Is The Amarok Better Than The Ranger? (Volkswagen Amarok 2023 Review) 

Much more news about the new Amarok, including the future EV model: www.chasingcars.com.au/volkswagen/amarok/

South Africa is beautiful 🇿🇦

Thank You for your detailed video. I enjoyed a lot.🤙

Fantastic review. Much appreciated

I would choose the amarok over the ranger for one reason . Those seats i believe are lifted from the toureg making it alot more comfortable. That makes a huge difference on a daily drive.

What was your thoughts on the Style variant? I have pre ordered one and haven't been able to see any interior pictures yet, what was your thoughts on the differences of the seats etc through the variants?

I like how you picked up the fact the Aventura has a VW oriented suspension rather than mimicking the Ford Ranger. As much as I love my 2018 V6 AMAROK I think I will definitely give it a go. Primarily because it still has a V6, albeit a Ford engine, but the creature comforts and styling, safety features make it a very attractive Ute. Just wondering how much our VW dealers in Fiji will charge us, most probably $90k AUD. If it does come to that I would consider selling my current Amarok. Great review as always. Cheers from Fiji 🇫🇯🤙👍😎

They should have kept the rear sidestep of the Ford, I have used one and it is very handy. It looks very nice.

This is the same motor as in the land and range rover trucks and they have been famous for snapped crankshafts ever since they arrived in 2.7 form but it's realy got serious after the change to 3.0 Just go on any land rover form and search for snapped crankshafts and you will see what I mean I would go for the 2.0 tdi If it was the vw unit

Nice review. I'd like to see how it performs off road and not on a dirt track....

Looks very good

where is the electried Amarok then or Phev ?. How much longer do we have to put up with these gas guzzlers?

I hope VW decides to bring the Amarok to America. I've got the previous gen Ranger and it's great. It's rumored that there will finally be a crew cab with 6' bed option when the new model gets to us next year, which I hope also makes it to the hypothetical Amarok. The 2.3L gasoline (petrol) engine is fantastic. It's the only engine option on the Ranger in America (also used in several other vehicles). I'm not sure what the fuel prices are in SA or Australia, but in America I see absolutely no reason to buy any of the diesel engines - why pay more for an engine that makes less power, is heavier, needs filter fluid, uses much more expensive fuel, and gets the same mileage. We don't get the automatic transfer case in the Ranger in America, but we've had the same type of system in other trucks for a decade, it is NOT a full time 4WD system, it is a clutch pack in the transfer case that automatically engages when it detects slip.

Would the Amarok R line be coming any time?

Brilliant review. Very informative. To be totally honest at least South Africans would probably get the full spec Amaroks. Unlike the Wildtrak which is built in South Africa, even for other parts of the world, but us South Africans can't get Matrix lights. But we will be able to watch the vehicles on Car Carriers make their way to the ports with Matrix lights. Any idea when the Amarok is going on sale?

I've payed a deposit for the PanAmericana V6, but I'm not sure if I keep purchasing it. It is supposed to be our new towing vehicle for a max 3.5t van to do another lap around Oz. Unfortunately VW still didn't publish the datasheet with GCM, kerb weight and payload figures. Did you see / hear anything while you were testing?

Beautiful Lekker in Cape Town South Africa

Welcome to Cape Town South Africa 🇿🇦

Welcome to the Sprinboks and Bakkie World. Great review, love the Bakkie indeed. Greetings from Cape Town

If i recall the ford “lion” is actually a motor designed by Peugeot and first featured on the Land Rover discovery back in 2006. It may have also been used in a few Jaguars too.

Hope you enjoyed South Africa

any heads-up display on the top spec Aventura? Wonder why no ute's have 'em still in 2022.

Cant wait to see what it tows like with a large van

Hi you should have announced you in Cape Town. Would have been great meeting you and the Team.

Beautiful

I love the look of the Ranger 😬

Nice if you could get the 2.3 with six speed manual

Using this video for reference for when I get an Amarok(I just started college) 🤣but still

South Africa ❤️

I heard him speaking of the Ford Lion engine. That is the crank breaking V6 that is in the Disco 3&4. Designed in Dagenham I believe

The Germans has put a special class to it indeed!

the front fascia reminds me of holden colorado.

Droning in a National Park? Beach driving? Perhaps Assies are exempt 😕 Great comprehensive first impressions Big differencd between a gravel track and offroad driving. You were on the former. Great vehicles. Pity about the price!

I like it; especially the fact that it is being manufactured in South Africa; they have been making BMW's ,VW's Honda, and Mercedes for years, and the quality is usually top notch.

Certainly not going to want 21 inch or even 20 inch wheels for outback touring. Hopefully 17's will fit for realistic size for replacement tyres in whoop whoop.

Great to hear you say Bakkie 😎🇿🇦

Definitely gonna have a look at these when released. How glorious the setting for the test.

Question regarding the electric version coming in a few years. Did you mean the 2023 model has been built to be ready for converting in a few years to electric? I have been wanting a new Ute but can’t justify one as I want a hybrid minimum, and electric at best. And with them coming in the next few years, not sure why I would buy one now. Thoughts?

