill that provides Volkswagen with a point of difference in the crowded and highly competitive mid-size ute market.

The V6 diesel engine is the Ford ‘Lion’ 3.0-litre single-turbo V6 that is familiar from the Ford Ranger and older Land Rover models. In this trim it produces 600Nm and 184kW.

The engine offers smooth and linear performance which, while not as punchy as the previous Volkswagen V6 engine, does its job with a lot more refinement and subtlety.

Helping here is the super smooth 10-speed automatic transmission, also shared with the Ranger, which feels faultless in this application. A small gripe is the electronic gear shifter which is another carry over from Ford, and not as easy to use as it should be, particularly for manual gear shifting.

The engine offers smooth and linear performance which does its job with a lot more refinement and subtlety

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The PanAm features a four-wheel drive system that gives the driver the option of two-wheel drive, automatic all-wheel drive and locked 4x4 in high and low range.

There’s a driver-selectable rear locking differential and a total of six driver-selectable drive modes that optimise the various vehicle systems to suit different driving conditions. Those drive modes are Normal, ECO, Slippery, Mud/Track, Snow/Sand, and Towing for heavy loads.

The PanAm is billed as the off-road hero in the range for now and as such it rides on sensible 18-inch alloy wheels wearing 255/5 Goodyear Wrangler Territory all-terrains.

The PanAm is billed as the off-road hero in the range... for now

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Maybe not so sensible for the off-road model is the application of the ‘Dynamic’ suspension to the PanAm. The dynamic suspension adds monotube dampeners to the double wishbone IFS and live leaf-sprung rear axle to provide a more sporting ride on both the PanAmericana and Adventura models. The lower grades use the standard suspension package.

This is in keeping with the original Amarok which also gave the choice of suspension for dynamics or load carrying, but the standard and dynamic suspension now share the same payload and towing capacities.

We did feel the suspension felt a bit too sharp and firm on gravel roads as it transmitted the irregularities in the surface through to the cabin more than you might like. We haven’t driven on the standard suspension, so can’t yet comment on how it performs.

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Speaking of payloads, the PanAm offers a 1031kg payload, which is great for such a high-spec and well-equipped ute.

Towing is rated to 3500kg and the GCM is a healthy 6400kg, putting it up there with the best in class for hauling.

We think this rig could be a popular tow tug for those who like to haul but want some luxury on board at the same time.

The cargo tub retains the original Amarok’s ability to put a pallet between the wheel arches, something the old VW brought to the segment but now others have caught up with.

The PanAm’s tub has a spring-assisted tailgate, LED interior lighting, six tie-down points and a spray-in bed liner. Disappointing is the absence of a 12-volt power outlet in the tub, even though the Amarok models below and above the PanAm have one.

It’s ironic that the first Amarok was a class-leading vehicle in so many ways, and only recently have other utes in its class caught up. Now VW has partnered with Ford to develop the new Amarok alongside what is the current class-leading vehicle.

This has allowed VW to retain a lot of the features that made the OG Amarok such a good thing, like a powerful V6 diesel engine, wide cabin and that pallet-taking cargo tub.

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Warranty & servicing

The new Amarok is covered by a factory five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty and comes with 12 months of roadside assistance.

Volkswagen is talking up its aftersales service on the new Amarok with service intervals of 12 months or 15,000km, and fixed priced servicing for the first five services at $329, $329, $414, $329 and $400 respectively (prices subject to change).

Or, customers can select the 5 Year Care Plan, which is locked in at $1800 upfront and is not subject to the variance of paying for services individually.

VERDICT

Is the new Amarok a better 4x4 ute than the product it is based on?

That is yet to be determined, but it is different enough to retain that Volkswagen style and feel with a look that is unmistakably VW.

It will provide another great alternative in this very competitive segment.

2023 Volkswagen Amarok PanAmericana specs

2023 Volkswagen Amarok Panamericana off-road specs