SA Road Tests

Welcome

This is the home of automobile road tests in South Africa. I drive South African cars, SUVs and LCVs under real-world South African conditions. Most, but not all, the vehicles driven are world cars as well, so what you read here possibly applies to the models you get where you live.

My most recent drive is on the home page. Archived reviews and opinion pieces are in the active menu down the left side. Hover your cursor over a heading or manufacturer's name and follow the drop-down.


Solid: 2017 Volkswagen Amarok 3.0 TDI 4Motion dual cab a/t

All that’s expected

Posted: 3 June 2017

The numbers
Base price: R665 700
Engine: 2967 cc, 90-degree V6, chain driven DOHC, 24-valve turbodiesel
Power: 165 kW (180 on overboost) between 3000 and 4500 rpm
Torque: 550 Nm between 1400 and 1750 rpm
Zero to 100 km/h: 8.0 seconds
Maximum speed: 193 km/h
Real life fuel consumption: About 10.1 l/100 km
Tank: 80 litres
Payload without driver: 1010 kg
Maximum braked towing mass within GCM: 3300 kg
Ground clearance: 237 mm
Approach/Departure/rampover angles: 28.0/23.6/21.4 degrees
Wading depth: 500 mm
Warranty: 3 years / 100 000 km
Service plan: 5 years / 90 000 km at 15 000 km intervals

Volkswagen is rather proud of the ladder frame chassis onto which it builds Amaroks. Closed longitudinal beam profiles and seven (the most in the business) transverse beams, also with closed cross-sections, lead to impressive levels of torsional rigidity. The latter, pushed through the longitudinals and welded into place, provide optimum flex resistance to make Amarok as robust as it is.

The company was also rather proud of its 2.0 diesel engine when it unleashed Amarok into the world in 2010. The naysayers (us included) reckoned it was too small to compete with 2.5- and 3.0-litre offerings from other players;  “not enough basic grunt” we all said. But the initial 90 kW/340 Nm offering grew up to become a 132 kW powerhouse with as much as 420 Nm of lugging power. So the critics shut up.

Time marched on with the Big Four (Ford, Isuzu, Nissan and Toyota) still offering 2.5- to 3.2-litre heavy artillery, so Volkswagen deemed it only sporting to retaliate. That it has, with the 3.0-litre V6 diesel (the others use four or five cylinders) originally used in a 2004 Audi A8. It produces more power, but not necessarily more torque, than any of the others.

It did so with mild facelifts and equipment enhancements, both inside and out, to remind everybody that this is a new product.

From the outside, New Amarok distinguishes itself with a redesigned front bumper and radiator grille incorporating front fog lights, new alloy wheels and a third brake light with LED technology. This aligns it with current Volkswagen DNA seen in Caddy, Transporter and forthcoming Crafter. Horizontal lines dominate in front, with cleaner-looking and angled, folds and edges.

Prominent inside changes include an all-new dashboard incorporating Volkswagen’s modular infotainment system with touch-screen audio, App-Connect, Bluetooth and iPod/iPhone-compatible USB interface.

Comprehensive safety equipment is standard on every new Amarok: At least four airbags and ESP among others and, straight from the cars, Automatic Post-Collision Braking. This can reduce the chance or severity of a secondary accident after a collision.  Our three-litre Highline test vehicle with 4Motion and eight-speed automatic transmission gained side curtain airbags and bigger front brake discs (17” vs. 16”) and 16-inch discs, rather than drums, at the rear.

It’s worth remembering that not all 4Motion systems are the same. Manual transmission Amaroks can operate in rear-wheel drive only, go four-wheel by means of a transfer case and then switch to a low-range gearset for serious grunt work. Automatics have permanent all-wheel drive thanks to a Torsen central differential that operates natively in a 40:60, front-to-rear, split but redistributes power between axles when things get awkward.

An XDL electronic front diff, also off the cars, takes care of left-to-right torque transfer as needed while the rear differential can be locked up mechanically to keep you mobile through the axle twisters. All 3.0 TDIs have automatic transmissions and, therefore, Torsen diffs. A seldom-mentioned feature of the eight-speed autobox is its very low first gear. It chugs along at about four km/h per thousand rpm (like a 4x4 Duster) so not having low range doesn’t become tedious.

Because its 4wd is permanently engaged there are no dials or levers with which to select modes. Obviously. But what on Earth is this button marked Off Road supposed to do? An Australian tester (Practicalmotoring.com.au) put it rather neatly: “It’s incorrectly named. It should be called ‘Dirt Roads and Stuff.’

”The Volkswagen Amarok has a button marked “Off Road” and it sets up the Amarok’s electronics for off-road use.  It enables the Downhill Driving Assistant, which is better known to everyone else as Hill Descent Control, the name Land Rover actually coined for it.  Another function it performs is to recalibrate the ABS system so that it performs better on dirt roads.

 “A historic problem with ABS on dirt roads was that it didn’t let the wheels lock up enough to properly retard the vehicle.  The looser the surface, the more effective it is to allow the tyres to dig into the ground, biting into the hard surface under the loose topping, or to build up a wedge of gravel in front of the tyres.  Newer ABS systems are much better as they are programmed to detect dirt roads and adapt their braking to suit. The Amarok does this with its Off Road button and the difference in stopping power can be felt quite easily,” he concludes.

While its face and equipment might be newer, the experience was still vintage Amarok. It sailed through our obstacle course without any fuss, rode comfortably over our local dirt roads and braked well on them. It had plenty of bin area at a comfortable loading height and did all that’s expected of a big, solid pickup.
 
Less good was that rear seat passengers aren’t as well accommodated as those in some new competitors. The backrest angle is a bit too upright and knee space is less than we are becoming used to. Lift-up backseat cushions, that allow carrying of small cargo inside, are still a plus however. Fit and finish is good and everything works well. It’s priced a little above equivalent competitors but then it is a Volkswagen.

Test unit from VWSA press fleet


Save

What We Do

This is a one-man show, which means that every car reviewed is given my personal evaluation and receives my own seat of the pants judgement - no second hand input here.

Every test car goes through real world driving; on city streets littered with potholes, speed bumps and rumble strips, on freeways and if its profile demands, dirt roads as well.

I do my best to include relevant information like real life fuel economy or a close mathematical calculation, boot size or luggage space, whether the space is both usable and accessible, whether life-sized people can use the back seat (where that applies), basic specs of the vehicle and performance figures if they are published. In the case of clearly identified launch reports, fuel figures are of necessity the laboratory numbers provided with the release material.

If ever I place an article that doesn't cover most things, it's probably because I have dealt with a very similar vehicle already, so you will be able to find what you want in another report under the same manufacturer's heading in the menu on the left.

Hope you like what you see, because there are no commercial interests at work here. There are no advertisers and no “editorial policy” rules. I add bylines to acknowledge sponsored launch functions and the manufacturers or dealerships that provide the test vehicles.  And, as quite a few readers have found, I answer every serious enquiry from my home email address, with my phone numbers attached, so you can see I do actually exist.

Comments?
Want to ask a question, comment or just tell me you completely disagree with what I say? If you want advice or have a genuine concern, I will be happy to hear from you. All I ask is that you write something in the subject line so I know which vehicle you're talking about.