I drove a V6 Ranger and it felt a fair bit slower and less powerful than my Amarok, alot of testing is showing 0-100 for V6 Ranger as around 9 seconds where as current Amarok is mid 7 seconds, you can feel the difference when you drive them back to back. Was the new Ranger I drove de-tuned (The Dealer said he wasnt). Has anyone else driven them back to back and noticed this?

Wow im very impressed. I think it beats the wildtrak 100% but not the next gen Ranger Raptor. I gotta say, pickup trucks are becoming very modern👊🏻hopefully not too modern🫡

Looks good, but it will be all about the Pricing $$$ compared to Ranger. Is it going to be +5k or +10k for similar specs??

It looks amazing but they could have kept their VW 3.0 V6 engine which produces more KW than this does engine

Thanks for the great review. We currently tow our caravan with a 2015 Audi Q7 which we love for the ride and comfort (and style if I am honest). However, we will need to trade the Q7 in the next 2-3 years when we buy an off-road van and seek to do more off the bitumen. Hi-lux’s or land cruisers don’t quite do it for us perhaps the new Amarok will hit that sweet spot for us. Thoughts or other quality options?

I for one was extremely disappointed when I heard that VW was basically sticking their logo on a Ford Ranger. If I wanted a Ford Ranger I would have bought one. None of the engines offered by Ford can walk in the shoes of the V6 dual turbo (Porsche) diesel I have in my Amarock. On top of that there is nothing that Ford offers that comes close to the ZF auto transmission in my opinion. I was hoping to get a new Amarok in 2024 but if this is what is being offered I must give it a pass. All I wanted in a new Amarock was a few more horses from the V6 dual turbo (Porsche) engine, a fresh styling inside and out and made by VW. Not Ford, Nissan, Toyota or anyone else. I know many companies have partnered with other manufacturers but I feel they lose the loyalty of their core supporters. Pity! I really love my Amarok. I consider this Ford collaboration a large step backwards. No thanks.

The Amarok dash is so much more sophisticated than the Ninetendo 64 in the Ranger. It is a great mystery why Ford think that you do not need a proper tachometer. Still all of those different transmission modes seem a little like overkill. My present Amarok 580 is full time 4 wheel drive, seems to be a simpler and more effective setup. Yes it would be nice to have low range though. All in all, they both look impressive.

It may technically be a ford,but I'd take this one than a ford for the sake off it being a VW and a bit different looking than a ford. And in my opinion it looks better than a Ford Ranger

Welcome to SA Tom.

So whose engine is the diesel 4 cylinder and hp whose transmission is in each

Does this have a 4H mode with open centre diff?

I sware nothing brings out peoples negativity like a new pick up video. But I'm hanging to order a 2.3 petrol. Diesel has done its dash with me for small cars. It can stay in trucks as far as I'm concerned 😄. If ford would bring the ecoboost to the normal ranger. I'd buy one today.

How does this compare given the ranger has now been given the platinum grade?

800m wading depth, lol. Love it amasub

I will take bets that the old v6 is a better engine, the reason I say this I own a V6 VW touareg with nearly 300 thousand k still going like a train.

You got 10L/100km consumption from the 3L engine. My 2018 V6 Amarok 550 Ultimate does 8.8L/100km. When going on the freeway at the legal speed limit, I got 6.3L/100km. Hmm...

They will sell up a storm with these. The 2.3 turbo petrol will hopefully find a niche in the market. I assume a lot of the performance aftermarket gear for the Mustang 2.3 turbo will fit the 2.3 turbo in the amarok.

Isnt the Amorok just a rebadged Ranger? Same production line and with the BT50?

I love the Amarok an it only looks better now. Great review I'll have the V6 Aventura with 18 inch wheels please

The 2.3GTDi is a powerhouse and I think Ford have missed an opportunity not offering it in the Ford Ranger in Australia…. It performs like a baby Raptor….

Very nice. Pity both Ford and VW don't have, allegedly, great "customer experience" records. And VW are on the permanent record for falsifying documents and outright lying to authorities around the world regarding their vehicle emissions. I'm a 6 time (trouble free) VW vehicle owner, however, it'll be hard for me to accept a company ever again from a base of zero integrity. I haven't bought a Ford since 1998 due to their woeful customer service and terrible build quality back then. There's not enough quality time in my life left to go through that pain again. Enjoyed your review, nonetheless. Did VW fly you over to SA, or did you pay for the fare and accommodation yourself?

Western Cape is beautiful

Curious how similarly specced Ford vs VW compare on price.

does it have FORD's super annoying open door chime policy ?

is that a resurrected Holden?🤔

What a rig!

I thought you said you will not get the style until April 2023 is that not what you are driving off road

Ford Lion engine is the notoriously unreliable engine found in the Land Rover Discoveries. Have they done anything to improve reliability? It is probably worth mentioning in your review as most people care about reliability and longevity

Nice bakkie

Will Amarok be the first car in history to go backwards with a new gen?

I never undesrtood why VW was going to cancel the Amarok, givent that as far as I know, sales were good....

