VW Amarok...bit pointless?

EPM

Just say this yoke on Autocar.



Seems a bit pointless to me and a bit at odds with their image. And although most of these are bought for posing, I'm not convinced a 2 litre diesel is enough for hard work either despite the decent power output.

Cookie_Monster

Looks like they just got a ranger/hilux/bt50 and shoved a golf front onto it.

with only a 2l clearly its aimed at the leisure/ builder market rather than proper off road / farm use

BennyBlanko

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

with only a 2l clearly its aimed at the leisure/ builder market rather than proper off road / farm use

I don't agree - whilst it may not be a big ballsy 3.0td, it'll be easy on fuel and find me a farmer who does'nt give out about the price of diesel. Lots of medium sized farmers bought 2.0td vitara's and santa fe's etc to keep diesel costs in check whilst having the back seats for family etc.

I reckon it'd sell.

JHMEG

Would be popular with all the small property developers down the country in places like Leitrim. Oh, wait. Someone needs to tell VW the building boom is bust!

cantdecide

Approx 5mpg isn't the difference between success and ruin. Do you know how heavy on juice a Santa Fe is?

Max Headroom

VW Anorak..The load area only looks big enough for 1 bag of cement OR a case of wine.......but not both..:p

BennyBlanko

cantdecide wrote: »

Approx 5mpg isn't the difference between success and ruin. Do you know how heavy on juice a Santa Fe is?

Yes I do.

But you don't understand the MINDSET of the farmer! If he reckons it easy on juice, it's good enough for him.
Plus, it'd be easy tax, either as a crewcab or private with the low emmisions.

For Forks Sake

JHMEG wrote: »

Would be popular with all the small property developers down the country in places like Leitrim. Oh, wait. Someone needs to tell VW the building boom is bust!

I'd imagine VW look at a slightly larger picture than just merry little Ireland

JHMEG

For Forks Sake wrote: »

I'd imagine VW look at a slightly larger picture than just merry little Ireland

Sure, like Spain, Greece etc.

Matt Simis

In many regions farmers use small SUVs like Rav4s for light duty work and have bigger stuff for the rest. This would seem to compete on the entry level side.

The Amarok gets a classy, aggressive interpretation of the VW grille, a six-speed gearbox, low-range transfer box, permanent four-wheel drive, locking centre and rear differentials, the latest direct-injection, twin-turbo 2.0-litre diesel unit, tuned for 161bhp and 295lb ft, and traction/stability control.

Key markets for the Amarok are South America, South Africa and Australia

Even in the latest issue of the US Car&Driver, they review a bunch of 4x4s, included in them the Rav4, CRV and VW tiguan. While we look down on them as school runners, apparently they do indeed have a use.

Nearly 300ft/lb of torque from the factory is excellent if true, but at only 36mpg from a 2.0 diesel, you do pay for it.

Other tidbits:
Cannot/will not be sold in the US
Can tow 3tons or carry 1.15tons in the payload area!
Has permanent 4WD (rare in its class)

Saab Ed

Isnt it just a rebadged / re-bumpered Toyota Hilux anyway. VW have been at this for years in other markets with the VW Taro http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volkswagen_Taro






While Im at it here's a few more unknown Veedubs

http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.volksforum.com/albums/files/6/6/8/0/Taro1989-19963.jpg&imgrefurl=http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread%3Fcmd%3Dprint%26id%3D3675801&usg=__6AV1D8JKHcSsb55qbFa7bHLfgiI=&h=403&w=600&sz=263&hl=en&start=6&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=-dz4FioADw4lxM:&tbnh=91&tbnw=135&prev=/images%3Fq%3DVW%2BToyota%26ndsp%3D20%26hl%3Den%26um%3D1

JHMEG

Matt Simis wrote: »

Cannot/will not be sold in the US

Because of air pollution?

Matt Simis wrote:

While we look down on them as school runners, apparently they do indeed have a use.

Most popular Rav-4 in the US and Oz is the 3.5L V6, putting out 270bhp and is quicker to 60 than a BMW 630i! Having said that I don't think they're used for much more than they are used for here, if anything.

CJhaughey

They launched the Amarok during this years Dakar in Argentina, I think the cleanup crews were using them during the race.
For those that don't know what the cleanup crews do, they follow the race picking up all the discarded bodywork/Tyres/and miscellaneous pieces that fall off or get busted and discarded during the race itself.
They travel the same terrain as the Dakar rally, so they can't be all that bad.

