Pickup trucks are cool – there’s no denying it. They sit astride the two categories of commercial vehicles and personal vehicles with all the practicality of a heavytowing LCV and a luxury SUV. The VW Amarok is eyecatching from any angle, boasting a rugged appearance, a massive powerful engine, and styling. And the Black Edition trim level is imposing… not just because of what options you get… but because of how much meaner looking it is now!

So, let’s see how this monster handles its very own Vanarama Road Test.

Let’s start at the front where we always do… classy, jeeplike grille with the V6 logo mounted to the left. Black polish trim strip on grille. Blackeffect fog light wrapping. Huge, sweeping bonnet and high driving position. 20inch Talca black alloy wheels. Lights & Vision pack. Parking sensors. Gloss black exterior mirror housings. Black styling bars around the loading bay improves the profile massively.

The widest loading bay on the market is 1.22m across allowing Euro pallets to be loaded in sideways! The softdrop tailgate (point out rear parking sensors/rearview camera) can also take a load of 200kg. Payload: just over 1,000kg. Braked towing weight: 3,100kg. Unbraked towing weight: 750kg. Width: 1.6m. Width between arches: 1.22m. Length: 1.5m.

In the cabin, driver/passenger seats – lining and comfort. Leathertrimmed multifunction steering wheel. Dashboard display and multifunction display DID readout. Climatronic AC and climate controls. Advanced infotainment system: Voice control options. Phone control compatibility. Electronic voice enhancer – allowing people in the back to easily hear the driver when they speak. Sat Nav – SD Card Readers. Rearview camera display. AppConnect system supports Apple Carplay & Android Auto. Storage, comfort, features, connectivity. In the back of the cabin: Spacious passenger seats. Isofix points. Leather lining too!

Other top features include: 3.0 V6 TDI 258PS V6 cylinder diesel engine. 8speed automatic gearbox. 062mp in 7.4 seconds. 3year, 100,000mile warranty.

VW have said they’re discontinuing the model… which seems ridiculous to me because of how great a pickup truck it is. True, the engine is very thirsty, but you can’t deny that the sheer range of options available on the Amarok at the Highline and Black Edition trim levels make it worth bagging now.
The MercedesBenz XClass disappearing is understandable, but the prospect of losing the Amarok with its meaty V6 engine and good looks just doesn’t compute.

What do you think?