In the US, the mid-size pickup market is the new big thing. So news of the Volkswagen Amarok excited fans. The Amarok debuted in 2010 and did fairly well for its first generation, which lasted a decade before VW withdrew it to remap the car and make it a better sell. It never came to the US, because of various issues, though mainly it was the “chicken tax”. Since Volkswagen built the Amarok off US land, importing it would attract a tax, taking the price of this pickup higher than the competition, which is not good for sales.
But the good news is that Volkswagen partnered up with Ford to build the Amarok’s second coming. However, the bad news is, that it’s still not on US soil. The all-new 2023 Volkswagen Amarok that premiered on the YouTube channel Volkswagen Nutzfahrzeuge recently, will ride out of Ford’s South African Silverton plant but again, it’s not heading into the US.
So the reasons are both the same yet different, although the good looks of the Amarok are disappointing its fans in the US. Everyone assumed that since Ford and Volkswagen joined hands, the Amarok would definitely come to the US in its second generation, but it has slipped through our grasp again. That said; we are getting a car that has lent its underpinnings to the Volkswagen Amarok and might beat it in performance as well. So that’s okay, right?
The US Has The Ford Ranger
The Volkswagen Amarok borrows the Ford Ranger's underpinnings. If you love the Ford F-150 but find its engines, its size, and the price a little overpowering, meet its not-so-little brother, the Ford Ranger.
Instead of the growly V8s and the economical V6, the Ford Ranger bears a turbocharged 2.3-liter four-cylinder mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission, jetting 270 horses and 310 lb-ft of torque. The Ranger runs on a standard rear-wheel drive but you can choose an all-wheel drive, available across the line-up, for extra monies, of course. It does have class-competing towing and payload capacities equivalent to the competition presented by the likes of Chevy Colorado and the GMC Canyon.
It will compete with the more-expensive Jeep Gladiator and Honda Ridgeline as well as the similar-priced Nissan Frontier. Price starts at $27,000 for the XL and climbs up to $41,000 with the Tremor, with the XLT, Splash, and the Lariat in between.
Next, the Ford Ranger also offers all the amenities you get in the pickups that are its competition so while it may not give you an edge, it does not let others (read, the Amarok) have an edge over it either.
What’s Special About The VW Amarok?
First off, the world in the American part of the globe was agog in May 2021, when news broke that Volkswagen applied to register the Amarok name for the North American market. This, to many, indicated that the pickup truck was here for good before VW announced that there was no such news.
What is it that the Volkswagen Amarok has that the Ranger does not? First off, the VW Amarok is a good-looking pickup, with very different styling from the Ranger. Next up, the Amarok may ride on the Ford Ranger’s underpinnings, but it boasts very different engines like the top-rated 3.0-liter TDI diesel V6 that jets 255 horses and a whopping 427 lb-ft torque, outclassing the Ford Ranger by a lot. A bigger engine means it also outruns the Ranger, in acceleration and likely in speed making for a slightly better midsize pickup than the Ranger. Of course, this also means that the Amarok is more expensive than the Ranger, much like the Honda Ridgeline or the Jeep Gladiator. More horsepower always equates to more bucks.
There are a total of five engine options including another three turbodiesel inline-four engines as well as a 2.3-liter turbo inline-4 gas that makes 298 horsepower. Plus there are plenty of transmission options as well and a 4Motion all-wheel drive.
The Ford Ranger Trumps The VW Amarok
Volkswagen may not be bringing the Amarok into the US, but since we also get the Ford Ranger as an EV in 2023, with most of the goodies at a lesser price, it’s not a bad deal. The Ford Ranger may have less power, but it will get the job done, and if you want a V6 or even a V8, there’s always the Ford F-150 to go for.
This is the first generation of Ford Ranger’s new avatar, so we are sure, over the years they will add more powertrains. The fact remains that this is Ford’s first mid-size truck, and if it’s anything as good as the F-150, the Ranger might become another of Ford’s bestselling truck nameplates.
Also, do remember that 2023 also brings forth the Ford Ranger Raptor, with 392 horsepower, something the Volkswagen Amarok has nothing to compete against. Given that the Amarok rides on the Ranger’s bones, there has to be something about the Ford Ranger, no?
Sources: Volkswagen, YouTube channel Volkswagen Nutzfahrzeuge