Cmar-Ireland

Not a VW fan, but I actually like this. The tax high though at €1050.

peasant

For Forks Sake wrote: »

I'd imagine VW look at a slightly larger picture than just merry little Ireland

Indeed.
It is built in South America, I would wager that it was also (mostly) designed there and with that market in mind (as well as AUS/NZ).
Selling it in Europe is probably just an afterthought.

mullingar

JHMEG wrote: »

Because of air pollution?


Most popular Rav-4 in the US and Oz is the 3.5L V6, putting out 270bhp and is quicker to 60 than a BMW 630i! Having said that I don't think they're used for much more than they are used for here, if anything.

Look at:
http://www.ssmoparmuscle.com/speedcomp.htm

JHMEG

mullingar wrote: »

Look at:
http://www.ssmoparmuscle.com/speedcomp.htm

Any particular reason?

mullingar

JHMEG wrote: »

Any particular reason?

It simply compares a lot of US spec car 0-60 times.

The rav4 3.5 has a very nice 0-60 of 6.3 seconds!!
BMW 633i (no 630i in US) 0-60 is a slower 7.7 seconds

Matt Simis

mullingar wrote: »

It simply compares a lot of US spec car 0-60 times.

The rav4 3.5 has a very nice 0-60 of 6.3 seconds!!
BMW 633i (no 630i in US) 0-60 is a slower 7.7 seconds

Im sure JHMEG was referring to the E63 (2003+) 6 series, not the 20year old one!

Afaik JHMEG, the think not being in the US is possibly something to do with its Argentina connection and even more likely the emissions. VW said they would need to justify 100k unit sales to bring it to the US, points to me that it would need re-engineering to pass CAFE etc.

Cmar-Ireland

Cmar-Ireland wrote: »

Not a VW fan, but I actually like this. The tax high though at €1050.

99% of them will be taxed commercially so 288 euro for the year, I don't know anybody who is taxing a crew-cab privately regardless of what its used for.

JHMEG

Matt Simis wrote: »

Im sure JHMEG was referring to the E63 (2003+) 6 series, not the 20year old one!

I think he knows. 630 is topical due to yesterday's discussion... 60 in something like 7.9s.

Cmar-Ireland

Westley Short Gray wrote: »

99% of them will be taxed commercially so 288 euro for the year, I don't know anybody who is taxing a crew-cab privately regardless of what its used for.

I agree, most will probably be taxed for €288. But with our penny pinching Government it's only a matter of time before this is brought in (private tax unless registered business).

If it does happen, all the other big crewcabs will be in the 2k tax bracket :eek:

Matt Simis

JHMEG wrote: »

I think he knows. 630 is topical due to yesterday's discussion... 60 in something like 7.9s.

Yeah, but the 633i has nothing to do with a (current) 630i...

The current 630i manual is 6.11seconds 0-60mph (6.2sec to 0-100kph).
http://www.carfolio.com/specifications/models/car/?car=161579#a_performance

The auto is 6.2sec to 60mph.
http://www.carfolio.com/specifications/models/car/?car=161260#a_performance


So no, the Rav-4 V6 AWD isnt faster to 60 than a 630i I think someone made that 20year generation error yesterday too..

JHMEG

Matt Simis wrote: »

Yeah, but the 633i has nothing to do with a (current) 630i...

The current 630i manual is

Yeah but if you learn one thing on boards motors it's that when buying anything bigger than a 316 you need to buy the auto (and satnav and leather etc etc etc)...;)

bs2014

The amarok has the same towing capacity as a hilux and with 400nm of torque. The whole 2.0 or 3.0 thing is nonscence, its not about the engine, but how the engine delivers the power! Also worth noting, the automatic amarok now available can tow slightly more-legally, as the extra weight upfront from the auto gearbox, means a greater weight can be towed.

TestTransmission

bs2014 wrote: »

The amarok has the same towing capacity as a hilux and with 400nm of torque. The whole 2.0 or 3.0 thing is nonscence, its not about the engine, but how the engine delivers the power! Also worth noting, the automatic amarok now available can tow slightly more-legally, as the extra weight upfront from the auto gearbox, means a greater weight can be towed.

Please don't drag up old threads