2023 Volkswagen Amarok PanAmericana review

Volkswagen’s Amarok has been re-booted more than a decade after it first debuted. It’s a shared effort with Ford. Is there enough Volkswagen in it to please the Amarok loyalists?

The new Volkswagen Amarok range might only be a line-up of four models, yet it covers off most needs. There’s the Life for the workers, the Style for middle-management, and then there are the boss trucks, the PanAmericana and the Aventura.

These two range toppers both get V6 power and spec aplenty but each has a different character. The PanAmericana, featured here, is the one with an off-road persona.

It’s named after the longest road in the world, and PanAmericana (henceforth PA) is a sub-brand of sorts for VW, these models styled to appeal to ‘adventurous types’.

For the Amarok PA that means 18-inch black alloys wrapped in all-terrain rubber with chunky ‘up for adventure’ tread blocks.

There’s less chrome and more black bits; bumpers, mirrors, side steps and the styling bar on the tray. The door graphic completes the look.

Unfortunately for the stubbies-wearing 4×4 brigade, the off-road creds haven’t been tweaked; it’s all visual. The PA has the same 217mm ground clearance as the rest of the range and the approach (30) and departure (26) angles are identical too.

Where the former truck had an eight-speed auto, this has ten gears and gains a superior 4×4 drivetrain. The previous model had permanent AWD and an ‘off-road mode’ but lacked a low range.

This one now gets that, a diff lock, selectable AWD (a variable setting that sees the centre diff shuffle torque front and rear) as well as the usual 2H and 4H setting.

There’s also various terrain modes for the traction control system to keep it trucking (in Sand mode for instance, the traction control is relaxed to allow a bit more wheel spin, and the trans keeps the engine revs high for better access to the torque).

There’s also a more sophisticated hill descent control; it’ll limit the speed on steep downhills to prevent skidding, while you can tap the cruise control button to slow it down or increase speed, the VW ute doing it all so smoothly.

It’s large but not unwieldy in city traffic, the sizeable turning circle aside but the steering is light, no muscle needed. The stated fuel use is 9.6L/100km while we saw 11.

It’s also settled on the highways. The steering is good, not too heavy with a decent connection.

The V6 models get a ‘comfort suspension’ tune and with the generous sidewalls of the 18-inch rubber the unladen ride is fairly settled at all speeds, the jiggling kept to a minimum.

Bump steer is then less of an issue in the bends so it tracks smoothly and it’s easy to place.

The all-terrain rubber means there’s a bit of squirm on the turn, the big tread blocks scrubbing in a tight corner but they hold on quite well, at least on a dry road.

They are rather vocal during panic braking, the distance a little longer than what we recorded with the Wildtrak V6.

There is no Sport mode and no paddles, neither really missed as you can fiddle with the little rocker switch on the gear lever to lock out the higher gears. Why?

Then it’s not forever trying to hook into top gear and you get better response to throttle inputs, the engine simmering away in its torquey mid-zone. It’s a good hack for a winding road and also when towing.

The 4A setting ensures traction as the torque flows freely from the 3.0-litre. This V6 is more of a slugger; don’t expect a flurry of revs, as it doesn’t spin much past three and half, with the transmission doing a lot of the work.

It’s surefooted on gravel roads thanks to the AWD setting, the stability control only chiming in when things get a bit too loose. It romps around happily in the sand as well, capably powering through the deeper soft stuff.

They changed the indicator to the left side too. They couldn’t do anything about the stubby shifter unfortunately, the least amazing aspect of the shared platform, the mechanism making it too easy to pluck Park when going for Reverse.

And as a place to rest your hand while poking the touchscreen, it’s just a touch too short. Said infotainment system has been given a VW-specific interface and is easy to navigate through, the big screen giving everything room to spread out.

While there is a wireless charger there’s no CarPlay or Android Auto, only app connect via Mirrorlink.

There are also the good points of the platform; the starter button is easy to find on the steering column (where previous owners still had to insert a key on the old model) and the interior door openers integrated into the handle are clever (making it easier to manage the opening action of big doors).

There’s a good blend of soft touch points and enough hardwearing plastics to live up to ute life. There could be more storage, much of the centre console taken up with the 4×4 buttons.

Amarok is slightly longer now, and most of the lengthening has gone into the wheelbase resulting in more cabin room, particularly for those in the rear.

Said deck gets a spray-in liner, has 1.2m of load width between the arches, and is 1.6m long.

The PanAmericana has the best payload of the Amarok range at 967kg. The tailgate has a helper spring to ease the effort required to lift it up and it now locks off the key fob as part of the remote locking function.

There’s no step integrated in the tray at the rear, so accessing things back there isn’t as easy as with some others.

The regular Wildtrak V6 is $83,990 while Ford has just announced the Raptor is now available to order with the bi-turbo diesel. That lowers its price significantly (and the associated fees) to now undercut the PA at $86,490.

Here you trade a couple of cylinders for a lot more off-road ability but at the expense of a reduced payload and towing capacity.

The $88,490 Ranger Platinum is a higher speced model with a V6 but is more in line with the $90k Aventura model.

Bottom line is you always pay more for the Amarok. And now you also pay more in fees.

Those who managed to get the first arrivals paid a lot less to the Clean Car scheme, the PanAmericana moving from a fee of $3910 to now paying close to the maximum of $6555.

Buyers of the 2.0-litre bi-turbo Style have fees of $4485 to face, up from $1840.

So while pricey it’s also very capable and polished.

Of note, many new models lately have been accompanied by price rises, this much improved Amarok is no more expensive than when we last drove one, back prior to the pandemic.

This article was originally published on autocar.co.nz