Volkswagen deliver more power with their new 3.0 litre V6 Amarok

By Gerry Murphy

There has been a big push on pick-ups over the last while, with all manufacturers upgrading their vehicles to match a growing trend for more pulling power and greater capability.

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, in their wisdom, decided to dispense with their old 2.0-litre Amarok, replacing it with a newly designed 3.0-litre V6 version.

Claiming that research showed them that buyers of these work horses want more power and that their smaller model didn’t quite live up to those demands, they see it as a raising of the bar and have also made the Amarok a more premium pick-up to catch bigger fish and deliver that extra performance potential that the V6 now offers.

Fitted with the latest generation of Volkswagen V6 engines, Irish drivers of the Amarok can now relish the additional litre of displacement offered by the 3.0-litre engine, while the pick-up will continue to boast impressive on- as well as off-road capability.

There are important statistics that potential customers are now looking for. The new engine delivers higher torque at low engine speeds even under the most demanding of conditions. Up to 550 Nm of torque at 1,500rpm and a power output of 224 HP is, according to Volkswagen, more than 50 HP more than the average for vehicles in this segment.

It is also quicker, with the refined V6 engine propelling the Amarok from 0-100 km/h in 7.9 seconds. You also get a permanent all-wheel drive system and a Torsen differential with the 8-speed automatic gearbox.

This is big hunk of metal that requires careful driving and while it is surprisingly agile in most circumstances you need to have your wits about you at all times. To help you stop safely there are 17-inch brake discs on the front axle and 16-inch discs at the rear ensure control under braking.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.