@5:04 The panel gap needs some work

Well the old one had a Gestamp hydro formed chassis just like a Gwagen you can' disguise that this is a FORD

The 800 metre wading depth will come in handy.

I don't see the point. I've had 3 double cab Ute's in the last 10 years and found them useless. There's no load length for a 8 x 4. I also need space for tools and the odd passenger. I hate vans but I'm left with no choice but either a transit size van or a double cab Citroen dispatch or similar. If there was a Hilux double cab with a 8' tray that would be great.

The old Amarok actually did have a proper low range gearbox you just had to get the Man-ual gearbox

Its a Holden Colorado!

That’s real nice. Maybe I should buy it . Anyway I don’t like the ranger

Pricing will be really interesting I think the adventura will demand a higher price to similarly spected Wildtrak due to the better quality 3 to 5 grand? Even 5 grand would be asking abit much. I think VW would have lost the plot if the Pan Americana is more than a wild track (74k drive away) as the wild track is a higher spec. The Ford dealer told me that the roller cover is worth a couple grand on its own.

Amarock is the best bakkie in the market

not sure about the engine, worked with golf / Amazon / even with Tiguan. What I like about them they keep standard things in their engines works why change it. On the other hand Ford engines and transmission am not sure. Another thing am not a fanatic is the BIG screen if that thing stops working no AC, not a fanatic like the old Amarok screen only has accouple of things not working dont care the car moves with AC.

If you have to put add blue in it I don’t want a bar of it

Where was this review shot? Doesn't look like Straya!

You buy a VW Amarok, and you get a Ford, you buy a Macan, and you get an Audi - and so it goes on.

I have had amaroks since 2013 and think they are great I have also got the new next Gen ranger and love it This amarok is just a rebadge like merc, Vw built a great platform with their original platform, I think it’s the wrong move for them It’s so ridiculous to say it’s a different car and not a rebadge. It’s different just like the wildtrack is different to the XLT

So its a Ford at VW pricing?

Looks better than the Ranger. Just need one with the 2.3 petrol turbo 4 with a manual gearbox

10:59 why does this country have so many potholes 🙄.

In my opinion the amarok will have the luck as the taro which was a hilux and as the x class. I’m glad that i had purchased the old one at 2019…

I’d rather get this Ranger from Ford , the VW TOKEN makeover is embarrassing . Ford Ranger looks so much better than this effort by VW

Mate, you say the Amarok is the most unique Ute, but the bloody thing is Ford, the engine, tray, roller lid, infotainment system, key fob, shifter, inner door handles, it just goes on and on. Yeah, it's a great Ute, but it's a basically another version of the Ranger in all fairness

When a VW body gets a Ford soul engine...it is a Ford.

Why is VW associating themselves with Ford?

I'm glad they make it so much different from the ford, which will make it more competitive. Only downside of VW is their price tag and lot of options

Toyota is king

It's nice but in terms of engine and power I think vw lost it's gene,the old v6 generation is much better than this

Same car as the problem ridden Ranger. Same engines, interface. Heck it even has the Ford key.

Yes, bur Engine is same as Ranger and that's where we don't trust it

You’ve bought the sales blurb and VW propaganda hook line and sinker. Is there nothing to criticise about this ute? Personally I would question the reliability and longevity record of that very compact V6 diesel which has an unenviable record for breaking crankshafts in previous Land Rover and Jaguar installations. What, if anything, have Ford done to ensure that the crank doesn’t snap or the bearings fail due to oil starvation? I would also question why they don’t mate the full time transfer case to the four cylinder twin turbo Ford 2.0 diesel engines. That would be my preferred choice of mechanical specification because the twin turbo is a peach of an engine, way more powerful, responsive and economical that the previous Ford five cylinder 3.2 or the VW 2.0 engines and only slightly less nice to drive than a V6. Much cheaper engine to run long term in both fuel consumption and probably service and repair costs compared to the V6 which has dreadful accessibility to most bits that are likely to fail in service. We all know that it is difficult being critical of new launch cars due to the undoubted fact that if a correspondent was so minded and published, they would never be invited to a launch event again. Personally I would highlight the impractical nature of the expensive roll over top which would be bent and crushed if a pallet or tote bag or 45 gallon drum slipped forward under hard braking. The lack of a practical ladder rack on most variants. The tyre size choice for play rather than off-road work [if you need one of these you will surely want the 4wd for off-road work]. The tie down points available for load security in the bed. The load weight available for the rear bed when towing the full 3.5 tons with a nose weight of 300kgs. I would also compare the net selling price after any available discount against the Ford versions and indeed rivals such as Toyota, Isuzu, Nissan, Mitsubishi and others.

I really do not understand your taste on the interior, the center display and surrounding air vents to me is really off the mark it looks like a poor attempt to be distinctive just for the sake of being different than the Ranger. As for the front it reminds me of current generation Triton I think the last Amarock has a much better front.

Who u trying to kid mate? Same factory same car. Just play the dealers off to get the cheapest. There's very little different between the both.

Imagine how poor the reliability will be. Just like every other VW. They are the tow truck driver's best friend....