2025 Volkswagen Amarok 10 Deserts Edition

Volkswagen Australia has proudly announced that it has achieved a Guinness world record for driving Australia’s 10 recognised deserts in a time of six days and 17 hours in a modified Amarok

Employing a team of three drivers the Amarok covered 6,421km to take in the Great Victoria, Great Sandy, Tanami, Simpson, Gibson, Little Sandy, Strzelecki, Sturt Stony, Tirari and Pedirka deserts passing through Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory.

They actually smashed the previous record which was closer to 14 hours and held by a motorcyclist.

The drivers, German endurance driver and multiple record holder Rainer Zietlow, his compatriot Marius Biela and Australia’s Brad Howe, drove in shifts with two up front while one of them attempted to sleep on the back seat of the VW Amarok Style V6.

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Brad Howe told us that sleeping in the car was a challenge and they wore rugby players headgear to allow them to ‘rest’ against the side of the door while driving over the rough terrain. Even then, the sleep was sketchy at best.

The drive was non-stop except for refuelling and one extended halt that occurred less than 24 hours in to the drive. This was in the early hours of the morning when the Amarok was bogged when crossing a damp Lake Poeppel in the Simpson Desert in pitch darkness.

“I woke up and looked around and when I realised where we were I told the driver to try and get to the side of the lake but it was too late,” Brad told us as we took the record-winning Amarok for a spin in Victoria’s forests.

There was no support crew with them and getting the car out was done by jacking it up, digging out under the tyres and placing boards under them, and that took three hours.

A similar incident was narrowly avoided driving through the flooded areas at the northern end of the Canning Stock Route but luckily, they were able to reverse out of the bog and pick a firmer line to traverse it.

The Amarok used for the drive was modified for the task using accessories that many adventurous owners would be fitting to their own 4x4 vehicles. ARB suspension with BP51 shocks, underbody protection, rated recovery points front and rear, ROH wheels with Kumho m/t tyres, a Rhino roof rack, ARB lighting, and a 160-litre fuel tank from Brown Davis.

Not so common was the specifically made tyre rack on the cargo tub that was fabricated to carry spare wheels and tyres. The car only had one puncture over the length of the trip and no other mechanical faults. 1199-litres of fuel were consumed and 500ml of engine oil over the arduous journey.

ROAD GOING

The good news for Amarok buyers is that VW Australia has produced a limited run of 300 specifically equipped 10 Deserts Edition Amaroks set to go on sale early in 2025.

Built on the Amarok ‘Life’ model using the TDI500 4-cylinder bi-turbo engine and part-time, dual range 4x4 system, the 10 Desert Edition Amaroks ae fitted with bespoke 17-inch alloy wheels, raised ARB suspension, underbody protection and a soft tonneau cover. More aggressive all terrain tyres will be available as a no-cost option

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The added height of the suspension brings the ground clearance up to 275mm which VW says is more than any other car in its class, only topped by the bespoke built Ford Ranger Raptor.

The bi-turbo diesel engine of the limited-edition car gives little away to the V6 as used in the record setting Amarok. It’s 500Nm of torque is more than up to the needs of on and offroad driving, towing and hauling. VW was also quick to point out that the 4-pot is 80kg lighter than the V6 over the front axle making it more nimble and better suited for off road work.

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We had a chance to drive both the limited edition 10 deserts Amarok and the actual record setting vehicle on some bush tracks west of Melbourne and the modifications to both improve their respective off road capabilities.

LIMITED EDITION

The 10 Deserts Edition Amarok is based on the mid-range Life model but it really isn’t missing out of anything. It is following the trend we’ve seen in the later part of 2024 with ‘Black Edition’ variants of double-cab 4x4 utes being based on lower-spec models with a bit more equipment added to improve the overall package. VW had a record setting accomplishment to celebrate so we were spared yet another Black model but the recipe is the same.

That said, VW Australia went a bit further than the others with uprated suspension giving extra ground clearance and improved body control, plus the no-cost option of more aggressive all terrain tyres, all of which are much appreciated extras.

The extra ground clearance was needed when driving around the off road tracks in Cobaw State Forest where deep ruts and tree buttresses threaten the standard side steps as we crawled over them.

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On faster gravel tracks the suspension feels more compliant than the standard Amarok settings giving a smoother ride without sacrificing handling and control.

The Ford-sourced 2.0-litre bi-turbo diesel engine and 10 speed automatic power train has proven itself over the years as being punchy and reliable. I might lack the towing grunt and refinement of the V6 but gives nothing away in terms of driveability and past experience tell us that it is considerably more economical.

In earlier drives of the Amarok we have said that the Life model with the biturbo engine represents a sweet spot in the model range in terms of equipment and price.

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With standard equipment including LED lights, 8-way adjustable driver and passenger seats and a leather covered steering wheel and gear -shifter it is well equipped in relation to its competition at this end of the ute segment. It certainly doesn’t feel like a entry level model with only the striped-out Amarok Core coming in below it.

VW Australia hasn’t confirmed the pricing yet but says it will fall between the standard Amarok Life and the style model so we expect it to fall in at around the $65K mark when it lobs in showrooms early in 2025.

RECORD SETTER

Driving the kitted up Amarok that actually did the record-setting deserts run was a different experience to what you get in any new production car. In fact, it felt much like the many other modified 4x4 utes we’ve driven, especially those that have covered plenty of outback miles.

Taller, stiffer and full of rattles was my initial impression. The combination of the ARB suspension and the stiff, light truck construction Kumho muddies certainly made the Amarok feel solid on the road.

Brad Howe told us that the car felt softer when it was fully loaded for the trip and the suspension was still running these settings with the car now relatively unladen. Brad says he was relatively impressed with the adjustability of the BP-51 shocks adding that he only adjusted the rebound settings to better suit the load and conditions.

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With all the equipment on it, this Amarok feels a lot heavier than the Limited Edition offering plus the fact that it has the V6 powertrain. The V6 engine is more relaxed in the way it delivers its power than the bi-turbo 4-cylinder and the extra weight on this car we reckon the limited edition bi-turbo would give it a run for its money in a short sprint.

The this Amarok feels ready to take on anything and thanks to its added clearance required less caution on the rock steps and ruts. Even wit the tyres at road pressures they clawed over the obstacles easier than in the standard car giving the driver more confidence it it abilities.

More than anything about this Amarok, we think that it’s great to see a OEM working with leading aftermarket brands to build a capable 4x4 vehicle to take on the outback, just as the readers of 4x4 Australia are doing.

VOLKSWAGEN AMAROK LIFE SPECS