2017 Volkswagen Amarok V6 Highline new car review

Mercedes-Benz is coming. So is Renault. But Volkswagen was the first European brand to enter the highly competitive world of commercial utes.

The tradie market is tough to crack though, with Toyota's HiLux, Ford's Ranger and Mitsubishi's Triton dominating the sales charts.

Volkswagen knew it needed something special to make inroads with its Amarok. So for its mid-life upgrade it has brought out the big guns - literally. The German brand has fitted the dual-cab with the most powerful engine in the class, a 3.0-litre V6 turbo diesel that comfortably out-guns its competition.

But is power enough to make the Amarok a serious player in the ute market?

What do you get?

The V6 Amarok range is currently limited to two top models in the range, the Highline, tested here, and the Ultimate that sits at the pinnacle of the line up.

The Amarok Highline is priced from $59,990 (plus on-road costs), which puts it at the top end of the market, competing against the likes of the HiLux SR5 and Ranger Wildtrak.

But the Highline comes well equipped with 18-inch alloy wheels, stainless steel sidesteps, bi-Xenon headlights, a sports bar in the tray, leather seats, Bluetooth, voice controls and VW's App Connect system that incorporates Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Safety is a letdown though with the Amarok only protecting front seat occupants with front and side airbags - there are no curtain airbags for the rear still. That is disappointing given the rising trend of these dual cab utes being used as family cars.

Although the previous generation model scored a five-star ANCAP crash testing rating, the lack of curtain airbags means if it was tested today the best it could manage is four stars.

The Amarok also misses out on Volkswagen's latest active safety features including autonomous emergency braking, lane departure warning and blind spot monitoring - features that are available in rivals such as the Ranger.

Volkswagen covers the Amarok V6 with its standard three-year/unlimited kilometre warranty and it also comes with three years of roadside assistance.

Servicing is covered by the brand's Service Pricing Guide program and requires visits every 15,000km/12 months. Each visit is expensive though and over the first three years you'll be handing over $1690 and the four year/60,000km service will set you back another $824.

What's inside?

When the Amarok initially hit the market it raised the bar for interior presentation in the ute segment. The updated V6 features some minor trim updates but is otherwise unchanged. But that's OK because it's still one of the nicest ute cabins.

The design doesn't look too far off what you expect from a Volkswagen passenger car or SUV. While it does use a lot of harder plastics, for obvious reasons, the fit and finish is excellent.

There's good storage too and several 12-volt outlets spread throughout the cabin.

The seats in the Highline are a combination of cloth and leather and add a premium touch. Space up front is good, with plenty of shoulder room. The back isn't as impressive though, as knee room is tight for adults so it may struggle to carry a load of workers.

The tray measures 1555mm long and 1620mm wide at its widest point and 1222mm between the arches. That makes it one of the few dual cab utes that can accommodate a standard Australian pallet (1165mm) between its wheel arches in the tray.

It is a well equipped tray too, with a plastic liner, four tie-down points, a 12-volt outlet and a pair of LED lights mounted at the back of the cabin to illuminate the load area.

Under the bonnet

The engine is the star of this show. It's the same the 3.0-litre V6 turbo diesel you find in the likes of the Porsche Cayenne and Audi Q7 so it has serious pedigree for a workhorse ute.

In the Amarok, it produces 165kW of power and 550Nm of torque which makes it the most potent ute in its class.

It's paired to an eight-speed automatic transmission that is unique in this class, and is more common in luxury cars. The Amarok's grunt is transmitted to the road via a permanent all-wheel drive transmission rather than a conventional high-  and low-range transfer case set-up.

Putting aside the hype of the raw figures, the Amarok's engine really delivers on the road. There's plenty of pulling power from the engine whenever you need it. Without a load in the tray it accelerates with an urgency that you don't expect from a ute.

Put passengers and some weight in the back and the V6 is unfazed, performing with an ease its rivals can't match even though it has a lower 3000kg towing rating and 911kg payload capacity than its rivals.

The gearbox is nicely matched to the engine, doing a great job of keeping it in the right zone. The engine will casually tick over when cruising along but as soon as you call on it it will drop down ratios to extract the best performance from the V6.

Despite its power advantage and extra size, the Amarok still returns an impressive claimed fuel consumption rating of 7.8-litres per 100km which is lower than some of its less powerful four- and five-cylinder rivals.

On the road

The Amarok blurs the line between ute and SUV better than any one-tonner before it or since, so far.

The steering is nicely weighted, lighter and more direct than you typically find in this class. Braking is suitably strong too, with VW adding four-wheel disc brakes (a rarity in the class) and larger rotors on the front to cope with the extra power.

The ride is impressive either with some weight in the tray or without. Unladen you do get some bouncing that is a hallmark of every ute, but it isn't as unsettled as some of its competitors. And the suspension still offers a good balance between capability, comfort and control.

The Amarok's all-wheel drive system may be seen by some as giving it less off-road ability than rivals with a traditional four-wheel drive set-up, but the myriad of electronic driver aids help it get further off the beaten than most will ever take it.

Verdict

Volkswagen has made its already impressive Amarok better by adding the punchy V6 under the bonnet.

The engine sets a new benchmark for the class in terms of both performance and refinement, as does the eight-speed auto, and its on-road manners are also second-to-none.

But the lack of rear curtain airbags should be a big turn-off to potential buyers who plan on carrying passengers in the back. Plus the rear isn't the roomiest in this class.

The Amarok is steadily picking up sales but it seems like the established players will continue to have an advantage for the foreseeable future.

2017 Volkswagen Amarok V6 Highline price and specifications

Price: From $59,990 plus on-road costs

Engine: 3.0-litre V6 turbo diesel

Power: 165kW at 2500-4500rpm

Torque: 550Nm at 1500-2500rpm

Transmission: Eight-speed automatic, all-wheel drive

Fuel use: 7.8L/100km

The Competitors

Ford Ranger Wildtrak

Price: From $59,590 plus on-road costs

Engine: 3.2-litre five-cylinder turbo diesel

Power: 147kW at 3000rpm

Torque: 470Nm at 1750-2500rpm

Transmission: Six-speed automatic, four-wheel drive

Fuel use: 8.2L/100km

Our score: 7/10

Toyota HiLux SR5

Price: From $56,490 plus on-road costs

Engine: 2.8-litre four-cylinder turbo diesel

Power: 130kW at 3400rpm

Torque: 450Nm at 1600-2400rpm

Transmission: Six-speed automatic, four-wheel drive

Fuel use: 8.1L/100km

Our score: 6/10

Holden Colorado Z71

Price: From $57,300 plus on-road costs

Engine: 2.8-litre four-cylinder turbo diesel

Power: 147kW at 3600rpm

Torque: 550Nm at 2000rpm

Transmission: Six-speed automatic, four-wheel drive

Fuel use: 7.9L/100km

Our score: 6/10

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